Lowcountry Economic Network - Beaufort, South Carolina

Davis says he'll push for Jasper port as a new member of legislative panel

http://www.islandpacket.com/1482/story/898148.html

By JOSH MCCANN
jmccann@islandpacket.com
843-706-8145

Published Tuesday, July 7, 200

State Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, says he will use his appointment to a committee overseeing the S.C. State Ports Authority to push for the development of a port in Jasper County.

Davis recently was appointed to a 10-member panel of lawmakers that will oversee the ports authority and screen potential new members of its board.

Davis said he will work to ensure the authority pursues a trio of amendments he drafted and sponsored related to the proposed Jasper port.

He wants the authority to:

• Expeditiously develop a port in Jasper.

• Enter into an interstate compact by Dec. 31, 2010, to operate that port.

• Investigate the merits of using private capital to finance port construction.

"Serving on the legislative oversight committee will allow me to ensure those things actually happen," Davis said.

The committee was created as part of a law that restructured the ports authority and erased the governor's ability to remove ports authority members.

Davis opposed the bill because of concern the board could impede the proposed Jasper port and become "totally Charleston-centric" without the threat of intervention from the executive office.

"Now that it has become law, it is time to move on and do the best we can for South Carolina ports," Davis said.