At Beaufort military event, supporters hopeful retirement pay bill passes
Supporters hope this is the year the South Carolina legislature bill passes a bill exempting military retirement pay from state income taxes.
At the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual State of the Bases briefing at Holiday Inn on Thursday, the chairman of a state military panel said the bill would eventually pay for itself because of the economic benefit. It would also allow the state to maintain a quality workforce.
"Military employers love former military," said Bill Bethea, chairman of the S.C. Military Base Task Force, "because they've been trained in discipline, responsibility, leadership, teamwork -- all those things translate beautifully into the private workplace."
The tax deductions would be phased in over three years -- 33 percent deduction the first year, 66 percent the second year and 100 percent after three years.
The change would mean an estimated $9.4 million reduction in state tax revenue the first year and $30 million lost with a 100 percent deduction.
A Clemson study showed the net effect on state revenue would be positive within 10 years because of additional disposable income and more military retirees drawn to the state.
The bill has passed the House of Representatives and sits with the Senate finance committee.
"We feel with the support that is building, we're going to have a much better chance of getting that over the finish line," Bethea said.
The event Thursday included updates from commanders at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and Naval Hospital Beaufort. U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford attended, sitting with Bethea, but did not address the crowd.
Here are the base updates:
At Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort:
- 20 British pilots are on the base to begin training with the F-35B to prepare the United Kingdom to launch its own program. More than 100 pilots are expected by the end of the year, with 240 British pilots eventually training in Beaufort.
- Work is ongoing to build a training deck to allow F-35 pilots to simulate landing vertically on an aircraft carrier. New homes are being built in Laurel Bay. Two of the three Department of Defense schools are being replaced, with the other slated for renovation.
- Col. Peter Buck, commanding officer of MCAS, addressed concerns that the F-35 "is different." "To that, I say necessarily," he said. Buck said new aircraft is part of the history of the Air Station and that the F-35 is a 50-year program.
On Parris Island:
- The base will undergo $150 million worth of construction projects, much of it devoted to redesigning shooting ranges.
- A new visitors center should be finished in February, and two new sections have been added to the museum.
At Naval Hospital Beaufort:
- Capt. Anne Lear, commanding officer, will retire in June after three years in the position and more than 25 years in the U.S. Navy. She plans to return home to California to care for her father. "Beaufort has really taken care of us," Lear said of the military community. "They've wrapped their arms around us. It's been wonderful."
- The facility plans to conduct active-shooter drills, Lear said.
- An urgent care unit has replaced the emergency room that closed in 2014. The hospital partnered with Veterans Affairs to start a physical therapy clinic to serve retirees and veterans.
Follow reporter Stephen Fastenau on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Stephen.
Related content:
- MCAS Beaufort, Naval Hospital taking steps to remain relevant, Oct. 23, 2015
- MCAS Beaufort observes one year anniversary of F-35B arrival, July 17, 2015
- MCAS Beaufort's first F-35B arrives + video, photos, July 17, 2014
This story was originally published January 21, 2016 at 5:08 PM with the headline "At Beaufort military event, supporters hopeful retirement pay bill passes."