SEAT BELTS - A tougher seat belt bill that will allow police to stop adult drivers who are unbuckled passed the Senate 32-11 and was sent to the House. Current law allows citations of adult drivers only if stopped for another offense or if they have unbelted minors in the car. Supporters say the legislation will save lives. Opponents say it erodes personal freedom and gives police a way of making money.

INCOME TAX - A bill that would reduce the state’s income tax to 4.75 percent from 7 percent during the next decade cleared the House. The House sent the bill to the Senate on Thursday after routine third reading. Gov. Mark Sanford hopes to attract wealthy retirees and help small business owners with the legislation. Democrats opposed the cut unless the state first sets aside money for property tax breaks approved years ago.

ELECTED POSITIONS - The House approved a bill that would let voters decide whether to eliminate elections for the education superintendent and secretary of state. If voters agree to change the South Carolina Constitution, those offices would be appointed by the governor.

LAWSUIT LIMITS - The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill that sets a $250,000 cap on pain and suffering and other non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits, except for paralysis. A second bill, with the same cap, affects nonmedical lawsuits. Senate floor debate begins Tuesday.

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS - Twenty-nine of the 32 Legislative Black Caucus members walked out as the last votes were cast in two judicial elections. The only two black candidates lost by wide margins. Seven of the 112 judges elected by the Legislature are black.

LICENSE TAGS - A bill that allows the state to collect money for a Sons of Confederate Veterans license tag and give profits to the group was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee. The Senate gave the bill second reading approval Thursday.

PRESCRIPTION LENSES - Stores without eye specialists wouldn’t be able to sell novelty contact lenses under a bill approved by a House subcommittee. The legislation says a specialist has to provide a prescription to be matched with specific lenses at retailers.

MILK PRICES - South Carolina dairy operators would be protected from losing money to cheaper, out-of-state operators under a bill that cleared a House committee. The legislation creates a South Carolina Milk Board to regulate the milk industry. Newberry dairy farmer Richard Doran said South Carolina operators are suffering from large-scale operations elsewhere that drive prices down.

ROAD NAME - A resolution to rename the Earle Morris Highway passed the House. The road was named for Morris, a former legislator, lieutenant governor and comptroller general, who recently was convicted of securities fraud.

Study: Tax credit

would hurt public schools

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gov. Mark Sanford’s proposal to give tax credits to parents who send their children to private schools would take $354 million of out public schools, according to a report released by public school leaders on Tuesday. The Miley and Associates report found that each school district on average would lose $4.1 million if the tax credit was fully implemented in five years.

Harry Miley, a former economic adviser to former Republican Govs. Carroll Campbell and David Beasley, prepared the report for the South Carolina School Boards Association and the South Carolina Association of School Administrators.

Miley took aim at last year’s study released by the South Carolina Policy Council, a Columbia group that backs school tax credits. That report, produced by a Clemson professor, found that schools would have about $600 more per student when a child leaves a public school classroom for a private school.

Miley’s report says the Policy Council study has several flaws. He said it didn’t take into account the fixed costs that remain when a student leaves a classroom.

‘‘I didn’t think this quite passed the common sense approach,’’ Miley said. ‘‘Where are the cost savings? ... Is the teacher fired? ... Is the heat turned down?’’

Ed McMullen, the Policy Council’s chief executive, stood by Clemson economist Cotton Lindsay’s report. It was ‘‘substantial, cutting edge data and research that is pioneering new ground’’ and is ‘‘highly regarded’’ nationally with economists, McMullen said.

The governor has said the legislation would enhance school choice and create competition that would make public schools better.

Miley explains that public schools face different costs when students leave, which was not taken into account in the Policy Council’s study. For instance, the Horry County School District gets $938 from the state Education Finance Act fund for each student, while the Hampton 2 School District gets $1,641, Miley said.

There also are differences within the student population, such as more may be spent on special needs and gifted students.

Instead of saving $600 every time a student leaves, the different needs of students may actually take between $570 and $2,040 out of schools, Miley’s report says.

Miley said the questions raised by the report merit further study before the Legislature adopts a tax credit. ‘‘There are more questions unanswered than answered,’’ he said.

The study validates what critics have been saying, said Porter Stewart, president of the school board group.

‘‘The state cannot afford nor is it morally right to publicly fund two systems of education in South Carolina,’’ Stewart said.

McMullen said the study focuses on an outdated version of the tax credit proposal. ‘‘There is nothing reliable in what they’ve released,’’ McMullen said.

Miley said the reports calculations include both the version that failed last year and what currently is before the Legislature.

The Republican governor’s office stood by the tax credit plan, saying opponents include people that profit from the current bureaucracy.

‘‘We’ve got a great deal for the current education bureaucracy,’’ Sanford spokesman Will Folks said. ‘‘It can keep over two-thirds of the $9,800 it currently spends attempting to educate each individual child and we’ll give parents access to the marketplace with the other third to make sure someone is actually educating that child,’’ Folks said.

He said it was important to identify people looking out for the interests of children ‘‘as opposed to the bureaucracy that’s padding its wallet.’’

Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum, a Democrat, said Miley’s study makes sense. ‘‘I don’t see how any reasonable, fair-minded person can continue to cite the Policy Council’s so-called research as authoritative and unbiased.’’ The council ‘‘continues to sacrifice truth and accuracy in the pursuit of its political agenda,’’ she said.