ROCK HILL, S.C. — It's been a long fourth quarter for the back and forth game between politicians surrounding a tax break and incentives bill that would help the Carolina Panthers move to York County. Lawmakers punted again on Wednesday, moving to possibly debate and vote on the bill on Thursday -- the last day of session.
The bill, known as S.655 or the Panthers Bill, would give tax breaks and incentives worth roughly $115 million to Tepper.
"Look, we would like to be there," Tepper said on Wednesday. "Hopefully they help us out there."
Tepper spoke out on the matter as lawmakers go down to the wire under a hard deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday.
"It's going to cost us a lot of money to go down to South Carolina," Tepper added. "We're going to have to put out real money down there."
"It's not like we get that money from South Carolina and that's it," Tepper said. "It's a lot of money in a facility that we have to invest. They'll have to make a decision if they want it or not."
As lawmakers continue their official review of the bill, Tepper is already signaling his next play if the bill is struck down.
"Otherwise, I got a bubble, you guys see the bubble going up there? I've got a cafeteria building, I'll stay in Charlotte -- I can stay home," Tepper said.
Tepper and Mayor John Gettys of Rock Hill are on the same team as they've urged lawmakers to pass the bill.
However, South Carolina Senator Dick Harpootlian has consistently thrown challenge flags at the bill.
"Earlier in this session I participated in a committee that gave more time on whether miniature horses ought to be included in the definition of a service animal, than we have spent scrutinizing the finer points of S.655," the freshman senator said Tuesday during session.
Wednesday, the Senate chose to give the bill a second reading, effectively moving a possible debate and vote on the bill to Thursday.
"This would mean [so] much to this state that 20 years from now, we'll wonder why in the world would someone be opposed to it," Senator Harvey Peeler said.
If lawmakers do not vote on the bill by the 5 p .m. deadline on Thursday, a special session would need to be opened for the bill to be brought back to the floor. Otherwise, state leaders could see it on their calendars in their 2020 session.