Senate to weigh huge tax breaks for mall

Okatie Crossings, a proposed $400 million shopping mall outside Hardeeville, has stirred a heated debate over when the state should give businesses money to set up shop.

The Okatie project has gained wide support in the General Assembly because it is expected to boost jobs in one of the poorest tourism economies in the state.

But opponents say retail development is not a good use of state money.

"Can you believe they are against a jobs program in one of the poorest counties in the state?" asked Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, while locked in a Senate floor debate Tuesday over union voting.