Legislative Update for January 7th - 11th

This past week marked the beginning of the 123rd Session of The South Carolina General Assembly. The week kicked off with inaugural festivities for Governor Henry McMaster, Lt. Governor Pamela Evette and our seven other Constitutional officers. Gov. McMaster’s inauguration address focused heavily on tax reform, education reform, infrastructure and making sure South Carolina has a bright future ahead of us.

When the House gaveled into its first session of the year, we saw 500 pre-filed bills cross the desk. Each of these bills was assigned to a Committee. Those bills will be deliberated, developed and made ready for full debate on the floor of the House.

I pre-filed several bills that called for term limits to career politicians, helped Veterans get better support in our State, as well as education reform for our State. I will continue to review the bills being filed and will add my sponsorship to them if they are productive for the Upstate and South Carolina in general.

I welcome your thoughts on the bills being filed. 

Year Agenda: House Republicans laid out an aggressive agenda for the first week about how to increase the quality of life for every South Carolinian. The legislative agenda addressed much needed comprehensive reforms for our state. This week focused on comprehensive education reform:

• Paying our teachers more: The House will debate increasing teacher pay so our students have access to the best teachers possible.

• Letting teachers do their job: I look forward to fighting to reduce paperwork and excessive testing in schools, so teachers have more time to teach.

• Workforce Development: There are 64,249 jobs available in South Carolina, yet our unemployment rate is at 3.3%. This is because we do not have a labor force to fill these jobs. I look forward to finding ways to developing a more plentiful skilled workforce.

Our top priority will be to fundamentally address the way we fund our education system so our children get the best education possible and become the future generation of the South Carolina workforce. Through my selection on the House Education and Public Works Committee, I will have a front row seat in this endeavor and look forward to shaping a brighter future for our children, teachers, and administrators of our State. I’m a father of a 9 and 6-year-old attending our public schools so I’m personally connected to this as well! 

Fact of the week: South Carolina is 24th in the nation for funding education but last in test scores and college readiness. We have to do better in how we spend our funding for our schools. 

Helpful links: After recent heavy rainfalls wreaked havoc on our roadways SCDOT is launching a statewide “pothole blitz” …and they’re asking for our help! Report potholes (either click the link below or call their Hotline at 1-855-467-2368.  And remember, SCDOT employees will be working extended hours to fix these potholes, so please use caution and watch for SCDOT maintenance crews making repairs.

SCDOT – Report Potholes here

Pictures of the Week:

Governor Inauguration: It was an honor to represent the District at the ceremony.

Clemson wins National Championship: Clemson Fans would’ve liked the State House’s new look this past week. Congratulations to the Tigers on the National Championship.

Energy Choice for SC: Along with 30 other legislators, I participated in a press conference at the State House to address legislation that would bring more competition to the energy sector offering lower rates to our constituents as well as jobs.