January 25th Update

Sunday, January 25, 2026

Week Two: Parental Rights, American Steel, Protecting Privacy, and a New Chaplain
This week at the State House, House Republicans continued our work advancing legislation focused on protecting families, strengthening public safety, supporting American jobs, and ensuring government works for the people it serves. Committees remained busy, and several key issues moved forward as we continue the second year of our legislative session. On Wednesday, we elected a new Chaplain to replace our wonderful, long-serving retiring Chaplain, Rev. Charles E. Seastrunk, Jr. Our new Chaplain is my good friend, Rev. Jeff Lingerfelt, who has led Bible studies for both the House and Senate for many years. As Rep. Mark Smith, who sends out the weekly reminders for Bible study, said, getting up early to attend these 30-minute studies has been such a wonderful way to keep us grounded in what is really important as we debate bills and try to solve problems for our citizens. Jeff promised me that the Bible studies will continue even though he also has to report a little early for the beginning of Session on Wednesday.

Protecting Children and Strengthening Parental Rights
Protecting children and strengthening parental rights remained a top priority this week. Lawmakers continued work on two key pieces of legislation: the Parental Rights Act (H.4757), which has been referred to committee, and the South Carolina Student Physical Privacy Act (H.4756), which passed out of the House Judiciary Committee. Both measures focus on safeguarding student privacy in schools while affirming transparency and parental involvement in their children's education and healthcare. Together, these measures are aimed at restoring common sense in our classrooms, protecting student privacy, and ensuring parents are kept informed and respected when it comes to decisions affecting their children. Committee hearings drew strong engagement from families, students, and advocates from across the state, and discussions will continue as these bills move through the legislative process. During deliberations of the Privacy Act, I felt compelled to speak because much of the talk on the part of our Democrat House Members focused on why we should not be attacking or singling out transgender children. They tried to claim that since there had not been any problems in South Carolina (except in Berkeley County and York County!), we should not be trying to fix something that is not broken. I asked Rep. TA Moore, who was presenting the bill, if the word "transgender" appears anywhere in the bill. It does not. I went on to say that I did not believe any of us on the committee wish to hurt anyone, and that no one could possibly claim that there have been no problems across the country. We do not have to wait until there is a crisis such as the attacks on three different girls in the bathrooms by a biological male in Loudon County, VA. I also pointed out the reports during interviews and testimony of girls being subjected to boys (whether transgender or otherwise) undressing in locker rooms, which is at the very least, embarrassing and certainly could be harmful. My final statement was that this is a bill about privacy in private places, period. We went on to vote and the bill passed out of committee to go to the House floor.

Protecting Life and Public Safety
House Republicans also continued advancing efforts this week to protect children and families from dangerous and intoxicating substances. The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony raising serious concerns about hemp-derived products and the need to keep them out of the reach of children, underscoring the importance of clear safeguards focused on safety and accountability. In addition, the Judiciary Committee heard extensive testimony on the Abortion-Inducing Drugs Act (H.4760), with discussion centered on clarifying state law, strengthening enforcement, and ensuring existing protections are clearly understood and applied. Lawmakers emphasized the importance of protecting life as the bill continues to move through the committee process. We had multiple committee meetings this week, one on Wednesday that lasted until 8:00 PM.

Putting South Carolina First
This week, lawmakers advanced legislation requiring the use of U.S. Produced Iron and Steel (H.4709) in state-funded public works projects. The bill passed out of subcommittee and has been referred to the House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee for further consideration. This legislation is focused on strengthening domestic manufacturing, protecting critical supply chains, and ensuring taxpayer dollars support American workers and industries. As South Carolina continues to grow, measures like this help reinforce a strong, reliable workforce and keep our state competitive. We’re putting America first right here in South Carolina!

Fighting for Judicial Reform and Conservative Values
Several additional pieces of legislation advanced this week, reflecting our commitment to good governance and public safety. The Judicial Selection Reform bill (H.4755) passed out of subcommittee, moving forward efforts to strengthen accountability and fairness in South Carolina’s judicial selection process. Lawmakers also advanced legislation recognizing members of the United States Space Force under South Carolina law (H.4586), ensuring they are fully included in important protections and benefits. Additionally, the School Volunteer Chaplains and Historical Displays bill (H.4762) passed out of subcommittee, allowing schools to establish volunteer chaplain programs and display documents, like the 10 Commandments alongside the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation, that reflect the foundations of our nation’s history and law. 

Making South Carolina More Affordable
This week, lawmakers also continued work on the Insurance Rate Reduction and Policy Holder Protection Act (H.4817), a comprehensive proposal aimed at giving South Carolinians more oversight and protection when it comes to insurance. This bill would strengthen anti-fraud efforts and increase transparency in how rates are set, including provisions that restrict certain advertising practices and authorize enhanced fraud investigations. As debates continue, the goal of this legislation is to reduce burdensome insurance costs for families and ensure that the system works fairly for policyholders across our state.

This Week’s Legislative Wins - House Bills Update
This week, lawmakers delivered real progress on legislation that supports small businesses and lowers costs for families. The House-passed Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act (H.3021) advanced in the Senate Judiciary Committee, moving us closer to cutting red tape and reducing burdensome regulations on job creators. In addition, the Boat Tax Relief Act (H.3858), which passed the House last year, advanced through the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, another step forward in providing tax relief and making South Carolina more affordable.

New Bills I Will Submit This Coming Week
This week I will be submitting two new bills. The first was brought to me by Jason and Kate Czura, parents of Tanner Czura. You may recall Tanner is the little boy who was playing in the school yard on Sullivan's Island when a crazed man drove his car into the yard trying to hit the children. Tanner was caught up under the man's vehicle, but thankfully was not killed. It was a terrible attack, and due to the deliberateness of this act as well as the aftermath, Tanner's parents felt something must be done to deter such heinous actions and punish them justly. I thought the bill would be ready to submit this week as the draft was presented to me, but it was delayed. Since this will likely go to the Judiciary Committee, I will follow up with the appropriate Subcommittee Chair as soon as it is assigned. I have learned by now that if you want a bill to get a hearing, you have to stay on top of it relentlessly. The second bill is about requiring full infrastructure inspections of tall coastal buildings as a condition of renewing their insurance. I have been working on this since my first year in office, and faced multiple complications along the way. The Dockside Condominiums disaster is simply unacceptable, and even worse, the collapse and deaths of 98 residents in 2021 in Surfside, Florida outside Miami compel us to pass legislation to protect citizens through proactive, not reactive behavior. Just up the road in Myrtle Beach in 2022, the Renaissance Tower had to be evacuated when structural engineers discovered that the building could no longer support its own weight. With proactive planning through inspections every 5 years beginning after 15 years, hopefully any problems due to structural damage from salt water, salt air, or other issues can be discovered early enough to address them without residents having to be run out of their home or worse.

Around the District and the Lowcountry
This week was a whirlwind both in the Lowcountry and at the Statehouse. Monday was our Federal holiday as a tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. His birthday is actually January 15th, the same as mine. One of his greatest talents that endures through today was his tremendous public speaking skills. He inspired so many people of all ages & races with the strength of his delivery, and especially the incredibly quotable quotes he shared throughout his life in the public eye. One of my favorites is, "Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

On Monday morning, I had been asked by my friend Rep. Mark Smith to speak to the Daniel Island Republican Club at 8am. I was happy to present a Statehouse update to the gathered audience. Unfortunately, the AV failed so my presentation could not be shown, but no worries. It is never an issue for me to speak from the heart and let people know what I'm working on along with my fellow House Members to solve or prevent problems for our citizens.