March 29th Weekly Update
Sunday, March 29, 2025
Week 11 Legislative Update - Boat Tax, Pregnancy Tax Credits, K9 Officer Protection, & More
It was another busy and productive week in Columbia as we kept pushing forward solutions that matter to you, cutting taxes, supporting families, and keeping our communities and law enforcement safe. Here’s a quick look at what we accomplished and how they impact South Carolina.
Affordability & Tax Relief
One of the biggest wins last week was the passage of the South Carolina Boat Tax Act (H.3858). South Carolina is one of the top boating states in America, but for too long, we’ve had the highest boat taxes in the nation. This legislation cuts boat property taxes nearly in half, eliminates double taxation on boat motors, and simplifies the process into one easy payment. This is about fairness and freedom, making it more affordable for families to enjoy our lakes and coast without being penalized by excessive taxes.
In Subcommittee, we also advanced the Pregnancy Care Tax Credit Act (S.32), which takes a new approach to supporting women, children, and families. Instead of growing government, this bill encourages private donations to pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, and programs that support victims of human trafficking. In return, donors can receive a state tax credit of up to 50% of their liability. These organizations provide critical services like prenatal care, parenting support, and housing, and the bill ensures accountability by requiring that the majority of funding goes directly to services. This is about strengthening South Carolina families in a responsible and community-driven way.
As you may recall from last week's newsletter, the House passed H.3368, the Tax Conforming Bill that aligns South Carolina income tax law for last year with the One Big Beautiful Bill. The tax law changes include a $6000 additional standard deduction for many taxpayers over the age of 65, along with no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and other provisions. Unfortunately, the Senate had this bill on their agenda this week but did not get to it. They don't seem to understand the urgency for passing this in time for taxpayers to have their tax returns prepared properly the first time. We need to help them by emailing your Senator or calling and leaving a message at his or her office. We need this to pass this next week so the Governor can sign it into law, because it will only be 2 weeks before the tax filing deadline! Click here to look up your Senator's contact information. We have heard some Senators say that we don't need this bill because we have passed the new Tax Reform Act for 2026 and beyond, but this is incorrect! The tax conforming bill addresses 2025 and millions of dollars will be left on the table that taxpayers should be able to claim.
Property Tax Relief to Strengthen Communities
In the Ways & Means Property Tax Subcommittee Meeting this week, my bill H.4477 passed unanimously, and will likely go to the full committee next week. Last year I had introduced a bill to protect owners of heirs' property and encourage them to clear their title so they can build homes and otherwise utilize their own land. This bill does one simple thing: it allows clearing a title from heirs' property with no legally named owner to all of the descendants of the original owner as individual, legal title holders without triggering a tax reassessment. This single issue has been a fundamental deterrent for many tracts of land, especially in the Lowcountry to be converted through the courts. The clearing of the title often results in a tenfold or greater increase in property taxes due. By removing this trigger, I believe many heirs' property owners will be encouraged to clear their title (a monumental task given the number of descendants). This will allow individual owners to get permits for building a home or in some cases a business, creating economic development for these communities. People have complained for years about the "developers who come in and buy up the land" as if it were the developers' fault. In reality, the much higher taxes, which followed once the land had clear ownership titles, often forced families to sell. As several others stated in the Subcommittee Hearing, this bill is a win-win for everyone, opening the door for significantly improved opportunity for economic growth in these communities rather than the decline that many have experienced.
Another important step forward was the House’s passage of H.4799, a commonsense cleanup bill that cuts red tape and improves access to care for our veterans. This legislation removes unnecessary regulatory barriers by exempting veterans homes from the Certificate of Need process, allowing facilities to be built and expanded more quickly and at a lower cost. For veterans and their families, that means faster access to the care they have earned without delays caused by bureaucratic hurdles.
Protecting Children & Strengthening Schools
Protecting our children remains a top priority. Last week, we advanced the Stop Harm from Addictive Social Media SHASM Act (H.4591) out of Judiciary Committee, which takes aim at the addictive features that keep kids glued to their screens. The bill addresses issues like doom scrolling, autoplay videos, and late-night notifications, while also giving parents more control through tools like screen time limits and the ability to disable algorithm-driven content. This is about putting parents back in the driver’s seat and protecting kids from harmful online behavior.
We also passed the Smart Heart Act (H.3831) and sent it to the Governor, ensuring schools are prepared to respond in life-threatening emergencies. By requiring that AEDs are accessible within a three-minute response time and that staff are properly trained, this bill addresses a critical gap in emergency preparedness. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death on school campuses, and this legislation will help save lives by ensuring help is always within reach.
Public Safety & Law and Order
We also made significant progress on public safety initiatives. The K9 Officer and Horse Protection bill (H.3034), also known as Fargo’s, Hyco’s, Rico’s, Coba’s, Wick’s, and Mikka’s Law, strengthens penalties for those who harm or kill law enforcement animals. These highly trained K9 officers are vital members of law enforcement teams, and this bill ensures that the law reflects both their value and their service. It also protects taxpayer investments and stands in support of the officers who rely on these animals every day. Several K9 officers came to visit us and sat quietly during the Judiciary Committee. I was able to meet and visit with CJ and his owner before the meeting.
Legislation cracking down on illegal street takeovers (H.4292) passed out of the Judiciary Committee, addressing a growing threat to communities across our state. These reckless events shut down roads, endanger families, and put law enforcement at risk. This bill gives officers the tools they need to prevent and break up these dangerous gatherings, restoring order and protecting our communities.
Finally, we continue advancing legislation to protect South Carolina’s agricultural land (H.3408) as part of a broader effort to strengthen our state’s security and protect critical resources. This bill prevents foreign adversaries from purchasing or owning farmland in South Carolina, helping safeguard our food supply, national security, and long-term economic stability. Protecting our land is critical to protecting South Carolina’s future.
Strengthening the Medical Profession in South Carolina
This week the House passed H.4767, the "Physician Non-Compete Prohibition Act," which I believe strongly will help attract more doctors to work in South Carolina, including in our rural communities that desperately need medical providers. I have personal experience with this matter as a professional in a field that used non-compete agreements for years. Finally the financial services industry figured out that other methods such as "golden handcuffs" were much more effective at attracting and retaining strong professionals rather than "shackles" where not only the employee but also many of the clients (or patients in the medical field) are negatively impacted. Employers, including hospitals should do away with onerous non-compete contracts and realize that treating your employees well and providing an environment and culture where professionals can thrive is a much better way to attract and retain the best and brightest.
Around the District and the Lowcountry
This past Monday was the East Cooper Republican Women's lunch meeting. We heard from a number of candidates for office, and I was able to give a quick update on the status of the 2025 Tax Conformity Bill as well as the new Tax Reform Act. During this same meeting, I joined fellow House Members Reps. Mark Smith and Joe Bustos to honor Mary Ann Taylor for her many, many years serving on the Board Of Elections for Charleston County. She was so touched by the framed House Resolution that Joe had prepared and brought for this special tribute that she was speechless! Thank you Mary Ann for your wonderful dedication to the voters in Charleston County all these many years! Mary Ann is retiring from this office, and has announced that she is running for Charleston County School Board! She will be running for the seat currently held by Carol Tempel. With Mary Ann's many years as a school teacher, and her super strong organizational skills and conservative values, she would be a tremendous addition to the school board.
As always, I appreciate the opportunity to represent you and to keep you informed about the work being done in Columbia. I welcome your feedback and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or would like more information on these or other issues before the General Assembly.