Greetings Neighbors and Friends,

 

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, shared with family, friends or both. Ours was very quiet as our extended family welcomed two brand-new babies which kept their immediate families and grandparents close to their homes. We all had much for which to be thankful, even if it meant we couldn't bring our traditional crowd of 22+ together this year. Now here we are already in early December, preparing for Christmas, New Years, Hanukkah, or whichever holidays your family's culture and traditions celebrate. From a legislative perspective, this has been a busier than expected time as we prepared for pre-filing dates for new bills in both November and December. Also, many of us serve on committees that met multiple times over the last month or two, warming us up for the Session ahead which begins on Tuesday, January 9th.

 

On the initial pre-filing date of the second year of the 125th Session of the SC State House, we had 103 bills introduced. All were given a number starting at H.4533 and ending at H.4635, and all were assigned to committees. Who knows how many we will see for December 14th, but remember, the 700+ that were pre-filed last year, plus all the ones filed during the Session year, are still pending for this year unless they already passed the House and Senate. Wow, that’s a lot of legislation!! In my last newsletter, I told you about the bill I was intending to pre-file, and our legal team in Columbia is working to draft that bill now in time for me to pre-file it on the 14th. It is entitled, “Protecting Our Citizens Against the Effects of EMP.” If you didn’t see the last email, you can find the details about this very critical matter on my website here. By receiving the pre-filed summary sheets in advance, it provides us as legislators the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the bills, and consider co-sponsoring any that we strongly support. The pre-filed bills run the gamut from one that specifies income tax deductions for surviving spouses of fallen first responders as well as property tax exemptions, to one that specifies that all public school restrooms and changing facilities must provide separate facilities for males and females, to one that requires protections for children from unfiltered devices such as smartphones and tablets. We still have a lot of work to do on some of the important bills from the 2023 Session, so it will definitely be a busy year!

 

This past month, with the help of my good friend Councilman Carl Ritchie, we met with Layla Luna, a wonderful mother who founded the organization, “Just Bee,” which strives to advocate for and provide solutions for children and adults affected by autism. Layla’s son is a 15-year-old who is very bright, but non-verbal. She showed me some of his writing, and it was quite impressive. Yet, like many individuals affected by this condition, he is very sensitive to stimuli such that loud noises, bright lights, and lots of commotion can cause a very adverse reaction. Layla’s current project, which she brought first to Councilman Ritchie who then thought to involve me, is specifically geared toward helping any first responders identify individuals with autism quickly so they can handle an interaction far more effectively. Within the Education and Public Works Committee, I serve on the Motor Vehicles Subcommittee. The proposal would be to have a Drivers’ License Tag with a very noticeable icon, such as the Just Bee symbol, that would warn police and other first responders before approaching a car. The license tag number would then lead them to a Digital ID that would describe the particular circumstances of the individual in the vehicle. In this way, they might turn off sirens, flashing lights, etc… and use a calm voice when approaching the driver. Sometimes, a child is in the car who has autism and will act out his or her fears related to the over-stimulation. This makes it nearly impossible for the parent or driver to respond as desired to the officer’s requests. Rep. Mark Smith also met separately with Mrs. Luna, and we plan to co-sponsor this bill, hopefully in time for the December 14th pre-filing, but if not, certainly early in January.

 

As you may recall from an earlier newsletter, I was appointed by Speaker Smith to this committee to study how to better achieve “competitive balance” within schools’ athletic teams throughout our state. The biggest issue has been that smaller schools, especially in rural or lower population areas often have trouble competing with schools that may be in the same division due to their size, but are able to attract students from all over. The primary concern is with charter schools, which are public schools but are able to bring in students from distances beyond their county or regular hometown districts. I attended our fourth meeting on this topic in Columbia this past Thursday. These meetings have mainly emphasized public comment, and we have heard from many students, some coaches, superintendents, and even Dr. Jerome Singleton, the Director of the SC High School League. Near the end of Thursday’s meeting after all public testimony was complete, Chairlady Shannon Erickson revealed a draft of a proposed bill that incorporates all six of the bills we have been discussing. There was a fairly big surprise included, which was the possibility of doing away with the SCHSL altogether. In this proposal, the league would be replaced with a new organization under the Department of Education comprised of individuals (not legislators) appointed by various government officials including the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, the Superintendent of Education (who would also serve as the chair of this new board) and others. We have not had time to review this yet as it was a big reveal on Thursday afternoon. My inclination is never to expand the role of government, which it appears this would do, but I will have to study it and listen to explanations from those who believe this direction may solve some of the existing problems. We would have to be sure it doesn’t create a number of new ones.

 

In the last newsletter, I referenced the importance of getting out to vote for the municipal election. Unfortunately, the overall percentage of voting in Mount Pleasant was low, and it was especially low in the end of town north of the IOP Connector. Neither of the candidates running for office from our end of town were elected, and I believe the low voter turnout was a big part of the problem. We will see what the future holds in terms of issues affecting District 80 and further north into District 112. I will continue to advocate on our behalf wherever possible, and at least until next November, Councilman Carl Ritchie also lives up this way and is a solid, common-sense conservative.

 

Meanwhile, Charleston has a new mayor, the first Republican elected since Reconstruction. Congratulations to Mayor-Elect William Cogswell! His emphasis on problem-solving for Charleston’s biggest issues, combined with a focus on enforcing the Rule of Law resonated with many voters. Here in Mount Pleasant, we look forward to working together with our sister city for the betterment of all our citizens.

 

It was my honor to participate in several very special events over the last month. On Veteran's Day, I attended a workshop to honor and uplift our veterans through art. Mary Whyte, the incredibly talented local artist who created the body of work entitled, "We the People,"* held a Master Class aboard the USS Yorktown for veterans to become immersed in the expression of art. Sponsored by The Patriot Art Foundation, she and fellow artist Stan Miller did a demonstration of painting a veteran volunteer (who just happened to be Chauncey Clark, Chairman of the USS Yorktown Foundation), describing their methods as they went along. The day included opportunities for veterans to attend smaller sessions to begin to learn to paint, with the potential to follow up with ongoing lessons. You can read more about the Patriot Art Foundation and its work here.

Next was the retirement ceremony for Pamela Bell, a 31-year veteran of the US Navy and civilian service at the Naval Weapons Station. Pamela and her husband live in my neighborhood of Dunes West, and when the staff at the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic contacted me to inquire about getting a US flag flown over the State Capitol, I asked if I could bring it and present it in person. Pamela has received many awards and commendations over the years of her distinguished career. But what stood out that day above everything else was how incredibly beloved this woman is, by her coworkers and colleagues, her supervisors past and present, her husband, children, sisters and their families who traveled a long way to honor her, and seemingly everyone who knows her. Pam is truly a woman who exemplifies a life very well lived.

Next was the celebration by the Phillips Community at the Greater Goodwill AME Church of their newly achieved distinction of being listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. They are the first neighborhood in South Carolina to receive this designation based on the people and their culture, not a building. The evening featured a wonderful dinner followed by a film depicting the Phillips Community twenty-five years ago with many members sharing how special it was to grow up and live there. For many people, the Phillips Community is only seen through the lens of driving on Highway 41. For the families who have lived there for many generations, it is the life they built on the land around the creeks and marshes leading out to the Wando River. It was my honor to be a guest speaker. I shared thoughts on the potential for the younger generations to be inspired to remain local. By cherishing their heritage and working together with all the surrounding neighborhoods, we can make all of our community the best it can be.