Greetings Neighbors & Friends,

2024 Week 1 – Reflecting on 2023, Setting the Course for 2024

As we embark on a new year, we reflect on the strong legislative achievements of the 2023 session and have set our sights on the exciting opportunities that 2024 holds. A steadfast commitment to South Carolina's progress and success underpins our vision for the future.

Last year, the House Republican Caucus shaped an ambitious agenda that has profoundly impacted our state. The legislative session was marked by unprecedented conservative victories, underscoring our motto: "Promises made, promises kept." Our focus on enhancing economic development, reforming education, limiting government intervention, and prioritizing public safety has helped to lay a strong foundation for a prosperous South Carolina.

Key Legislative Wins Include:

Repealing the Certificate of Need law, expanding healthcare options and access with less cost to patients

Strengthening penalties for fentanyl trafficking.

Enhancing public safety through bond reform.

Passing the Fetal Heartbeat Bill.

Expanding School Choice with the Education Scholarship Trust Fund and Open Enrollment.

Other measures that passed the House but have not yet been passed by the Senate or are in the Conference Committee include:

Integrity and Transparency in Education (banning indoctrination and getting back to teaching the basics)

Upholding Second Amendment rights through the Second Amendment Preservation Act.

Additionally, our commitment to fiscal responsibility was evident in our conservative budget, which prioritized people over programs. We've made historic investments in education, teachers, infrastructure, and public services while ensuring fiscal discipline.

Looking Forward: 2024 and Beyond

As we turn to 2024, our focus remains steadfast on continuing to advance economic prosperity and job creation. We’re at the forefront of economic and workforce development, with South Carolina recognized nationally for its business-friendly climate and robust job market.

Our Key Priorities for 2024:

A major focus will be on addressing energy generation challenges. We are committed to developing comprehensive energy policies and investing in modern, efficient power generation to meet our state's growing needs. As mentioned earlier, I will be submitting a bill that dovetails with this critical topic regarding protection for all our critical infrastructure from EMP, combined with an opportunity for individual homeowners to affordably protect their homes as well. This week I have a meeting in my office in Columbia with two Generals and their staff regarding this bill. Additional topics include:

Further expanding parental choice in education.

Focusing on children's health and safety. The bill mentioned in my previous newsletter sponsored by myself and Rep. Smith regarding key enhancements for autistic individuals' safety and well-being is drafted and being reviewed before submitting. We also have an urgent need for Drug Induced Homicide to be passed.

Improving the judicial selection process.

Continuing to enhance our economic momentum.

This Week:

On Wednesday H.4624, the "Help Not Harm" bill, passed favorably out of committee. It prohibits healthcare professionals from providing gender transition procedures to individuals under eighteen, with exceptions for ongoing treatments and certain medical services. As I sat in the Medical Subcommittee meeting and watched the testimony, a common misconception about this bill was that it somehow limits or bans psychological counseling or therapy. That is patently false. The bill prevents chemical or surgical intervention on minors, including puberty blockers, HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) or surgical removal of body parts. The bill also restricts South Carolina Medicaid from covering these procedures for individuals under twenty-six and bans the use of public funds for gender-affirming care, assigning disciplinary actions to the respective licensing boards, ensuring that our children's well-being remains a top priority. The former provision is not to show bias against or lack of caring for indigent people who believe they are transgender; rather, it is because taxpayers do not want to have to pay for this type of treatment. This bill will move to the House floor next week and will likely be our first order of business. 

Rules Committee Meeting & Resolution:

This week a resolution was presented to the Rules Committee, of which I am a member, regarding an attempt to try to limit the number of amendments presented on any bill. The intent was to try to avoid the situation that we encountered at least 4 times last year where House Members, usually of the opposing party on a particular subject present hundreds to thousands of amendments with the intention of delaying the vote as long as possible. Admittedly, many of these amendments are purposefully redundant and sometimes outrageous to the point of being completely absurd. The resolution called for a 3-hour debate period before "cloture" can be invoked where no more amendments can be brought, followed by a period where the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader each choose 12 amendments from all those remaining to be allowed to be heard and debated from that point forward. I saw this as much too limiting of the representative structure whereby many District's concerns would be left out, plus it gives equal weighting and voice to the party in the minority. With a supermajority of Republicans currently, that made no sense to me, and neither did silencing the concerns brought via amendments from all the other representatives. With 124 of us, at best there would be at least 100 members who might not even get to have one amendment heard. I was the only vote who voted "Nay" against this resolution in the Rules Committee meeting. Thanks to an outcry by members of the public who had been made aware of this topic, the next morning when it was likely going to be brought to the full House for a vote, it was delayed. We will see what next week brings, but I will vote against it again unless they come up with a much better alternative that allows all voices to be heard.

H.4617 Banning the Manufacture and Distribution of Xylazine Except its Intended Use:

This week we voted unanimously to ban Xylazine (commonly known as "Tranq") from being manufactured, distributed, or used for anything other than its intended use, which is as a horse tranquilizer. If you aren't familiar with this topic, you might be surprised to know that there are places in our country, namely Philadelphia and San Francisco among others, where this is frequently used by drug addicts by mixing it with fentanyl. The results are people who literally are like "walking zombies," and in many cases, standing upright but completely bent over at the waist. We do not want to see this type of highly destructive behavior happen here in South Carolina, and this bill provides law enforcement with the ability to combat that and hopefully prevent it from ever becoming a problem here.

Around the District and Mount Pleasant:

Yesterday afternoon my husband Joe and I attended a great fundraising event for the campaign of our friend and Councilmember Carl Ritchie, who is running for Sheriff of Charleston County. If you don't know about (former) Chief Ritchie, he was our very long-time Chief of Police in Mount Pleasant who also served many years in the US Air Force. Chief Ritchie has a Master of Science in Criminal Justice, and has spent his entire adult life protecting the public and defending the Rule of Law. We need him in this critical role for Charleston County, and his leadership would help the entire Lowcountry be a safer place to live, work and visit. Thanks to Precinct 33 (Dunes West) President Clay Simmonds and his wife Jill for hosting this wonderful event that was very well attended at their beautiful home! If you would like to learn more about Councilman Carl Ritchie, please visit his website here. To support his campaign for Charleston County Sheriff, please click here.