Week 2 Update
Sunday, January 22, 2023
After much excitement from the previous week and having over 700 bills allocated to their proper committee, we began working in our committees and subcommittees to mold legislation to send to the House floor for debate in the weeks to come. I serve on the Education and Public Works Committee, and this week, our committee met and received subcommittee appointments. For education, I will serve on the K-12 subcommittee, and for public works I was appointed to the Motor Vehicles subcommittee. I sat in as a guest on the newly formed Economic Development and Utility Modernization Ad Hoc Committee which heard presentations regarding efforts to greatly enhance training for students at the university or technical school level to be prepared for the jobs we need filled here in South Carolina, and how to increase retention of graduates here in our workforce, a number that is currently very low. That committee held a press conference the next day announcing an exciting new position and online user portal to streamline the process for anyone looking for work, appropriate training, or even offering opportunities to hire so that everyone from students, to parents, to someone looking for a career change, to employers will have a "one-stop shop" for information on next steps. I will share more on this new opportunity for our citizens as it becomes fully formed.
On the subject of Public Works, specifically roads, I received several requests/questions from constituents this week. One was an inquiry about when the next phase of I-26 widening will commence and where. Speaking with an engineer in Columbia who works on this project, I was able to get an updated map of the anticipated timeline, which is shown below. I also had a request from someone who travels frequently between Mount Pleasant and Holly Hill that there is a sign that has been down for many months near Ridgeville. I forwarded this to the correct department head at SCDOT, and will follow up if we don't see it replaced soon. As our Education and Public Works Chair Shannon Erickson told me, we are often the "eyes and ears" for the SCDOT staff who may not always notice these things. As a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point, I strongly believe the "broken windows theory" holds true. We have to keep things properly maintained in order to encourage everyone to take better care of our surroundings. Please let me know of anything you see that needs work, and I will do my best to follow up.
2023-24 Legislative Agenda:
On Thursday, I stood alongside Speaker Murrell Smith, Majority Leader Davey Hiott, and other members of the House Republican Caucus at a news conference at the Capitol. They along with committee chairs highlighted some recent successes, and outlined a bold 2023-2024 Legislative agenda built on conservative reform in these five areas:
· Improve Statewide Economic Development to Ensure Prosperity
· Reform our Education System so Students are Better Prepared for the Workforce
· Limit Government by Implementing Fiscal Discipline and Responsibility
· Increase Personal Freedom and Encourage Conservative Values
· Prioritize Public Safety and make Law and Order a Top Priority
We also touched on our commitment to school choice and teacher pay raises; to stopping the revolving door of repeat offenders being let out on bond; and to making sure we recruit, expand, and encourage new economic development opportunities in our state. We will continue to build on the successes from last year and work closely with Governor McMaster.
Prioritizing Public Safety:
Across South Carolina, there has been a rise of fentanyl-related deaths and the trafficking of fentanyl in record numbers. To address this issue, this week the House Judiciary Criminal Laws Subcommittee began taking public testimony on a bill that would increase penalties for trafficking of fentanyl. Due to the overwhelming number of families, law enforcement agencies, and county and city leaders who showed up to testify, the subcommittee will continue to hear testimony next week. I stand with these families and look forward to supporting legislation that strengthens the penalties for fentanyl crimes. Thank you so much to our neighbor in District 80, Kat Orr along with others who courageously shared their heartbreaking personal stories.
American Rescue Plan Funds:
In a 101-14 bipartisan (and overwhelming) vote, I joined my House colleagues and voted to support a bill that will allocate our state’s portion of the American Rescue Plan. This money will be used to fund important long-term investments, with a specific focus on updating and building water and sewer infrastructure for towns and cities related to economic development projects around the state. Additionally, we built into the legislation increased transparency and accountability measures to ensure that no member of the General Assembly will be able to personally benefit from the distribution of these funds.
Congratulations to District 80's own Wendy Damron, who was recently promoted to President of Palmetto Promise, taking on the role formerly held by now State Superintendent Ellen Weaver. Wendy attended one of the receptions kicking off the new year, and it was great to see a fellow Dunes West neighbor in Columbia.