THE PATH TO A BRIGHTER TOMORROW FOR HORRY…
IMPROVING OUR ROADS
Our roads are essential for safety and a thriving economy. Fortunately, we are making real progress.
-Working together, we’ve received over a billion dollars in road improvements but we need more.
-No doubt you’ve seen road resurfacing and new construction going on all across our area. 200 miles of much needed road resurfacing & improvements are underway. This work is taking place in Conway and Myrtle Beach, along Highways 501, 17 and 544. Road widening projects in Carolina Forest & Forestbrook are happening now.
–These projects cannot be one-time fixes; roads have to be an ongoing commitment. And there is more to come…
-And so we can track our roads investment, I’m shining a bright light on the way government spends YOUR money. I ensured road funds be listed online at SCDOT.org, where we can all easily review and see how and where tax dollars are being spent. I also fought to make sure all new infrastructure funds actually end up hitting the pavement instead of supporting bloated bureaucracies.
AFFORDABLE, LOW ELECTRICITY RATES
We must keep our electricity companies honest and our rates as low as possible. When the joint venture between SCE&G and Santee Cooper to build a nuclear plant collapsed, some folks tried to make us pay the bill. They said there was no way to know it would fail. They lied.
-I discovered and demanded the release of a secret study showing early warning signs that SCE&G covered up. We should not be asked to pay for their mistakes with higher electricity bills.
-I’ve helped pass laws to make sure this type of deception can never happen again.
Now, an out of state, for profit company has offered to buy Santee Cooper, but they want to buy it on the cheap taking only the good assets and leaving us, the State, with the liabilities. And they want no oversight.
I won’t let us be put at a disadvantage. Every decision we make about Santee Cooper’s future MUST have us, its customers, as the priority.
EDUCATION REFORM
Improving our education system is a long-term commitment that does not end with the passage of one bill, but we can celebrate the Senate passed reforms that are a big step in the right direction…
-Increase pay so we can recruit and keep the best teachers in classrooms
-More technical and skill-based training for high school students
-Help teachers spend their time teaching rather than on endless compliance and paperwork
TEACHING STUDENTS FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
I sponsored a bill requiring personal finance coursework in high schools. South Carolina ranks among the highest in the nation for consumer debt. This common-sense instruction in our schools will help folks avoid the dangers of debt as they set off on their path toward independence and careers. Nearly 17 other states in the U.S. already require similar instruction, and I am hopeful to have this bill pass soon.
BARTENDER TRAINING
I sponsored the Responsible Alcohol Server Training Act requiring all bartenders be educated on serving alcohol responsibly. Providing bartenders and servers with training is a small investment which will yield big rewards by saving lives. The bill passed the Senate and is now under consideration by the House.
Budget Summary
I work hard to build consensus to fund the highest priorities for our State – without raising taxes. Here are a few of the 2019 – 2020 budget highlights:
- A 4% raise for all teachers and a 10% increase for starting pay
- Funding for a grant program to help South Carolina farmers who suffered devastating crop losses from the flooding caused by Hurricanes Michael and Florence
- Prohibiting the use of State budget, directly or indirectly, to fund abortions
- 120 NEW School Resource Officers to protect our children
- Increased funding for our State’s National Guard force, Emergency Management Division, and armories