Dear Friends:

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, after the clock struck midnight, the SC House of Representatives wrapped up months of work by passing the proposed state budget that takes effect July 1. This was a crucial first step. Now, the budget heads to the Senate for consideration and modifications.

Reality Check

During the debate, a handful of uber-right Representatives claimed this budget grows government. Their accusations were mischaracterizations or blatant fabrications.

What’s growing is South Carolina. Ours is the fastest-growing state in the nation. Over the past decade, there has been $53 billion in capital investments and 121,000 new jobs. While SC’s employment is growing, so are wages, which have increased by 83% over the last 20 years. More recently, the mean per-person income rose from $46,000 annually in 2019 to $57,000. That’s a significant life-changing difference for some folks.  

Keep Pace with Growth

The state budget must grow to keep pace and provide the needed services, but it has remained conservative and restrained. General appropriation spending has steeply declined in the last few years as a percentage of total personal income. While citizens enjoy the benefits of the booming economy, state government is committed to efficiency by providing more services to more people while keeping the number of full-time employees at a low rate.

Billions in Tax Relief

When talking to groups, I often remind them that the government doesn’t have any money; it only has your money. Republican legislators’ top priority is returning money to taxpaying citizens. This budget provides $1 billion in tax relief. That consists of $800 million in tax relief next year to keep property taxes for owner-occupied homes at low levels compared to other states and $200 million in income tax cuts.

We have been cutting the state income tax for several years, resulting in South Carolinians paying 14% less income tax than they did three years ago. Over the past 30 years, Republican-driven tax relief has provided approximately $50 billion to the citizens of South Carolina.

(Shhh, can you keep a secret? On the horizon is legislation proposing extraordinary tax cuts! That’s our secret, so mum’s the word.)

Budget Highlights

The $14.6 billion budget includes a $1,500 salary increase for starting teachers, bringing them to nearly $50,000 annually. That’s a far cry from their 2017 salary of $28,190. K-12 school funding was increased again, with per-pupil funding up 44% since the 2018-2019 school year. State employees are in for raises, particularly for the lowest paid. There is another $200 million commitment to fix crumbling bridges and millions to aid Hurricane Helene clean up. I wrote in more detail about the proposed budget several weeks ago. You can find that report here: Sneak Peek Edition

Bumpy Debate

The budget passed the House on a vote of 99-13. The naysayers were the hardline House Freedom Caucus. They are well known for their political shenanigans. They plunked down onto the clerk’s desk over 100 unrealistic amendments just as the Monday session began — a surprise attack because they wouldn’t reveal details of their amendments earlier. They even created an alternative state budget but didn’t share it. They claimed they could shrink state government by cutting $1 billion. In truth, their amendments would have resulted in less than $100 million in cuts, not the $1 billion they boasted. All their amendments were easily defeated because they were put forth haphazardly and would cause chaos. State budgeting is a thoughtful, complex process with in-depth considerations that are not to be taken lightly.

At the height of the contentious debate, House Majority Leader Davey Hiott took the floor, telling colleagues, “South Carolina deserves better than we’re seeing.” (View Video Clip) (GOP Leader: ‘Tired of this crap’)

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BREAKING NEWS: Health Care Coming to Rural Aiken/Lexington Counties

This morning, news came that the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) will bring high-quality health care to Wagener. This will serve thousands of rural residents of Eastern Aiken County and Western Lexington County.

The severe need for medical services was triggered when the Wagener Medical Center, operated by the Town of Wagener, closed its doors one year ago, leaving people without nearby medical services.

When the medical center closed, I immediately contacted MUSC for help. They have spent the past year assessing the situation that resulted in today’s announcement.

       WAGENER, S.C. (March 13, 2025) – In response to the growing need for accessible healthcare in rural South Carolina, MUSC Health is developing a Primary Care Mobile Health pilot to serve Wagener and surrounding communities. This initiative follows the closure of Wagener’s only medical center, leaving an estimated 7,000 residents in the Wagener-Salley area without a local option for medical care and requiring them to travel significant distances to receive services in Columbia, Lexington, Aiken, Augusta, or Orangeburg.

       MUSC Health initiated an evaluation to identify solutions for bringing primary care services to the area. After a feasibility study, the team determined that a mobile health unit—capable of reaching multiple underserved communities in the region—would be the most effective way to address local healthcare gaps.

       “MUSC Health is committed to ensuring that all South Carolinians, regardless of where they live, have the health care resources they need,” said Dr. Patrick Cawley, CEO of MUSC Health and Vice President for Health Affairs, University. “This mobile health pilot is expected to serve thousands of patients closer to their homes while exploring long-term solutions for improving rural health care access.”

       State Representative Bill Taylor (District 86) has been instrumental in advocating for Wagener-area residents and welcomed the project’s progress. “I appreciate MUSC Health’s leadership in finding an innovative way to restore primary care services in these communities,” said Taylor. “While there’s still work to be done, this is a crucial first step in ensuring that residents in Wagener and surrounding communities have reliable access to essential health care services.”

       State Senator Brad Hutto, a long-time champion and advocate for rural health care, represents Wagener and surrounding communities within Senate District 40. Hutto recognizes the potential of collaboration with a larger healthcare system like MUSC Health, especially to underserved areas.

       “Since acquiring Orangeburg’s former Regional Medical Center and its network of medical practices, MUSC Health has made notable progress in improving local health care options, including increased access to specialty care and enhanced telehealth services for rural communities. I look forward to the continued positive impact MUSC Health will bring to Wagener and the surrounding areas,” Hutto said.

       This initiative aligns with MUSC’s strategic goal to empower healthy communities. This goal includes collaborating to expand access to patient care and exceeding patient and family expectations. By leveraging mobile health solutions, MUSC Health continues to advance its mission of delivering high-quality, patient-centered care to all communities, regardless of geographic barriers.

       The project is in its early stages, and further details, including a timeline for implementation and available services, will be shared as planning progresses. In the coming months, MUSC Health will collaborate with community leaders and potential partners to maximize the program’s reach and effectiveness.

MUSC’s decision to bring a mobile health unit to Wagener is a great start. I foresee that their service will be well utilized by those seeking health care close to home. MUSC will eventually find it necessary to expand, possibly to a permanent brick-and-mortar location.

Many of us at the legislature focus on the needs of rural South Carolina. Our rural counties are our state’s backbone and must not be overlooked. They deserve the quality of health care that MUSC will provide.

LEGISLATIVE BRIEFS

Bills that passed the Senate – Courtesy of Senator Larry Grooms

S.79 – Noncertified Teacher Pilot Program: directs the State Department of Education to establish a pilot program to permit schools to hire noncertified teachers in a ratio of up to ten percent of its entire teaching staff. The State Board of Education must approve certain guidelines with minimum requirements for noncertified teachers, and the Department must issue an annual report with recommendations regarding the program. 

S.157 – Hurricane Helene Recovery Costs by Utilities: authorizes an electrical utility to include storm recovery costs for Hurricane Helene and the cost of capital as determined by the interest rate paid by the utility to borrow funds to cover restoration and recovery efforts. 

S.276 – SC Child Abuse and Neglect Network: changes the name of the Children’s Advocacy Medical Response System, created to provide coordination and administration of medical service resources to those entities responding to cases of suspected child abuse, to the South Carolina Child Abuse and Neglect Network. The program is administered by the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. 

H.3247 – Excused School Absences: requires school districts to adopt a policy authorizing students to be excused from school for the purpose of participating in career and technical student organization experiences, such as Future Farmers of America and 4-H. Absences may not exceed ten school days per school year.

S.51 – Santee Cooper RFP: encourages Santee Cooper to issue a request for proposal to solicit proposals from entities interested in using assets associated with VC Summer Units 2 and 3. 

S.127 – Catawba Nation PORS: provides for the admission of the Catawba Nation as an eligible employer for the purpose of participating in the police officers’ retirement system. 

S.156 – Fentanyl-Induced Homicide: establishes the felony offense of fentanyl-induced homicide. A person would be guilty of fentanyl-induced homicide if he knowingly and unlawfully delivers, dispenses, or otherwise provides fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance to another person and the fentanyl is the proximate cause of death to the recipient. Guilty people could be imprisoned for up to thirty years. 

S.264 – Municipal Annexation of Property: provides that tax-exempt agricultural property or property with tax-exempt agricultural structures and the property adjacent to such exempt properties may not be annexed by a municipality without the express written agreement of the owner. 

S.275 – EV Charging Stations: provides that electric utilities offering electric vehicle charging stations to the public must offer fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory rates and services to all entities providing similar services and must not act in a manner that provides an unreasonable advantage for the electric utility’s own direct-current-fast charging stations. Revenue received by an electric utility from services other than charging stations shall not subsidize EV charging stations owned by the electric utility. 

S.310 – St. Jude Affiliate: encourages St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, members of the SC Childhood Cancer Task Force, medical schools and hospitals in South Carolina, and others to undertake efforts to establish and operate a St. Jude affiliate program in South Carolina. 

H.3523 – Organized Retail Crime: establishes the offense of organized retail crime if two or more people conspire to commit theft of retail property from an establishment with the intent to sell or re-enter the property into commerce for monetary or other gain. The bill prohibits the sale or receiving of goods with a value exceeding $2,000 aggregated over a 90-day period and incorporates graduated penalties – including felonies – that correspond to the total value of goods stolen or aggravating circumstances.  

LEGISLATIVE SPOTLIGHT

Legislation has been introduced that would affect high school athletics in SC. It proposes the dissolution of the South Carolina High School Athletic Association (SCHAA) and the establishment of a new state athletics association. Why is H.4163 necessary?

• South Carolina schools and districts are accountable – accountable to local school boards, the State Department of Education and even the General Assembly.  The SC High School League is accountable only to itself.
• When homeschooled and charter school students asked to be treated like other students, the League denied them until the General Assembly stepped in and passed the Equal Access to Interscholastic Activities Act.
• When the League acted inappropriately or punitively toward students, there was no process for appeal until the General Assembly stepped in and required an appellate panel.
• When private school students who attend schools without a particular sport are asked to try out for the school in which they are zoned for attendance, the League denied their access until the General Assembly stepped in and required that they be given a chance to compete.

The League continues to find ways to wrongly punish schools and students who try to participate in public school sports. Here are a few examples:

• This past November, Gray Collegiate and Irmo were accused of playing an ineligible player, but Gray was denied access to the playoff while Irmo not only played but kept their top seed. According to a news report, “[T]he executive committee of the South Carolina High School League voted last week to uphold sanctions imposed on Gray, including a playoff ban, while largely dropping sanctions against Irmo at the same meeting.”
• The two traditional high schools in Lexington District Two were initially fined $2,500 and $500, respectively, for refusing to play a charter school that was assigned to their region in JV sports. The League reduced those fines to $500, and $2.  According to a news report on this issue, a school representative stated the following: “We don’t want to play them at sub-varsity level.  It’s not in our best interest to give them access to all our children.”
• To promote greater participation in athletics, the General Assembly adopted a budget proviso stating that students can try out for League teams if they 1) reside within the attendance zone of the public school 2) attend a private school that is not a member of the SCHAA and 3) the private school’s enrollment for grades 9-12 does not exceed two hundred students. To illustrate the League’s callous disregard for students, a middle school student who attends a K-8 school was denied the right to try out for his high school only because his independent school did not have grades 9-12. This epitomizes the lack of League accountability.

High School League Responds

In response to this bill, the High School League issued an immediate ‘Call to Action’ to local school superintendents, principals, and athletic directors, encouraging them to oppose the legislation. The League then called on those leaders to rally their school community—teachers, administrators, coaches, parents, and student-athletes—to oppose it.

Legislative Action

It won’t be as easy as just calling or sending emails with talking points to Representatives. Legislators look forward to hearing from everyone when hearings on the bill are held at the State House. We will conduct a thorough, close examination of the High School League. The League’s leadership, decisions, and behavior impacting students will be the center of our focus. The fair treatment of student-athletes is our legislative priority, not protecting the institutional status quo.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Budget Week for the SC House of Representatives means hundreds of votes and long days. I’m glad to have Rep. Bill Hixon as my desk mate and “wingman.”