Dear Friends:

It took decades for Americans to abhor drunk driving. Hopefully, it won’t take as long for people to realize that distracted driving is six times more deadly. The realization may be sinking in faster because 85% of South Carolinians want drivers to put down their cell phones and keep their eyes on the road. This week, the House of Representatives finally met their constituents’ demands.

Hands-Free Bill & Distracted Driving Bill Wins Approval

Representatives sent the hands-free/Distracted Driving bill to the Senate by a vote of 85-25. In 2022, a similar bill passed the Senate 37-3 but was not considered by the House. Hopefully, the Senate’s favorable vote shows their willingness to pass this bill. That would mean SC would be the 33rd state to be Hands-Free, leaving only NC as the only state on the East Coast to allow drivers to hold their phones.

Put It Down – Specifics of H.3276

• Drivers can’t hold a phone or other electronic device in their hand while driving. They can talk or text but not type on the phone. Bluetooth connections or speakerphones are the alternatives.
• Officers suspecting violations must have a clear, unobstructed view of drivers holding their phones (similar to seatbelt violations).
• Violators face a $100 fine for their first offense and a $200 fine for a second or more violations committed within three years.
• Violations create a two-point traffic offense for drivers with a second or more violations.
• Drivers would be able to use earpieces, wristbands, or other hand-free technology and touch their devices to report an emergency.
• It prohibits so-called “citizen arrests” of violators.
• This law would be enforceable one year after receiving our Governor’s signature.

Hands-Free States Reduce Traffic Deaths & Injuries

The evidence is in – putting the phone down saves lives.

This week, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed her state’s “Hands-Free” bill stating, “Driving is deadly, and this law will save lives and make our roads safer for every Iowan.”

She is right. Every state with a Hands-Free driving law has reduced fatal crashes and thousands of injuries. Ohio is a good example.

Legislative Pushback

A majority of the NO votes came from members of the Freedom Caucus, the uber-right Republicans who say this law is government overreach. I reminded them during the debate that driving is not right; it is a privilege granted by the government (representing society as a whole). The driving privilege can be suspended or revoked for a variety of reasons.

I have always viewed public safety as the #1 function of government. While many driving distractions exist (radio, GPS mapping, eating, drinking, screaming kids in the backseat, etc.), the Hands-Free bill has proven to make roads safer, and it save lives.

SC’s Long Road

When I first filed Hands-Free legislation in 2018, I appropriately named it “DUI-E, Driving Under the Influence of Electronics.” The lawyer/legislators hated that name, so the DUI-E title has been dropped (although I believe it is appropriate).

As the saying goes, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.”

Partnering with Sen. Tom Young’s (R-Aiken), we have filed this legislation in the House and Senate every term for the past eight years.

Ironically, the federal government’s threat to withhold millions of dollars of highway funding starting this year if SC doesn’t enact Hands-Free legislation may have been a driving force for House passage. I have always labeled those threats as “federal extortion.” However, if that’s what it takes to get Hands-Free passed, I’ll look the other way (this time).

News Coverage

Fortunately, news folks are spreading the word that the Hands-Free law is well on the road to passage. Here’s a sample: Associated Press, SC Daily Gazette, Aiken Standard, Palmetto Eye, WIS-TV, WACH-FOX, WLTX-TV

LAW & ORDER WEEK

While Hands-Free driving tops my list of legislation passed by the House this week, we also successfully passed many law & order bills.

Fentanyl-Induced Homicide

Fentanyl continues to tear apart families in our state. That’s why I proudly voted for a bill (S.156) that makes it a felony — punishable by up to 30 years — for anyone who unlawfully provides fentanyl that results in someone’s death. This is about saving lives and putting drug dealers behind bars where they belong.

Cracking Down on Retail Theft

Organized retail theft is a growing threat in SC. It puts store employees at risk, hurts small businesses, and drives up prices for everyone. I voted for — and the Governor signed — a new law (H.3523) that increases penalties for these crimes and targets the criminals organizing them. It’s a big win for public safety and economic security.

Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence

Victims of domestic violence shouldn’t be trapped in a lease with their abuser. The House passed legislation (H.3569) that gives victims the right to end their lease early — without penalty — if the abuser is a co-tenant. It’s a small but powerful change that will help people escape dangerous situations and start over safely.

Stopping Dangerous Police Chases

Running from law enforcement isn’t just reckless — it’s dangerous. We passed a bill (H.3127) that makes fleeing from police a felony when the driver engages in dangerous behavior during the chase. If you put lives at risk, you’ll face serious consequences.

Protecting Children from Digital Exploitation

As technology advances, so do the threats it can pose — especially to our children. This week, the House passed two critical bills that take aim at some of the most disturbing forms of child exploitation we’ve seen emerge in the digital age.

The first bill (H.3045) ensures that anyone caught creating or distributing obscene images of child sexual abuse faces serious legal consequences and is added to the sex offender registry — where they belong. The second bill (H.3046) addresses a newer, fast-growing threat: digitally altered or AI-generated sexual images of minors. These “morphed” images may not depict a real child but are no less harmful. They fuel the exploitation of children and distort the very laws designed to protect them. Under this bill, that conduct will now be a felony.

There is no place for this kind of exploitation in SC. These bills send a clear message: we will protect our children — no matter how technology changes.

Keeping Kids Safe Online

Another critical law & order bill was passed by the House and sent to the Senate in February.  H.3431 strengthens protections for minors online. Social media companies must verify users’ ages, obtain parental consent for minors, and provide tools for parents to monitor and control their children’s online activity. We must give parents the power to protect their kids in the digital age.

Hemp-Derived Ingestibles

The House sent the Senate H. 3924, a bill proposing regulating the sale of hemp-derived consumables at beer and wine sellers and retail liquor stores. Under this bill, hemp-driven products could not be sold to anyone under 21 years old, and the products would have to have signage warning consumers that they contain hemp-derived cannabinoids.

Keeping Judges and Law Enforcement Safe

Those who stand for law and order need to be kept safe. The House unanimously passed S.126 and sent it to the Governor to be signed into law. This bill clarifies how active and retired judges and law enforcement officers can better protect their personal contact information. They can apply to hide their names and home addresses to privacy protections already covered by existing state law. It also allows this information to be kept from publicly available internet websites and indices maintained by state or local governments.

MONEY ALERT

Budget Earmarks Axed

Earmarks are gone for the 2025-26 state budget. It was a rare joint move announced by the House and Senate budget committees.

Earmarks are one-time money requested by legislators for community investments back home. Projects are vetted, and the vast ones are worthy. For example, I earmarked $375,000 last year so Aiken County could purchase a new ambulance. Critics label earmarks as “pork” for pet projects.

In the past several years, the earmark process has become more transparent, with legislators publicly placing their names on earmarks and justifying the need in writing. Still, there is criticism.

This week, Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler and House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister issued a joint statement explaining why earmarks are being paused this year.

“As the chairmen of the chambers’ budget-writing committees, our top priority is to ensure the responsible expenditure of the taxpayers’ dollars. Over the last few years, we’ve provided for a great deal of community investments and made significant strides in the transparency of those investments. However, in this appropriations bill, we’ve agreed instead to focus on what should be every member’s top priority — tax reform.”

Future Earmarks: Gov. Henry McMaster has criticized the earmark process and suggested lawmakers create a grant-like program to let entities apply for money through the appropriate state agency. That may be the future of earmarks.

Tax Cuts: Senators claimed that saving money on earmarks would allow for an accelerated income tax rate cut. In their budget version approved this week, Senate budget writers set aside some $290 million to further accelerate the drop in the top income tax rate from 6.2% to 6%. The House had already allocated $200 million.   

LEGISLATIVE BRIEFS

State Government Efficiency

The House of Representatives unanimously passed S.2, the bill that restructures SC’s fragmented health agencies. The legislation takes several siloed behavioral health agencies – the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, and the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services — and combines them into one cohesive Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. (Palmetto Promise explains)

This modernizes our state’s healthcare to provide better service. No longer will patients with complex needs (say, someone who struggles with drug abuse AND mental illness) be shuffled between different agencies in search of help. With this new agency, citizens will have “one door” they can visit to receive services, and these divisions will be able to collaborate in treatment for patients, removing unnecessary duplication.

Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act

The House approved H.3930 on a vote of 85-10. This proposed “Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act” would restrict any government entity — other than law enforcement conducting legitimate criminal investigations — from keeping records of privately owned firearms. Violators would face penalties set out in this pending bill.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Training

The House has passed and sent the Senate H. 3285. Under this proposed bill, law enforcement officers and emergency medical technicians must complete training in autism spectrum disorders, including identifying and interacting correctly with these individuals.

HUMUNGOUS!

I concluded this week’s legislative session by strapping on a hard hat, safety vest, and steel-toed boots to tromp around the Scout Motors plant under construction in Blythewood. The small group consisted of four legislators and several local mayors. The site is breathtaking in size and astounding at the speed at which construction progresses.

The 1,600-acre site, just west of I-76, is being sculpted by an army of earthmovers because it is heavily wooded and has a 50-foot elevation drop. Within the Scout property, 23 million cubic yards of soil material are being relocated, and articulated haulers capable of carrying up to 60 tons of material are being used.

The size of the factory is jaw-dropping! Photos can’t accurately illustrate its magnitude. The plant’s footprint covers 1,100 acres — 3.75 million square feet.

The paint shop is the only fully enclosed building so far, and equipment is being installed. The four-story paint shop is 17 football fields long. We walked through the facility and spotted robots designed to paint all vehicles’ exterior components.

The Assembly and Finish Building is 1.3 million square feet and 22 football fields long. The roof, siding, and concrete floors will soon be installed.

A Supplier Park is being created to house many independent companies that supply batteries, accessory kits, and parts for just-in-time delivery to Scout. An extensive training facility is being constructed, and an electric substation will be onsite to power the plant. The rail system will have eight tracks forming into one, traveling over I-77 and tying into the central rail system on Highway 21.

A testing track will ensure that the Scout vehicles meet quality standards, and there will also be a visitor’s track where would-be Scout owners will have the opportunity to experience the new Scout cars and trucks.

Scout’s commitment to being a Good Neighbor to Blythewood and the Columbia region is most impressive. They recently held a series of town meetings to connect with locals, get feedback, and answer questions. Their leadership understands that the Scout plant will reshape Blythewood as it ramps up and employs its initial workforce of 4,000. The mayors on our tour praised Scout’s efforts.

Fun Stuff

Pricey Golf!

You had better have a friend with an extra ticket to the Masters because the price of attending the golf championship is escalating. According to Victory Live, a ticketing technology company that analyzes trends across the secondary market, average daily prices increased year-over-year for every day of the tournament, with the most notable spikes for Sunday’s final round ($2,613, +33%) and Tuesday’s practice round ($1,970, +32%). The most expensive ticket on the market was for Wednesday’s practice round and the Par 3 contest. It averaged $2,954 per ticket, not including fees.

Masters Golf – Aiken is the Place to Land

Corporate jets have been zooming over our home, just a few miles from Aiken Airport, all week. About 700 jets fly into Aiken for the golf event. Traffic far exceeds 10 times the average week. That’s increased over past years because the city recently expanded its parking apron, providing more space for jets. The airport is so busy that the FAA has a temporary air traffic control tower on sight.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

For 23 years, Judy Floyd has been a cornerstone of Christ Central Aiken-Graniteville, tirelessly advocating for the residents of Aiken County and beyond. Her leadership has been instrumental in building an economic safety net that includes essential services such as food, clothing, education, and job skill programs for individuals facing poverty. Judy’s vision and dedication have profoundly impacted countless lives across Aiken County. Along with her husband, Roger Floyd, both served in many leadership roles with Christ Central. Rep. Charlie Hartz presented the Floyds with a Resolution from the House of Representatives celebrating their retirement. Charlie graciously represented me in celebrating Floyd’s remarkable contributions last weekend while I was recovering from knee surgery.