We’re just over a month away from the start of the 1st session of the 119th General Assembly and the inauguration of our new Governor. This week you’ve been given some insight about the direction SC leaders will want our state to head the next two (and more) years.
Yesterday: Governor-elect Haley announced her Commerce Secretary appointment, Bobby Hitt . (An appointment that has been very well received throughout the state!)
Today: Tax Realignment Commission (TRAC) issued their report to the General Assembly and the House had our first day of pre-filed bills
Tomorrow: The Senate will have their second day of their prefiled bills (note: first day was last week) and Governor-elect Haley plans to name another cabinet appointment.
No doubt greater insight is ahead the next few weeks as legislative panels being to pop-up in more locations, more prefiling of legislation occurs, and caucus/chambers meet more often to hit the ground running in January.
All eyes will also be on our new Governor as she presents her State of the State during her first days in office. I hope I speak for several of my colleagues and state leaders when I say there is excitement and energy building towards session with hopes of more cooperation than we’ve experienced recently. Even though we’ll be forced to make some of the toughest decisions ever with our state’s budget, we can (and will) get through this together. There will be no easy decisions. We must make the tough decisions to assure we come out ahead in the long run.
I always start each session hopeful for what it holds for South Carolina. This session I’m hopeful we begin (continue) a roadmap to improve our economy, lift our current businesses and attract new ones, get people who want to work – back to work, improve the efficiency of state government, improve the education of our children and improve the quality of life in our communities, towns, cities across the state.
Let’s get started…together.