Good morning. Hope you had a good weekend.
McClellanville Mayor Rut Leland is the longest serving Mayor in the state (46 years), a statewide leader in municipal government, and a constituent. I nominated Mayor Leland for the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, and on Wednesday I was privileged to be in attendance when Gov. McMaster presented the award to him.
On Saturday, I attended the Georgetown County Republican Party Convention as a delegate and was privileged to be asked to address the convention, which was attended by a record number of delegates. My congratulations to Karol Anderson, who was reelected party chair and to Kelley Johnson and Bill Chaplin, who were elected first vice chair and state committeeman respectively.
Last week the House continued to work to reform our education system so that South Carolina has a competitive advantage that will foster innovation, stimulate economic growth, and ultimately lead to greater prosperity now and for future generations.
On Wednesday, the House passed a bill I cosponsored, H. 4060, that establishes statewide workforce readiness goals and makes changes related to dual enrollment and credit transfer between institutions of higher learning. It establishes a uniform system of dual enrollment for college courses taken while students are still in high school.
Parents and their children deserve as much choice in education as possible, regardless of their zip code.
I worked to get H. 3843, the Open Enrollment Bill, passed by the House on Thursday. The bill will allow students to attend public schools outside of their attendance zone and school district. By providing options in physical location, learning environments, and educational opportunities, parents can find the best school and fit for their child’s education.
Also, on Thursday, the House passed H. 3295, a bill that gives school districts the flexibility to use courses that focus on mastery of specific skills, such as welding or mechanics, in place of traditional required seat time in other topics. By embracing flexibility in education, we can create more inclusive, personalized, and effective learning environments that support the success of all students and prepare them for jobs upon graduation.
This week is crossover week in the legislature, the deadline for when bills must have passed out of the House and have been sent to the Senate to be considered this year through the normal legislative process.
Any legislation that clears either the House or Senate after Thursday, April 6th, requires a two-thirds majority vote to even be debated by the other body this year, greatly narrowing down bills that can pass both houses this year.
I hope you have a good week and a happy Easter. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.
Rep. Lee Hewitt