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

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

I hope you’re doing well.

I was glad to spend some time at the State House with Georgetown County Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Laura Gassler, pictured below.

I greatly appreciate the efforts of Habitat for Humanity to build and restore homes for those in need to build “strength, stability and self-reliance,” as stated in their mission statement.

I welcome visits to my office in the State House and to attend House sessions and committee meetings. We’re usually in session Tuesday through Thursday. Groups are welcome. Please contact me to schedule a visit.

Last week was Budget Week, where the state budget bill was debated and voted on the House floor. There were some long days and after casting 225 votes on various amendments, the budget passed with bipartisan support.

I’m proud of the work we all came together to do in order to pass a budget that is fiscally conservative while funding the core functions of government.

We focused on reducing taxes and increasing our reserves, investing in our roads and bridges, recruiting and retaining our teachers and law enforcement professionals, and workforce preparedness through education and training initiatives. As a result, we are positioning our great state for continued economic growth and ensuring South Carolinians have opportunities to prosper.

On Thursday, I voted in favor of the economic incentive package that will bring Scout Motors to our state.

Scout Motors is a U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer backed by Volkswagen, which is establishing their first manufacturing plant in Blythewood, near Columbia. The economic impact of Scout Motors is estimated to be $15.3 billion by 2029, with 8,000 jobs created. At full capacity, more than 200,000 Scout vehicles may be produced annually at the facility.

This week the House is on furlough and will not meet again until March 28th.

I’m honored to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Hope you had a good weekend. Here’s an update.

On Wednesday, Rep. Carl Anderson, D-Georgetown, and I had the pleasure to meet with the Leadership Georgetown County class at the State House, pictured below. Sponsored by the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce, this great program focuses on leadership development and community awareness and service.

My strong support for the proposed Southern Evacuation Lifeline Highway (SELL) made the news.

I believe this vital highway project is a priority for the safety of our residents and visitors. Connecting Hwy 31 with U.S. 378, the SELL would vastly improve access across the Waccamaw River between Conway and Georgetown, providing a needed additional transportation corridor that will reduce traffic congestion and vastly expedite hurricane evacuations, particularly along the South Strand.

Click here for the news report.

I’m pleased the Army Corps of Engineers announced inclusion in their budget of an additional $4 million for badly needed Murrells Inlet dredging.

It's a win-win to use sand dredged from the navigation channel to renourish Garden City Beach.

Click here for the news report.

As a cosponsor of the “Statewide Education and Workforce Development Act,” H. 3726, I’m pleased it overwhelmingly passed the House last week on a 108 to 5 vote. The legislation makes an investment in education and workforce development that will provide the tools and resources to get people jobs, and help students, parents, and job seekers make informed career choices.

Parents and their children deserve as much choice as possible when it comes to education, regardless of their zip code or district.

On Thursday, the House passed H.3843, the Open Enrollment Bill, to allow students to attend public schools outside of their attendance zone and school district. By providing more opportunities, parents can find the best school and fit for their child’s education and ensure they are prepared for success.

The House Ways and Means Committee wrapped up our hearings and approved the preliminary 2023-24 state budget. This initial budget proposal (nearly $14 billion) is fiscally conservative and focuses on core functions of government. It will be debated this week on the House floor. I’m committed to ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.

I hope you have a good week. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

I wanted you to know that I’ve been promoted to Assistant Chief Majority Whip, which is the second highest whip position in the House of Representatives.

Wednesday was Alzheimer’s Advocacy Day at the State House. I was glad to meet with, from left to right, Ruth Keilen, Patty Younts, and Dr. Jon Bowman, to talk about Alzheimer’s related issues.

More than 95,000 South Carolinians have this terrible disease, with nearly 200,000 family members and friends providing care for them.

It’s important that we give flexibility to parents to make the best choice for their child's education.

On Tuesday, I voted to pass joint resolution H.3591, which would amend the SC Constitution through repeal of the “Blaine Amendment,” which currently prohibits the state from providing direct aid to certain private educational institutions.

Repeal of the amendment, which will be decided by voters in a statewide ballot question in 2024, will also help protect many state funded education programs, such as the SC Tuition Grants Program, LIFE Scholarship, Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, CERDEP/CDEPP (full day 4K programs), and the Office of First Steps.

I’m pleased the Army Corps of Engineers announced last week the awarding of $14 million for Pawleys Island and $57 million for North Myrtle Beach through Garden City Beach in disaster relief funds to repair damages to our beaches after Hurricane Ian.

On Wednesday, I proudly voted for H.3532, which creates an additional criminal offense and penalty for committing an additional violent crime while out on bond. This bill will help make South Carolina a safer place by stopping the revolving door for repeat criminals. It creates sentence and bond enhancements for a person convicted of a violent crime while out on bond for a previous violent crime. The bipartisan vote was 92-20.

I’m pleased Scout Motors, a US electric vehicle manufacturer backed by Volkswagen Group, announced Friday they will be establishing their first manufacturing plant in Blythewood, South Carolina. The company’s $2 billion investment has the potential to create 4,000 or more permanent jobs. At full capacity, more than 200,000 Scout vehicles may be produced annually at the facility.

The House Ways and Means Committee wrapped up our hearings and approved the preliminary 2023-24 state budget. This initial budget proposal (nearly $14 billion) is a starting point. The House will debate it the week of March 13th before sending it to the Senate.

I hope you have a good week. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Good morning. Here’s my legislative update.

On Wednesday, it was a privilege for Rep. Carl Anderson, D-Georgetown, and I to meet with members of Georgetown County Council at the State House. Left to right: Rep. Anderson, County Attorney Jay Watson, Clint Elliott, Stella Mercado and Council Chairman Louis Morant.

I had three days of Ways and Means Committee meetings that were focused on developing the state budget bill. One of the important focuses was on education and improving teacher retention.

South Carolina has a record 1,400 vacant teaching positions. The committee approved a $2,500 increase in the state’s starting teacher salary, from $40,000 to $42,500. This puts the state on a path to bring starting teacher pay up to $50,000 by 2026, a goal established by Gov. McMaster.

I cosponsored the “Statewide Education and Workforce Development Act,” H. 3726, along with my colleagues on the Economic Development and Utility Modernization Ad Hoc Committee.

This bill establishes a state workforce readiness goal of at least 60 percent of all working age South Carolinians having a postsecondary degree or recognized industry credential by 2030.

To reach this goal, the bill includes these three measures:

*The State Dept. of Education must ensure that all public high school students are prepared for college-level math and reading.
*State colleges and universities must develop articulation agreements for uniformity in recognition of earned college credits.
*A report is required to the General Assembly on the best way to utilize the state’s technical colleges for those seeking new opportunities through workforce training and post-secondary credentials.

I expect this bill to move through committee and be taken up on the House floor in the coming weeks.

I’m a cosponsor of H. 3014, the “Clementa C. Pickney Hate Crimes Act,” which allows criminal courts to impose additional penalties on criminals convicted of a felony who target their victims based on their race, or other listed factors. On Thursday the bill passed the Constitutional Laws Subcommittee and will head to the full Judiciary Committee this week.

As one of only two states that hasn’t addressed this issue, it’s imperative we get this to the House floor this session.

I’m honored to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Hope you’re having a good Presidents’ Day.

A couple of weeks ago I let you know that I joined 91 of my colleagues in passing a strong fentanyl trafficking bill, which declared fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, a Schedule 1 drug and increases the penalties on dealers who sell it.

But fentanyl is not the only synthetic “designer drug” on the street. Illegal drug traffickers are constantly creating new opioid-based drugs, in part to avoid prosecution because technically the “new” drug is not on our state’s list of regulated drugs. Currently, when a new unregulated synthetic opioid shows up on the market it takes at least a month to put it on the list.

To combat this, I’ve reintroduced a bill, H. 3208, which will vastly expedite the regulation of these “designer drugs” by the S.C. Dept. of Health and Environmental Control.

My bill would allow the SCDHEC Director to immediately list the drug as regulated, allowing law enforcement to immediately crack down on its sale.

Another bill I have refiled is H. 3016, which is in response to break-ins or looting that occurred during hurricane evacuation orders. The legislation makes entering into anyone’s dwelling, during a declared State of Emergency, an upgraded charge of felony burglary in the first degree.

It was a privilege to meet with University of South Carolina President Michael Amiridis on Tuesday, which was USC Day at the State House.

On Wednesday, it was a pleasure to meet with the staff of the Black River United Way. From left to right: Koe-Yanna Pushia, Director of Volunteer Engagement; Mallory Panuelo, Program Manager; Yolanda McCray, President/CEO; and Tamera Greene, Vice President of Community Impact.

I appreciate their invaluable service to the residents of Georgetown and Williamsburg counties.

This week the full House Ways and Means Committee begins deliberations on the state budget bill. On the committee, I’ll work to ensure a fiscally conservative budget, with low taxes.

I hope you have a good week. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Hope you had a good weekend.

I think you would agree that it should be illegal to attempt to lure children into a vehicle or house using things like candy or puppies, yet there still is no state law that makes child luring a crime.

In 2018 and 2020, I filed bills that would make luring a crime after multiple attempts of child luring in Mt. Pleasant and Charleston, including a highly publicized incident where an individual attempted to lure multiple children into a van using a puppy. These bills had the backing of local law enforcement, but died in the House Judiciary Committee.

Click here for news coverage.

I’m committed to protecting our children from predators, so I’ve refiled H. 3015 again in the hope it will get a committee hearing and ultimately be signed into law by Gov. McMaster.

On a related issue, it’s time we stop the revolving prison door for repeat criminals.

H. 3532, creates an additional criminal offense and penalty for committing an additional violent crime while out on bond, and would result in automatic revocation of bond for the first violent crime and a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years. This bill will be taken up by the Judiciary Committee next week.

In the House Ways and Means Committee and subcommittees we’ve been focused on drafting a fiscally conservative budget bill, which will need to be finalized by March 7th, just three weeks away, for presentation to all House members. Floor debate on the bill will start March 13th.

On Wednesday, a Joint Assembly of Senate and House members voted for several open and contested races for judges throughout SC, most importantly for an open seat on the SC Supreme Court. My congratulations to Gary Hill, who was overwhelmingly elected as a Justice to the Supreme Court.

I was privileged to meet with Awendaw Mayor Miriam Green and other Town Council members, who were at the State House on Tuesday for the SC Municipal Association’s Hometown Legislative Action Day. Mayor Green has served continuously on Town Council since the Town of Awendaw’s founding in 1992.

I hope you have a good week. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Good morning. Hope you’re well.

I accepted the Legislator of Year Award from the SC Farm Bureau via video in December. Rick Caldwell, Farm Bureau policy specialist and legislative coordinator, presented the actual award to me on Wednesday in Columbia. My thanks to the Farm Bureau for this very nice award.

As a member of the House Opioid Abuse Prevention Study Committee, I heard from countless law enforcement officers, recovering addicts, medical professionals, and heart-wrenching testimony from family members of overdose victims about the growing opioid addiction epidemic, particularly the impacts of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

From 2019 to 2020, drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased 105% in South Carolina and it’s my understanding that preliminary 2021 data shows deaths climbing even higher. Charleston and Georgetown counties are some of the hardest hit areas. Fentanyl was involved in nearly 80% of all opioid-involved overdose deaths in the state.

So, on Wednesday, I was pleased to join 91 of my colleagues in passing a strong fentanyl trafficking bill. H.3503 declares fentanyl a Schedule 1 drug and increases the penalties on dealers who sell it.

This bipartisan bill provides a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and sends a strong message to drug dealers and those trafficking fentanyl that South Carolina will no longer tolerate their dangerous activity in our state. I hope the Senate will move quickly to pass this legislation.

On Monday, I was privileged to participate in a panel of legislators at the SC Beach Advocates’ annual meeting on the Isle of Palms. We provided the group with a legislative update and answered questions. I very much appreciate the efforts of the Beach Advocates to educate the public, governmental authorities, and elected officials as to the environmental, economic, and social importance of our beaches and inlets.

On Tuesday, I welcomed Dr. Gerald Harmon and Dr. Elizabeth Dixon of Tidelands Heath to serve as Doctors of the Day for the House of Representatives. For Dr. Harmon, who is the immediate past president of the American Medical Association, this was his 31st year serving as Doctor of the Day. Dr. Dixon is from Myrtle Beach and is a Senior Resident at Tidelands.

I welcome visits to my office in the State House and to attend House sessions and committee meetings. We’re usually in session Tuesday through Thursday. Groups are welcome. Please contact me to schedule a visit.

I’m honored to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Hope you’re having a good weekend.

My week in Columbia was filled with work on the Ways and Means Healthcare Budget Subcommittee. We met on Tuesday and Wednesday hearing budget requests from the state Departments of Health and Environmental Control, Mental Health, Social Services, Aging, and Children’s Advocacy.

The subcommittee will meet again next Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Wednesday, I joined my colleagues from the House and Senate for Gov. McMaster’s State of the State Address. The Governor laid out a bold, conservative roadmap to ensure prosperity and success for the future generations of South Carolinians. I look forward to continuing working with him to accomplish our legislative goals.

On Friday, I was privileged to participate in the annual Georgetown County Legislative Delegation Breakfast at Pawleys Plantation, hosted by the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the Coastal Carolina REALTORS Association. Senators Stephen Goldfinch and Ronnie Sabb and Rep. Carl Anderson and I discussed issues and what to expect in the legislative session.

One of the important responsibilities of the Georgetown County Legislative Delegation is to make nominations to the Governor for appointments to county and regional boards and commissions.

After the chamber breakfast the delegation met to consider a number of nominations, most importantly to the Georgetown County Board of Elections, where board chairman and steelworkers union boss James Sanderson was mired in controversy because his union made campaign donations to Georgetown City Council candidates and he effectively endorsed a gubernatorial candidate – political activities which election board members cannot engage in.

The delegation agreed to replace Sanderson with former county school board member Harold Jean Brown-Williams. Click here for news coverage of the delegation meeting.

I hope you’ll visit my official House webpage, where you can find bills that I have either sponsored or cosponsored, view my voting record, search for bills, and access video feeds of the House sessions and committee meetings.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Good morning. Here’s a brief update.

Last week I had the privilege of participating in two news conferences with House Speaker Murrell Smith at the State House.

On Wednesday, I joined Speaker Smith and my colleagues on the Economic Development and Utility Modernization Ad Hoc Committee at a news conference announcing our bill to streamline the delivery of workforce development.

While the economy has been booming in South Carolina, improvements are needed concerning workforce and education services to help our economy and tax base growth even further. The committee’s bill creates a “one-stop shop” for businesses and citizens to access these services.

On Thursday, I again stood alongside Speaker Smith, Majority Leader Davey Hiott, and other members of the House Republican Caucus at a news conference that highlighted some of our recent successes and outlined our legislative agenda.

The Ways and Means Healthcare Budget Subcommittee I sit on met Wednesday and Thursday to hear budget requests from the SC Dept. of Health and Environmental Control, Dept. of Disabilities and Special Needs, and SC Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare, among others. We’re scheduled to meet again this Tuesday and Wednesday.

One of the things I enjoy in Columbia is the opportunity to meet people at the State House.

On Wednesday, I got the opportunity to meet Angel Brabham and Matthew Connelly of Connelly Farms in Allendale County, who were the SC Farm Bureau “Farmers of the Week.” As someone from a farming family, I appreciate their leadership in our very important agriculture industry.

I wanted you to be aware that SCDHEC’s Ocean and Coastal Resource Management Division is still accepting Emergency Authorization Requests for reconstruction or repair of docks and bulkheads that were damaged by Hurricane Ian. For information on how to apply, click on this link and scroll down to “Emergency General Permits.”

I’m honored to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.