Good morning.
It was a pleasure to meet Dallas Cowboy star and NFL Hall of Famer Randy White at the State House. Randy testified before our Ways and Means Healthcare Subcommittee for more funding for opioid addiction treatment.
He spearheads a prevention program called “Coaches versus Overdoses,” designed to reduce overdoses through education and empowerment. Randy told the committee about the tragedy of his son-in-law, Jesse Dempsey, a professional snowboarder, who died in 2018 at age 42 after ingesting a single pill a friend gave him that he thought was an approved painkiller, but was laced with fentanyl.
I was honored to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony at Brookgreen Gardens for the new welcome center and conservatory called The Purdy Center. I appreciate the cultural and educational resources and conservation efforts that Brookgreen Gardens brings to our community.
On Wednesday, I was proud to support and ultimately pass H.4957, a landmark bill designed to empower college athletes in South Carolina with the ability to profit from their name, image, and likeness -- NIL.
This move, strongly supported by coaches from our state's top universities, promotes fair and equitable opportunities for student athletes, ensuring our state aligns with national standards in collegiate sports.
Also, on Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee passed H.4927, a bill that would merge the Dept. of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services and the Dept. of Mental Health, creating the Executive Office of Health and Policy. This legislation would eliminate healthcare fragmentation, gain cost efficiency, and enhance care quality and accessibility.
The House Republican Caucus remains unified in our commitment to the Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act. On Tuesday, we sent a clean version of the bill back to the Senate, underscoring our dedication to safeguarding the Second Amendment rights of South Carolinians.
Although the House will be on furlough next week, the Ways and Means Committee will meet on Tuesday. We’ll be working on the state budget bill, after conducting numerous subcommittee hearings over the last month to gather information for budget deliberations.
I’m honored to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.
Rep. Lee Hewitt