I hope you’re doing well.
On Wednesday I had the honor of attending Gov. McMaster’s State of the State address.
He praised South Carolina's economic growth, focusing on advanced manufacturing and tourism, and outlined a significant plan to modernize our healthcare system by consolidating key agencies.
I commend the Governor’s emphasis on the importance of education and infrastructure, and addressing our commitment to public safety.
A big focus in the House this week was the safety and well-being of our children in the digital age.
The “Child Online Safety Act," passed the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. This bill sets stringent guidelines for website and online application operators, designed to ensure that minors are not exposed to inappropriate content on the internet.
Another important bill, the “Social Media Regulation Act,” aims to require parental consent for minors to create social media accounts and places restrictions on access during certain hours. It will soon be debated on the House floor.
On Thursday I voted in favor of H.3523, which establishes a "Fallen First Responder Survivor Advocate" to assist families of deceased first responders in accessing benefits and support.
The Ways and Means Committee met on Wednesday and we passed a bill I cosponsored, H.4710, which would index our state’s unemployment benefits on seasonal adjusted statewide unemployment rates, which would be a win for our state’s people, businesses, and economy.
On Tuesday I welcomed Dr. Gerald Harmon of Tidelands Heath to serve as “Doctor of the Day” for the House of Representatives. For Dr. Harmon, who is the past president of the American Medical Association, this was his 32nd year serving as Doctor of the Day.
Have a good week. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.
Rep. Lee Hewitt