I hope you’ve had a good week.
The pandemic has highlighted the urgency of many educational issues. Last week, Gov. McMaster signed a House bill that allows for more “Schools of Innovation'' to arise around the state, giving students more opportunities to succeed. We also sent a bill to the Governor’s desk that allows Palmetto Fellow Scholarship recipients to use their scholarship at a technical college, which is currently not allowed.
Last week, the Senate had ‘Budget Week’, reviewing, debating, and amending the budget the House sent them a few weeks ago. When the Senate returns their version of the budget back to us, we’ll meet to review their amendments.
Though this year’s legislative session officially ends on May 13th, the Speaker of the House introduced a Sine Die resolution that schedules us back in the capitol in June to finalize the state budget, review conference committee reports, and assess any vetoes to the budget by the Governor. We will also be back in late Summer/early Fall in an effort to complete our once-a-decade task of redistricting.
On Thursday the Coastal Observer published a nice editorial supporting my call for in person meetings on the Waccamaw Neck Hwy 17 corridor plan. From the editorial:
“Don’t get us started talking about the traffic. Of course, there’s nothing Waccamaw Neck residents would rather talk about. State Rep. Lee Hewitt wants to keep us talking, but in a way that is both meaningful and productive...While many people have become comfortable with the virtual meeting format over the past, Rep. Hewitt is right in pointing out that they come up short of providing the level of engagement required.”
Click here for the full editorial.
I’m pleased to have sponsored a bill to recognize and declare May 4-5 as Palmetto Giving Day in South Carolina. Palmetto Giving Day is a 36-hour online giving event that provides the community with an opportunity to give back to participating nonprofit organizations in Georgetown County. In order to help qualified nonprofits achieve their goal, the Bunnelle Foundation and others have agreed to match a portion of the donations.
As we are navigating through the pandemic, these nonprofits need our support. I encourage you to visit PalmettoGivingDay.org to learn more about the event and donate to the charities of your choice.
It’s an honor to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.
Rep. Lee Hewitt