I hope you had a good weekend.
On Friday, I was honored to participate in the annual Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Breakfast with my colleagues Senators Stephen Goldfinch and Ronnie Sabb and Rep. Carl Anderson. I appreciate the efforts of the chamber of commerce and the event’s sponsor, the Coastal Carolinas Association of Realtors, in helping to keep businesses and the community informed about important legislative issues.
Tax relief and cutting red tape for our small businesses is vital for economic growth and job creation.
On Thursday, I cosponsored the South Carolina Small Business Tax Cut of 2026 Act, which will exempt personal property tax on the first $10,000 of personal property value for small businesses, defined as having sales of $10 million or less or 100 employees or less.
The House-passed Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act, which I cosponsored, advanced in the Senate Judiciary Committee, moving us closer to reducing burdensome regulations on job creators. The bill requires a review of regulations and a reduction of the regulatory burden on businesses by at least 25 percent.
We advanced legislation requiring the use of U.S. produced iron and steel, H.4709, in state-funded public works projects. The bill passed out of subcommittee and has been referred to the House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee for further consideration.
This legislation is focused on strengthening domestic manufacturing, protecting critical supply chains, and ensuring taxpayer dollars support American workers and industries. As South Carolina continues to grow, measures like this help reinforce a strong, reliable workforce and keep our state competitive.
Protecting children and strengthening parental rights is a top priority. We continued work on two key pieces of legislation of which I cosponsored: the Parental Rights Act, which has been referred to committee, and the South Carolina Student Physical Privacy Act, which passed out of the House Judiciary Committee.
Both measures focus on safeguarding student privacy in schools while affirming transparency and parental involvement in their children’s education and healthcare.
The Healthcare Budget Subcommittee I chair was busy on Wednesday and Thursday hearing budget requests from state healthcare providers. This week, the subcommittee will hear from the Departments of Vocational Rehabilitation, Children’s Advocacy, and Aging, the SC Commission for the Blind, University of SC Neurological Hospital and SC Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare.
Have a good week. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.
Rep. Lee Hewitt