I hope you’re doing well.
Recently Whitney and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary. I’m so blessed to have Whitney as my wife. She’s been so patient with the considerable amount of time I’ve spent in my duties as a member of the House of Representatives.
I wanted to give you an update about my efforts since my last email.
Last month, I sent a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in opposition to oil and gas drilling off South Carolina. All of the municipalities and counties in my district have gone on record opposing drilling.
We cannot afford to risk harming our economy and environment by effectively playing Russian roulette with oil rigs off our coast. Sooner or later our coast will catch a bullet in the form of a major oil spill disaster. Click here for my letter.
I’m also one of 32 members of the General Assembly that signed a joint letter to BOEM opposing offshore drilling. The signers are a bipartisan group of 15 Republicans and 17 Democrats.
On Tuesday, I was in Columbia for the first meeting of the House Offshore Drilling Ad Hoc Committee. Our committee is tasked with studying offshore drilling and making recommendations about whether to support drilling or not. I expressed my concerns about the potential devastating impacts of oil spills on our coastal economy. Click here for a video clip of my comments and here for media coverage.
I’m glad to be a member of the newly formed S.C. Energy Caucus, a bipartisan group of legislators who will work to ensure our homes and businesses have access to affordable energy options and focus on correcting institutional deficiencies that led to the V.C. Summer nuclear project spending disaster.
On August 9th, I sent a letter to the Grand Strand Area Transportation Study calling for a higher priority in their regional transportation plan for the Southern Evacuation Lifeline road project and Georgetown Bypass so we can reduce traffic congestion and expedite hurricane evacuations, particularly on the Waccamaw Neck.
Concerns about transportation, particularly growing traffic congestion and hurricane evacuation needs, are among the top issues I hear about from constituents. Click here for the letter and here for media coverage.
Last week, I was in N. Charleston as a member of the House Opioid Abuse Prevention Study Committee for our second public hearing about the opioid addiction epidemic. Among other testimony, we heard heart-wrenching testimony from Kathleen Orr about the very recent tragic death of her 23-year old daughter to an opioid overdose. I’m hopeful our committee can come up with legislative solutions that can help stop this epidemic.
It’s an honor and privilege to represent District 108! Please let me know if I can be of assistance.
Rep. Lee Hewitt