Good morning. Here’s my legislative update.

On Wednesday, it was a privilege for Rep. Carl Anderson, D-Georgetown, and I to meet with members of Georgetown County Council at the State House. Left to right: Rep. Anderson, County Attorney Jay Watson, Clint Elliott, Stella Mercado and Council Chairman Louis Morant.

I had three days of Ways and Means Committee meetings that were focused on developing the state budget bill. One of the important focuses was on education and improving teacher retention.

South Carolina has a record 1,400 vacant teaching positions. The committee approved a $2,500 increase in the state’s starting teacher salary, from $40,000 to $42,500. This puts the state on a path to bring starting teacher pay up to $50,000 by 2026, a goal established by Gov. McMaster.

I cosponsored the “Statewide Education and Workforce Development Act,” H. 3726, along with my colleagues on the Economic Development and Utility Modernization Ad Hoc Committee.

This bill establishes a state workforce readiness goal of at least 60 percent of all working age South Carolinians having a postsecondary degree or recognized industry credential by 2030.

To reach this goal, the bill includes these three measures:

*The State Dept. of Education must ensure that all public high school students are prepared for college-level math and reading.
*State colleges and universities must develop articulation agreements for uniformity in recognition of earned college credits.
*A report is required to the General Assembly on the best way to utilize the state’s technical colleges for those seeking new opportunities through workforce training and post-secondary credentials.

I expect this bill to move through committee and be taken up on the House floor in the coming weeks.

I’m a cosponsor of H. 3014, the “Clementa C. Pickney Hate Crimes Act,” which allows criminal courts to impose additional penalties on criminals convicted of a felony who target their victims based on their race, or other listed factors. On Thursday the bill passed the Constitutional Laws Subcommittee and will head to the full Judiciary Committee this week.

As one of only two states that hasn’t addressed this issue, it’s imperative we get this to the House floor this session.

I’m honored to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Hope you’re having a good Presidents’ Day.

A couple of weeks ago I let you know that I joined 91 of my colleagues in passing a strong fentanyl trafficking bill, which declared fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, a Schedule 1 drug and increases the penalties on dealers who sell it.

But fentanyl is not the only synthetic “designer drug” on the street. Illegal drug traffickers are constantly creating new opioid-based drugs, in part to avoid prosecution because technically the “new” drug is not on our state’s list of regulated drugs. Currently, when a new unregulated synthetic opioid shows up on the market it takes at least a month to put it on the list.

To combat this, I’ve reintroduced a bill, H. 3208, which will vastly expedite the regulation of these “designer drugs” by the S.C. Dept. of Health and Environmental Control.

My bill would allow the SCDHEC Director to immediately list the drug as regulated, allowing law enforcement to immediately crack down on its sale.

Another bill I have refiled is H. 3016, which is in response to break-ins or looting that occurred during hurricane evacuation orders. The legislation makes entering into anyone’s dwelling, during a declared State of Emergency, an upgraded charge of felony burglary in the first degree.

It was a privilege to meet with University of South Carolina President Michael Amiridis on Tuesday, which was USC Day at the State House.

On Wednesday, it was a pleasure to meet with the staff of the Black River United Way. From left to right: Koe-Yanna Pushia, Director of Volunteer Engagement; Mallory Panuelo, Program Manager; Yolanda McCray, President/CEO; and Tamera Greene, Vice President of Community Impact.

I appreciate their invaluable service to the residents of Georgetown and Williamsburg counties.

This week the full House Ways and Means Committee begins deliberations on the state budget bill. On the committee, I’ll work to ensure a fiscally conservative budget, with low taxes.

I hope you have a good week. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Hope you had a good weekend.

I think you would agree that it should be illegal to attempt to lure children into a vehicle or house using things like candy or puppies, yet there still is no state law that makes child luring a crime.

In 2018 and 2020, I filed bills that would make luring a crime after multiple attempts of child luring in Mt. Pleasant and Charleston, including a highly publicized incident where an individual attempted to lure multiple children into a van using a puppy. These bills had the backing of local law enforcement, but died in the House Judiciary Committee.

Click here for news coverage.

I’m committed to protecting our children from predators, so I’ve refiled H. 3015 again in the hope it will get a committee hearing and ultimately be signed into law by Gov. McMaster.

On a related issue, it’s time we stop the revolving prison door for repeat criminals.

H. 3532, creates an additional criminal offense and penalty for committing an additional violent crime while out on bond, and would result in automatic revocation of bond for the first violent crime and a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years. This bill will be taken up by the Judiciary Committee next week.

In the House Ways and Means Committee and subcommittees we’ve been focused on drafting a fiscally conservative budget bill, which will need to be finalized by March 7th, just three weeks away, for presentation to all House members. Floor debate on the bill will start March 13th.

On Wednesday, a Joint Assembly of Senate and House members voted for several open and contested races for judges throughout SC, most importantly for an open seat on the SC Supreme Court. My congratulations to Gary Hill, who was overwhelmingly elected as a Justice to the Supreme Court.

I was privileged to meet with Awendaw Mayor Miriam Green and other Town Council members, who were at the State House on Tuesday for the SC Municipal Association’s Hometown Legislative Action Day. Mayor Green has served continuously on Town Council since the Town of Awendaw’s founding in 1992.

I hope you have a good week. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Good morning. Hope you’re well.

I accepted the Legislator of Year Award from the SC Farm Bureau via video in December. Rick Caldwell, Farm Bureau policy specialist and legislative coordinator, presented the actual award to me on Wednesday in Columbia. My thanks to the Farm Bureau for this very nice award.

As a member of the House Opioid Abuse Prevention Study Committee, I heard from countless law enforcement officers, recovering addicts, medical professionals, and heart-wrenching testimony from family members of overdose victims about the growing opioid addiction epidemic, particularly the impacts of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

From 2019 to 2020, drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased 105% in South Carolina and it’s my understanding that preliminary 2021 data shows deaths climbing even higher. Charleston and Georgetown counties are some of the hardest hit areas. Fentanyl was involved in nearly 80% of all opioid-involved overdose deaths in the state.

So, on Wednesday, I was pleased to join 91 of my colleagues in passing a strong fentanyl trafficking bill. H.3503 declares fentanyl a Schedule 1 drug and increases the penalties on dealers who sell it.

This bipartisan bill provides a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and sends a strong message to drug dealers and those trafficking fentanyl that South Carolina will no longer tolerate their dangerous activity in our state. I hope the Senate will move quickly to pass this legislation.

On Monday, I was privileged to participate in a panel of legislators at the SC Beach Advocates’ annual meeting on the Isle of Palms. We provided the group with a legislative update and answered questions. I very much appreciate the efforts of the Beach Advocates to educate the public, governmental authorities, and elected officials as to the environmental, economic, and social importance of our beaches and inlets.

On Tuesday, I welcomed Dr. Gerald Harmon and Dr. Elizabeth Dixon of Tidelands Heath to serve as Doctors of the Day for the House of Representatives. For Dr. Harmon, who is the immediate past president of the American Medical Association, this was his 31st year serving as Doctor of the Day. Dr. Dixon is from Myrtle Beach and is a Senior Resident at Tidelands.

I welcome visits to my office in the State House and to attend House sessions and committee meetings. We’re usually in session Tuesday through Thursday. Groups are welcome. Please contact me to schedule a visit.

I’m honored to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Hope you’re having a good weekend.

My week in Columbia was filled with work on the Ways and Means Healthcare Budget Subcommittee. We met on Tuesday and Wednesday hearing budget requests from the state Departments of Health and Environmental Control, Mental Health, Social Services, Aging, and Children’s Advocacy.

The subcommittee will meet again next Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Wednesday, I joined my colleagues from the House and Senate for Gov. McMaster’s State of the State Address. The Governor laid out a bold, conservative roadmap to ensure prosperity and success for the future generations of South Carolinians. I look forward to continuing working with him to accomplish our legislative goals.

On Friday, I was privileged to participate in the annual Georgetown County Legislative Delegation Breakfast at Pawleys Plantation, hosted by the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the Coastal Carolina REALTORS Association. Senators Stephen Goldfinch and Ronnie Sabb and Rep. Carl Anderson and I discussed issues and what to expect in the legislative session.

One of the important responsibilities of the Georgetown County Legislative Delegation is to make nominations to the Governor for appointments to county and regional boards and commissions.

After the chamber breakfast the delegation met to consider a number of nominations, most importantly to the Georgetown County Board of Elections, where board chairman and steelworkers union boss James Sanderson was mired in controversy because his union made campaign donations to Georgetown City Council candidates and he effectively endorsed a gubernatorial candidate – political activities which election board members cannot engage in.

The delegation agreed to replace Sanderson with former county school board member Harold Jean Brown-Williams. Click here for news coverage of the delegation meeting.

I hope you’ll visit my official House webpage, where you can find bills that I have either sponsored or cosponsored, view my voting record, search for bills, and access video feeds of the House sessions and committee meetings.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Good morning. Here’s a brief update.

Last week I had the privilege of participating in two news conferences with House Speaker Murrell Smith at the State House.

On Wednesday, I joined Speaker Smith and my colleagues on the Economic Development and Utility Modernization Ad Hoc Committee at a news conference announcing our bill to streamline the delivery of workforce development.

While the economy has been booming in South Carolina, improvements are needed concerning workforce and education services to help our economy and tax base growth even further. The committee’s bill creates a “one-stop shop” for businesses and citizens to access these services.

On Thursday, I again stood alongside Speaker Smith, Majority Leader Davey Hiott, and other members of the House Republican Caucus at a news conference that highlighted some of our recent successes and outlined our legislative agenda.

The Ways and Means Healthcare Budget Subcommittee I sit on met Wednesday and Thursday to hear budget requests from the SC Dept. of Health and Environmental Control, Dept. of Disabilities and Special Needs, and SC Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare, among others. We’re scheduled to meet again this Tuesday and Wednesday.

One of the things I enjoy in Columbia is the opportunity to meet people at the State House.

On Wednesday, I got the opportunity to meet Angel Brabham and Matthew Connelly of Connelly Farms in Allendale County, who were the SC Farm Bureau “Farmers of the Week.” As someone from a farming family, I appreciate their leadership in our very important agriculture industry.

I wanted you to be aware that SCDHEC’s Ocean and Coastal Resource Management Division is still accepting Emergency Authorization Requests for reconstruction or repair of docks and bulkheads that were damaged by Hurricane Ian. For information on how to apply, click on this link and scroll down to “Emergency General Permits.”

I’m honored to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

Happy New Year! I hope you’re doing well.

The House of Representatives session began last Tuesday and I wanted to give you an update.

I’m honored to again serve on the coveted Ways and Means Committee, now as chairman of the Property Tax Subcommittee and as a member of the Healthcare Budget Subcommittee.

I’m also honored to again serve in the House leadership as a Majority Whip.

Last Wednesday, I joined the entire General Assembly as we led the procession down the State House steps to witness Gov. Henry McMaster, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, and our Constitutional Officers being sworn in for the next four years.

Gov. McMaster’s Inaugural address commended the General Assembly for passing the largest income tax cut in state history last year, appropriating over $1.5 billion for new infrastructure needs around the state, and ensuring we saved our budget surplus so that we now have the largest rainy-day reserve fund balance in state history.

Gov. McMaster outlined a bold vision that focuses on education, properly funding law enforcement, and making sure the process of electing judges is transparent and accountable.

I look forward to working hand in hand with the Governor in making South Carolina a better and safer place to live and to raise a family.

I believe that the success of our state is dependent on these five pillars of the House Republican Caucus’ agenda for this legislative session:

*Improve Statewide Economic Development to Ensure Prosperity
*Reform our Education System so Students are Better Prepared for the Workforce
*Limit Government by Implementing Fiscal Discipline and Responsibility
*Increase Personal Freedom and Encourage Conservative Values
*Prioritize Public Safety and make Law and Order a Top Priority

I’m committed to introducing and supporting legislation that focuses on each of these pillars.

Last month I was privileged to be awarded House Legislator of the Year by the SC Farm Bureau.

It was an honor to receive this award. I grew up in rural South Carolina in a farming family and understand the importance of farms and agriculture to our state. Click here for my video acceptance speech.

My wife Whitney and I were honored to be in Washington, DC earlier this month for Congressman Russell Fry’s swearing in ceremony. I’m so proud of Russell. He'll be a great Congressman.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to represent District 108 in the House. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

The SC Farm Bureau awarded Rep. Lee Hewitt House Legislator of the Year at their annual meeting on December 1st in Myrtle Beach.

"These awards are presented to individuals who exemplify the insight and effort to support South Carolina farmers and the vast business of agriculture," Farm Bureau President Harry Ott said.

Click here for Ott's letter to Hewitt.

"It’s an honor to receive this award. I grew up in rural South Carolina in a farming family and understand the importance of farms and agriculture to our state. My thanks to the Farm Bureau for this very nice award," Hewitt said.

This is not the first Legislator of the Year award for Rep. Hewitt. In 2018, he was awarded Legislator of the Year by the SC Association of Realtors, the first freshman legislator ever to win the award.

Hewitt's video acceptance speech of the Farm Bureau award is below. 

When the clock struck 5 pm this past Thursday, it marked the end of the legislative session for the year.

Up to the last minute, my colleagues and I fought to push many of our conservative agenda items over the finish line. Our successes this year will make South Carolina a better place to live, work, and raise a family for years to come.

I recently reported how the Senate killed the House’s strong, bipartisan election reform bill that passed the House unanimously back in March. Thanks to the work of the House leadership and election reform champions, last week the Senate agreed to a bill which included much of the House’s election integrity language, and on Friday, Gov. McMaster signed the bill into law.

A conference committee was appointed last week to finalize school choice legislation to give thousands of low-income families educational freedom. This legislation aims to provide scholarships to eligible students to put towards tuition, books, transportation, and other school expenses involved in attending the private school of their choice.

On Tuesday, my colleagues and I approved the Senate's tweaks to a bill that saves women’s sports. This bill requires student athletes to only compete in sports based on their biological gender. The bill will soon be sent to Gov. McMaster for his signature.

We had to fight again last week for a bill to outlaw Critical Race Theory indoctrination from our classrooms and give parents more insight into what their children are being taught. Unfortunately, our original House bill never made it out of the Senate, so our original language was incorporated into a different Senate Bill and sent back for approval.

The House will reconvene on June 15th to finalize the state budget and review any gubernatorial vetoes.

Our budget centered around 4 R’s: increasing reserves, roads and infrastructure, raises for teachers and first responders, and over $1 billion in tax relief. It passed the House and was sent to the Senate, where they developed their own version. Given the differences, the House and Senate will each send three delegates to meet in a conference committee where they will reconcile the differences to write a final budget.

I hope you have a good week. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.

I hope you’re doing well.

Another week in Columbia has come to an end and we only have three legislative days left until the end of the regular session. This week will be marked by long days on the House floor with a plethora of bills trying to make their way through the legislative process before the end of session.

In the coming weeks and into the summer, we have the finalization of the budget process to look forward to. Weeks ago, we passed our House version of the budget which focused on the four R’s: Reserves, Raises, Relief, and Roads. The Senate has come up with its own version of the budget which is drastically different from ours. These differences will be reconciled over the summer to ensure that we have an appropriate budget that properly serves the people of South Carolina by our deadline of July 1.

The House has already passed an impressive state income tax overhaul that restructured our state's convoluted and outdated tax bracket system. It provides significant relief to almost all taxpayers with a focus on relief for the working middle-class. Once fully phased in, this plan will cut over $1 billion in taxes for taxpayers and exempts all military retirement from taxable income.

Our tax plan differs from that of the Senate. When comparing the two plans, our plan saves more money for more South Carolinians -- period. We’re not focused on just bringing down the top tax rate, but rather, we’re focused on lower rates for the middle-class -- where most South Carolinians find themselves. That’s why last Thursday, as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I voted with the committee to strike the Senate language and insert our tax plan, sending it to the floor for a vote.

The House passed the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” which bans biological men, despite sexual identity, from participating in women’s sports. Upon passage in the House, it was sent to the Senate for approval. The Senate passed the bill with some tweaks, which will soon be back in the House for review. I look forward to supporting this legislation once again to outlaw these dangerous situations in our daughters' locker rooms and sports teams from taking place.

Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week. Oftentimes, teachers are so much more than educators: they are role models that truly shape the lives of our children. My sincere thanks to all of our teachers for their tireless efforts!

I hope you have a good week. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Rep. Lee Hewitt

Please click here to donate to my reelection campaign.