Education, Ethics Reform & Judicial Update

The House adjourned Wednesday due to inclement weather, shaving a legislative day from the calendar, but not before we moved on education reform, advanced an omnibus ethics reform bill, and received an update on the state of South Carolina’s judicial system.

On Monday, House Speaker Jay Lucas set priorities and expectations for the work the House Education Policy Review and Reform Task Force is undertaking. The diverse task force, made up of citizens, business leaders and elected officials begins work to develop recommendations that will lead to long-term substantial education reform in South Carolina. The group is required to submit a report of their findings to Speaker Lucas by the beginning of next legislative session.

Strengthening our state’s ethics laws remains one of my top priorities. In the House we have already taken the piecemeal approach to enacting ethics reform by passing a series of 12 ethics bills as a part of our comprehensive overall ethics reform package.  We have completed the series of smaller bills and have now combined each of those into one omnibus ethics package which is being fast-tracked on the House floor. The House Republican Caucus supports the omnibus package and our goal is to give the Senate either vehicle necessary for passage.

Each year the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court is tasked with giving the State of the Judiciary to a joint session of both House and Senate lawmakers. Chief Justice Toal delivered her remarks on Wednesday primarily focusing on the innovation instituted in the judicial process over the past decade. State courts that previously didn’t have internet access now operate with high-speed internet access, and large portions of the judicial branch now operate in a secure web-based cloud through a partnership with Clemson University.  A new pilot program begins this year in two counties that will test an online system used to file legal paperwork, streamlining the process for the citizens of South Carolina.

I would also like to extend an invitation for you to join my House Republican Caucus colleagues and me as we welcome an array of possible presidential hopefuls to South Carolina. Last week we had a reception honoring Governor Kasich of Ohio with nearly 200 in attendance and a national media audience. The next time you see a cable news discussion of the 2016 presidential race, don’t be surprised when you see John Kasich standing in front of a Caucus logo banner as one of the background screen images. This week we announced former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will be in Columbia with us next month. Please click here for more information and to find out how to reserve your spot.

As always, it is a privilege to serve you in the South Carolina House. If you ever need help with state government, or have any thoughts or concerns about what we are doing, please do not hesitate to contact me.