Thousands gather in Columbia to show their support for school choice Tuesday. I plan to cosponsor a bill shortly that gives families this right.

I firmly believe that parents are the primary educators of their children, and government should help, not hinder, parents from fulfilling their role. Unfortunately, most parents do not have the ability to make the most important decision regarding their child’s education the decision of where their child attends school.

Parents are aware of the educational needs of their children more than anyone else, and I am committed to working in the S.C. Senate to give parents more education options, including the ability to decide whether their child attends a public, public charter, private or home school. Giving parents a full range of school options will not only help their children, it will also create greater competition in the education marketplace, thus improving all the schools in the area.

I am also committed to release teachers from overly burdensome regulations in our education system. Teachers deserve the freedom to teach in a disciplined classroom. Reducing regulation and administration costs will free up funds and get them where they are needed the classroom.

I’m hosting a campaign breakfast on Wednesday, February 21st in Columbia. It will be at the Palmetto Club from 8-9:30am. We are featuring stone ground grits from Pendleton’s Timm’s Mill, a historic grist mill in my district.

We are privileged to have U.S. Congressman Gresham Barrett as our special guest. Some folks have been confused as to whom the fund raiser is for. Even though this is for my campaign, I’m sure the Congressman would accept contributions as well.

Now, fund raising from the backbench would be a “no-no”, so this was posted from my home. We are not allowed to speak of contributions on statehouse grounds; a good rule that we will follow to the letter.

Click to see the invitation.

The Transportation adopted a subcommittee report on Department of Transportation reform. I commend the chairman; Sen. Larry Grooms, and all of the subcommittee members for all of their hard work. They have produced an impressive bill with sweeping reforms. Most of the bill gives me the impression that the department will be run more like a business and therefore more efficient. President McKinley said we need more business in government and less government in business. In the real world, businesses operate on a “perform or else” standard. Small businesses are so efficient because they can make necessary changes very quickly. One reason government, especially the current DOT, is so inefficient is that change is very slow. I really like the mixture of the board selecting the projects and the Secretary of Transportation carrying out the administration, separating the tasks.

It seems that the most contention will surround a few key changes:

12 member Board – This board is responsible for choosing projects and setting priorities. This board will be very diverse and represent the whole state. Seven members will be elected by the entire General Assembly from 7 engineering district across the state. Currently, the commissioners are selected from our 6 congressional districts. My view is that the engineering districts look more practical when considering markets. For example, Anderson is in the 3rd congressional district. SC3 is a long narrow district stretching from Pickens to Aiken. Pickens County, McCormick County and Aiken County are 3 distinct business markets. The new district puts Pickens, Oconee, Anderson, Greenville & Spartanburg in the same district, which all have overlapping business clusters. There is much more in common so transportation needs are similar. Another attractive improvement is the election is by the entire General Assembly. If one member tries to bring too much attention to his or her home county, the support among the legislature would dwindle.

The other 5 members are appointed by the Governor. There must be some from rural counties and some from urban.

-Sec. of Transportation – This position is solely for the administration of the projects. The Secretary will have no influence on choosing projects (the politics), yet will be responsible for the administration of them. This position is appointed by the Governor on an “at will” basis. This means that this individual is hired and fired at the pleasure of the Governor. Again, efficiency is possible here because swift changes are possible.

Now, this is just a draft with many proposed changes to come. Any input would be great so I can support the best package for our desperate need for reform in the DOT.

The term “age of consent” is the age at which a person can consent to having sexual activity. This age is under debate in the South Carolina General Assembly. The offender is charged with statutory rape if the victim’s age is below the age of consent set by the state even if the actions were consensual.

Last year we passed Jessica’s law. This law increased penalties for child predators, including my amendment calling for capital punishment for a 2nd conviction of child molestation. Unfortunately, a vaguely worded amendment known as the “Romeo clause” was slipped in at the very last minute. We didn’t fully realize the impact of the amendment until after Governor Sanford signed the bill into law. The Romeo clause has the effect of reducing the age of consent to 14 years old if both kids are between the ages of 14 and 18. That way, an 18 year old cannot be charged with statutory rape if he engages in consensual sex with a girl as young as 14. Needless to say, I was disappointed that I did not catch it in time as I would have been viciously opposed to this amendment. I am very angry that this provision became law.

I’ve introduced S. 127, which should correct this grave mistake. This bill increases the age of consent back to 17 years of age. However, my bill also recognizes that sometimes our teenagers make serious moral mistakes, yet should not have the criminal charges equal to that of a child predator. Because of this reality, S. 127 has a provision to lessen the charges when the offender and victim are within 2 years of age. Obviously, when to consent is not given at any age, the offender is charged with sexual assault at different defined degrees.

I want to be clear. God’s Word specifically defines sex as a wonderful gift in the covenant of marriage. Any digression from God’s standard is dangerous and we as a society must determine which situations warrant the harshest penalties. Please pray for wisdom as we try our best to find the correct balance. I will welcome any thoughts that you may have on this sensitive yet serious matter.

The State Newspaper agrees:

To view S. 127, click here

C’mon, why should a church be required to pay sales taxes when purchasing supplies and accessories for church functions? With all of the social needs that churches provide for the public, let’s exempt them from this requirement.

http://www.scstatehouse.net/sess117_2007-2008/bills/125.htm