Dear Friends,
As my first session in the House ends, I find myself with mixed emotions. I am pleased with many of the accomplishments we made in the House, however, there is still much that needs to be done.
This year the House worked hard to begin the process of restructuring government, restructuring per pupil funding, placing spending caps on state government and reforming the regulatory process. Unfortunately the Senate failed to move on these very important pieces of legislation.
Next session, we must address the State’s Retirement System and the issues with our current tax structure.
I am, however, pleased with the transparency the entire General Assembly brought to the State with roll call voting, the higher education transparency act and the voter ID bill. Our businesses should benefit from the $146 million we paid toward our unemployment debt and from the passage of tort reform.
Each week I receive a report from the Department of Commerce. Each week we see signs of improvement as new businesses open or relocate to our state. We are also seeing the expansion of many businesses in our state and in Anderson County.
I am also happy to report that after 5 years of decline, our state saw an increase in GDP. The growth rate in SC was 1.3% which is almost double the national average of .7%. The Professional & Business Service sector grew in SC at a rate of 4.2% compared to the nation’s 2.2%. This is a tough economy which makes these numbers even more impressive for the state of South Carolina.
At the close of this session, I would like to thank each of you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your representative. I will be busy during the next several months working in the community and serving the needs of my constituents. Please feel free to email me at ajthay@charter.net or annethayer@schouse.gov. My cell phone number is (864)940-1696. Please know I am here to serve you.
As you know, freedom is not free. With the upcoming 2012 elections, I would encourage each of you to educate yourselves on the issues and get involved.
I wish you all a safe and fun-filled summer.
Sincerely, Rep. Anne Thayer
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