Kevin Bryant

Hey guys,
I wanted to send you a quick note to let you know how I voted on the spending compromise that was reached last Friday night between President Obama, Harry Reid, and Speaker Boehner but was voted on this afternoon.
The more I examined the spending compromise the more it became clear that it did very little if anything to tackle our soaring national debt and get spending under control.
While the compromise does cut some spending, much of the “savings” are achieved through budgetary gimmicks and will ultimately do little to repair our financial situation. I believe the people of South Carolina deserve better, they deserve more effort on behalf of Congress to cut spending, and that’s why I voted AGAINST the compromise this afternoon.
While I’m disappointed in this short-term spending plan, I am optimistic that we’re starting to get on the right track with the Budget.
Congressman Paul Ryan’s Budget and the even more conservative “Republican Study Committee” proposal move the debate from cutting millions to cutting trillions.
If these proposals were to become law, our country would cut up the credit cards, lower spending, and create a debt free future for our children and grandchildren.
These are tough times for our country, but not impossible ones.
Our nation can’t borrow its way towards prosperity or spend its way out of debt. We can return our nation to a shining city on a hill, but to do to so will take a commitment from every American.
What do you think of the Republican Budget Proposal “Path to Prosperity”? What do you think needs to be cut? What spending needs to be protected?
Your feedback and opinions are what matter, not the chatter coming out of Washington.
I look forward to hearing from you, thank you for your continued prayers, and God Bless
Jeff Duncan
Jeff Duncan is a small-business owner from Laurens, South Carolina and is the Congressman for the Third Congressional District. Jeff has been endorsed by the NRA, along with numerous conservative groups for his proven record of fighting against wasteful government spending and upholding the Constitution. www.JeffDuncan.com.

Anderson Independent Mail – ANDERSON — When Sen. Kevin Bryant told Linvil G. “Gene” Rich that Gov. Nikki Haley had awarded him the state’s top honor, the Order of the Palmetto, Rich was stunned but cracked a joke immediately.

“Did you tell her I’m a Yankee?” Rich said, causing his friends to erupt in laughter.

Rich awarded Order of the Palmetto

Bryant presented the honor to Rich on Friday in the Anderson Area YMCA’s community room. The senator was joined by about 40 of Rich’s friends, some of them members of the YMCA’s morning coffee club. Rich was also accompanied by his wife, Molly.

“Your entire career and life have been marked by trying to make South Carolina better,” Bryant said.

The Order of the Palmetto is considered the highest civilian honor in the state of South Carolina. The first Order of the Palmetto was awarded in 1971 by Gov. John C. West. It recognizes a person’s lifetime achievements and contributions to the state.

Any South Carolinian can nominate someone for the Order of the Palmetto, but the governor is the one who makes the final decision on who will receive the honor. In the past 40 years, more than 3,500 people have received the Order of the Palmetto, according to the state’s Department of Archives and History.

The award was given to Rich to honor a lifetime of work that the native of Illinois put into the engineering field, particularly environmental engineering. Rich served as the head of Clemson University’s civil engineering department for a year in 1960 and then was named dean of the university’s College of Engineering, a position he held until 1972.

But his largest accomplishments were made in the environmental engineering field, a program that he started at Clemson. From 1972 until 1987, Rich served as a professor of environmental engineering at Clemson University.

Now, his resume is so extensive at Clemson University that the university’s environmental research lab is named after him. He also the author of five books and more than 50 technical papers and founder of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, according to Clemson University’s website.

That list of accomplishments plus his sense of humor and humble personality is what made Rich so deserving of the award, his friends and a former student said.

Steve Graef, a former student of Rich’s, attended the ceremony. He said he attended Clemson University because of Rich’s reputation in the environmental engineering field.

Graef attended Clemson from 1967 until 1971 and earned his doctorate there.

“He was using biology, chemistry and physics to take dirty water and turn it into clean water,” Graef said. “He was a leader in the field. And he was always so accessible to the students. Because of that, we all had so much respect for him in the classroom. He really challenged us to excel, and he mentored us, and helped us develop our careers.”

In the midst of all his success, Rich’s friends said, the professor remained humble and jovial. Joe Drennon, who is the director of the Anderson YMCA, said he and several others wrote letters nominating Rich for the award.

Rich has been a longtime member at the YMCA and spends a lot of time there, socializing with other members at the YMCA’s morning coffee club. Just two weeks ago, Rich’s group of friends at the YMCA celebrated his 90th birthday with him.

“He’s such an intellectual,” Drennon said. “But he can talk anybody’s language.”

A bill that would ban synthetic marijuana in South Carolina passed the Senate on second reading on Thursday, and will now move on to the House. South Carolina is one of several states that has banned or is considering banning the substance. If signed into law, synthetic marijuana like Spice and K2 will be considered a Schedule I drug, which would make it just like real marijuana in the eyes of the law.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the city of Rock Hill have banned synthetic marijuana. Five chemicals typically used in the mixture, which is of smokeable greens coated with a mist of cannabinoids, have been moved to Schedule I status by the federal government. The federal law, though, is only in effect until Dec. 25, with an option to extend for another six months. A state law helps buttress that attempt to get the drug off the streets.

“Synthetic cannabis is dangerous and shouldn’t be sold by lawful retailers,” bill lead sponsor Wes Hayes said. “The youth of our community are smoking a substance that has hazardous chemicals and can lead to serious medical conditions.”

Last fall, a Fort Mill girl had to be admitted to the hospital as a result of taking two hits of a brand called Mary Joy. She was suffering from extreme paranoia, high blood pressure and involuntary muscle spasms.

A similar bill, authored by Rep. Tommy Pope, has been filed in the House.

You are cordially invited to

Anderson County P.A.W.S. (pets are worth saving), GRAND OPENING

April 28^th, 1320 Hwy 29 South, Anderson

Gates Open at Noon

Ceremony begins at 1 pm

*Additionally, the Shelter will be open for special tours:

Pre-Opening Facilities Tour for the Public on April 13^th from 6 to 8 pm.

Veterinarian & Pet Care Professionals on April 20 from 6 to 8 pm.

For More Information, call Crystal at 864.260.1001

https://www.kevinbryant.com/kbarchive/4904/