Economy & Jobs

In the South Carolina General Assembly, I have helped lead the House on a steady, conservative path as our economy recovers. While other states resorted to more government, higher taxes and more regulation, we cut spending and regulations and held the line on taxes in our state. Today, our unemployment rate is well below the national average, and Beaufort County is seeing growth and much attention toward job cultivation around our special talent resources and diversification of our job market.  I have worked to lower red-tape and barriers to job and business growth and will continue the fight for the most fertile economic environment possible.  I am proud to be endorsed by the NFIB and to have received a 2016 SC State Chamber of Commerce Business Advocate Award.

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Education

As an educator and mom, I know firsthand that every child has personal, individual educational needs.  I support an education structure that allows for strong, vital public traditional, charter, virtual and magnet schools and also other options such as faith-based, private, homeschooling, and various other educational programs that allow our children to grow and learn in their least restrictive and most positive environments.  By working hard to reform of SC’s education funding, I have been successful in recovering education dollars that were being stripped from our county, and continue to support less state and federal one-size-fits-all practices and more teacher support and funding targeted to classrooms.   Teachers are a valuable resource and our children benefit when their teachers are treated, appreciated and paid as valued professionals.

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Public Safety

Nothing we do, and nothing we hold dear, means anything if we don’t have a strong system of public safety.  Our state and local law enforcement and first responders put themselves on the line every day to do their jobs.  I will always stand by these dedicated public servants and their needs.

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Infrastructure

Our public infrastructure is critical to supporting and expanding our economy.  With new structure and need-based prioritization, our SC Department of Transportation has the opportunity to show us all that our tax dollars will be used wisely and efficiently.  Without raising taxes, this year we appropriated more funding to repairs and dangerous road conditions and put a moratorium on new infrastructure so that our existing roads and bridges can be brought up to safe standards.  I will continue to work within the General Assembly and the agency for more efficiencies and existing streams of revenue to give to the DOT so it can more effectively plan for the future.

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Environment

Our state is one of the most beautiful and highly visited in the nation and this only continues if we protect the natural resources and diverse cultures that make it special.  In securing funding for Hunting Island State Park beach renourishment, by working on shoreline management and smart, environmentally and business friendly policies, supporting our shrimpers, oyster growers and harvesters, avid sports fishermen, hunters, and naturalists, as well as, developers and builders, I am proud to be a lover of our land, soil, sea and sky and of my Conservation Voters of SC endorsement and the Beaufort & Hilton Head Island Homebuilders Associations.