Update –January 4 to January 11, 2011

The House of Representatives begins the 2011 session today. I hope that you find this update helpful and informative:

House of Representatives Convenes Today: The S.C. House meets today at 3:30 p.m.  Because of the problems associated with the snow and ice storm, today’s session will be very short with the sole purpose intended to give first reading to bills that were prefiled in December.  The House will convene tomorrow in regular session at 2:00 p.m. after the Inauguration of Governor-elect Haley and the other constitutional officers.

Information about Road Conditions: For a current status of major roads in the area or around the State, you can access that information on the S.C. Department of Transportation website at www.dot.state.sc.us under the “Winter Road Conditions” link.

Article in Aiken Standard:  This past Sunday, the Aiken Standard printed an article which outlined my plans for the important legislative session that lies ahead. If you missed it, please take the time to read the column and let me know your feedback.  The column can be found here.

House Republican Agenda for 2011: Last week, the House Republican Caucus unveiled its 2011 legislative session which includes the following:

• Building Trust by Increasing Transparency: Last year, the House passed the on the record voting bill and it stalled in the Senate.  The House Republicans will work to pass this again.

• Securing our State’s Finances with Spending Limits: The House Republicans will work to approve, for the sixth time in 15 years, spending caps for South Carolina’s budget.

• Securing our Elections by Requiring a Photo ID: Four out of five South Carolinians support showing a photo ID to prove who they are when they vote. The House passed this last year and House Republicans will work to do that again.

• Fighting Illegal Immigration: The House Republicans will work to further strengthen the 2008 immigration legislation which the General Assembly passed.

• Passing Tort Reform Legislation: Last year, the House passed a comprehensive tort reform bill which stalled in the Senate.  House Republicans will work to pass a similar bill again this coming session.

To see the complete agenda, please click here.

Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future: The U.S. Department of Energy’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future was in Aiken County late last week.  The Commission toured SRS and held a public meeting on Friday, January 7 in Augusta.  I submitted a letter to the Commission and U.S. Department of Energy for their official record.  A copy of that letter can be seen here.

Graniteville Train Disaster Memorial Ceremony: The Sixth Annual ceremony remembering the Graniteville Train Disaster was held this past Saturday afternoon at the Bethlehem Baptist Church.  Because of a family commitment, I was unable to attend.  I did send a letter which was shared with attendees.  That letter can be seen here.

Aiken County Legislative Delegation: The Legislative Delegation meeting scheduled for yesterday, Monday, January 10, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. at the Aiken County Council Chambers was cancelled due to the ice and snow.  The meeting will be rescheduled in the near future and I will provide that information in this column.

Holiday Mailer to District with 2011 Magnetic Calendar:  If you live in District 81 and did not receive my Holiday mailer with the 2011 Magnetic Calendar, please let me know. They were delivered on December 20 and December 21 last month.

Email Updates:  Many people in District 81 are receiving this email update.  However, there are many others who do not receive them because I do not know their email addresses.  If you know of people who do not receive my updates but they would like to, please email their names and email addresses to me.

Road Issues:  If you see a road problem, you can call the SCDOT at 641-7665 or Aiken County at 642-1532 to report the problem.  If you do not get a prompt response, please let me know at TomYoung@schouse.gov or call me.  In general terms, most paved roads in the County are maintained by SCDOT and are identified on the road- sign poles by a small black and white sign listing the road number, such as S-2-1669.  On the other hand,  nearly all unpaved roads in the County are maintained by the County.

Thank you for the opportunity to represent you.  Please let me know if I can help you in any way or if you have questions about these or other issues. Your feedback is meaningful and appreciated.