September 27 to October 03, 2011
The House of Representatives is out of session for 2011 and returns to session on January 10, 2012. Nevertheless, a lot is happening around District 81 and in Columbia. I hope that you find this update helpful and informative:
South Carolina – Top 3 State for Business: Two weeks ago, South Carolina was recognized as the third best state in the nation for business behind Texas and North Carolina. According to the survey of 322 corporate executives across the nation, South Carolina received the third highest number of votes in the category for which state has the “most business friendly environment.” To see the full article, go here.
South Carolina Lottery: Recently, the SC Lottery Commission posted an updated historical analysis of the appropriated lottery revenue. For fiscal year 2011, $222 Million went to higher education and $31 Million went to K-12 education. To see the full detailed list of appropriations back to 2004, go here.
South Carolina Sales Tax Exemptions: Much has been said in the past 18 months about South Carolina’s $2.7 Billion (2009 dollars) in sales tax exemptions. To see the list with the year of enactment and the amount for each category, go here. My understanding is that even if the legislature and Governor tried, not all of the exemptions could be eliminated. For example, federal law prohibits the state from taxing taxing tangible personal property sold to the federal government ($253 Million).
Dates for End of Session Town Meetings: I have three town meetings set as follows:
Wednesday, October 12 at 6:00 pm at Odell Weeks Center in Aiken;
Monday, October 17 at 6:00 pm at Leavelle McCampbell Middle School Cafeteria in Graniteville;
Monday, October 24 at 4:00 pm at Woodside Plantation Reserve Club House in Aiken (NOTE: THAT THIS IS A CHANGE IN DATE).
Governor Haley – Town Meeting in Aiken: Governor Haley will hold a town meeting in Aiken at the Municipal Building on Wednesday, October 5 at 6:30 pm. The public is invited. Please join me in attending.
Frequency of Legislative Updates: Over the remaining 3 months of this year, my legislative updates may not come every week. Rather, I will strive to send them every other week.
Aiken County Legislative Delegation Meeting: The Aiken County Legislative Delegation will meet today Monday, October 3 at 6:00 p.m. at the Aiken County Council Chambers.
Chukker Creek School Traffic: Both concerned parents and the principal of the school contacted Rep. Bill Taylor, Senator Ryberg, and me about the traffic problems at the beginning and the end of the school day at this school. SCDOT is looking at the situation and will recommend solutions as quickly as possible. Because state law requires a traffic study before any changes can be implemented, it does not appear that SCDOT will be able to make any recommendations until later this fall at the earliest.
Volunteer in Local Schools: If you would like to help with educating our children, consider volunteering in our local schools. Please click here for more information on volunteer opportunities in our public schools. Thank you to our local Aiken Downtown Rotary Club for putting together this list of opportunities.
Improving Reading Skills in Children: In addition to serving as a volunteer in one of our local schools, you can also help with early literacy by volunteering with Children’s Place where you can spend time reading with a young child or helping an older child with reading. Children’s Place would also be grateful for donations of lightly used books to send into the homes of needy children. Children’s Place will gladly help distribute those books to low income children throughout Aiken County by sharing them with all community agencies. If you are interested in helping through Children’s Place, please contact Peggy Ford at 641-4145.
Feedback Requested — Planning for the 2012 Legislative Session: The 2012 legislative session will convene on the second Tuesday in January. I am seeking input from constituents on the critical issues facing our state and area including tax reform; spending reform; K-12 education; the costs of higher education; health care; economic development; job growth; and the underfunded liabilities in our state’s retirement systems. Your input is welcome on any issue important to you. Please email me back or contact me by phone or in person at your convenience.
SCDOT Weekly Update: The Department of Transportation started a weekly update six weeks ago to inform the public about what is going on at the agency as to its financial situation and other matters. To see the latest, go here.
Speaking to Groups Around the District: Several local groups have asked me to attend one of their meetings to provide an end of session report. If you have a group that would like for me to come to a meeting during the next few months, please let me know.
Help for Displaced SRS Workers: If you or someone you know lost a job at SRS, there is a
One-Stop Transition Center open in downtown Aiken at Park Avenue and Laurens Street to assist workers displaced at SRS with finding new work. The Center is open from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. For more information, visit www.workforce.psa-inc.com.
Report Waste, Fraud and Abuse in State Government: To report waste, fraud and abuse in state government, you can call: 1-855-SC-FRAUD.
Roll Call Voting: There is a new link available to keep up with all the roll call votes in the S.C. House. That link can be accessed at either my website at www.reptomyoung.com or at the www.scstatehouse.gov website.
Facebook: I have a Facebook page for Representative Tom Young. Please “like” the page to receive updates during the week from me on Facebook.
Tom Young’s Website: My updated website can be reached at www.reptomyoung.com. There are links to a variety of constituent services; the status of sponsored bills; and roll call votes. Please add my web site as a bookmark on your computer.
State House Tours: Tours are available for the S.C. State House by calling (803) 734-2430.
Email Updates: If you know of people in or around District 81 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, 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. Generally, 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. Most unpaved roads in the County are maintained by the County.
Thank you for the opportunity and the honor 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.
Sincerely,
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