The House of Representatives is out of session for the rest of the year. I hope that you find this update helpful and informative:
Cyber-Attack
Cyber-Attack on State: Last Friday, the Governor and Chief of SLED announced that someone from an international email address had gained access to personal information of taxpayers at the SC Department of Revenue. Law enforcement is working to capture the hacker(s). Meanwhile, the state is taking immediate steps to protect the taxpayers of South Carolina including one year of credit monitoring through Experian’s ProtectMyID Alert to those who may be affected. To see the Governor’s press release with more information and a timeline of events, go here.
What Should You Do?: Anyone who has filed a South Carolina tax return since 1998 should take the following steps:
Visit http://www.protectmyid.com/scdor and enter the code “scdor123” to enroll in one year of credit monitoring provided by Experian. You need to click the button that says “Click to redeem your activation code” instead of pressing enter.
OR
Call 1-866-578-5422 to determine if your information is affected and to enroll in one year of credit monitoring provided by Experian.
According to the Governor’s office, Experian’s ProtectMyID™ Alert is designed to detect, protect, and resolve potential identity theft and includes daily monitoring of all three credit bureaus. The alerts and daily monitoring services are provided for one year, and consumers will continue to have access to fraud resolution agents and services beyond the first year.
When Were Elected Officials Notified?: The Governor’s office and SLED did not notify members of the General Assembly until Friday afternoon when the press conference was held. Mark Keel, Chief of SLED, stated today that a public announcement could not be made until certain law enforcement benchmarks related to the ongoing investigation were met.
Questions?: If you have other questions, I will do my best to get you an answer. Please be patient as I do my best to get information for you. You can email me at tom@tomyoungforsenate.com or call me at (803) 215-3631.
More Information?: I will provide more information to you by email as I learn it.
Other State News
South Carolina – Top 2 State for Business: Last week, South Carolina was named as the second best state in the nation for business behind Texas. According to the survey of highly respected site consultants who work with a nationwide client base of business, the consultants were asked to name their “top picks” in each of the following categories: cost of doing business, corporate tax environment, incentives programs, corporate state government, speed of permitting, access to capital and project funding, availability of skilled labor, competitive labor costs, leading workforce development programs, rail and highway accessibility, certified sites or shovel-ready programs, competitive utility rates, distribution/logistics hub access and leading in the economic recovery. To see the results, go here.
Planning for the 2013 Legislative Session: The 2013 legislative session begins on the second Tuesday in January. If elected to the State Senate, I appreciate 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.
Child Passenger Safety: To learn more about ways to keep your children or grandchildren safe in your car, go to www.Bucklebuddiessc.org. The information at this link is provided in part by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Other Local News
Hitchcock Parkway Widening – Public Input Meeting: SCDOT has begun design work and has scheduled a discussion session to hear comments on November 8 from 5-7 pm at South Aiken High School.
One Table Thanksgiving in Aiken: On Thanksgiving Day, many churches and non-profit organizations within greater Aiken are sponsoring a community-wide Thanksgiving celebration called One Table in The Alley in downtown Aiken. Food will be served at noon. To learn more, go here: www.onetable.org.
SC Traveler: To learn more about some of the unique places, fall festivals, and events in South Carolina, go here.
Senate Campaign Update
Senate Campaign: Here is the latest on the Campaign for Senate District 24:
- Election day is November 6 and absentee voting is happening now. I am listed on the ballot twice. Your vote for me as either the Republican nominee of the Petition candidate will count the same as the totals for each will be combined.
- Bumper stickers for “Tom Young for Senate” are available. They may be picked up at my office downtown at 409 Park Avenue SW; at the Tom Young Allstate agency on Whiskey Road next to Home Depot; or at Hixon Insurance in North Augusta. If you prefer, I can send a sticker to you. Just let me know.
- The following communities in Aiken County are in Senate District 24: most of Aiken, North Augusta, Warrenville, Gloverville, Montmorenci, Couchton, New Ellenton, Jackson, Windsor, and Beech Island.
- To learn more about my campaign for State Senate, go to www.tomyoungforsenate.com, email me at tom@tomyoungforsenate.com, or call me at 215-3631.
Constituent Information
Speaking with Groups Around the District: Several local groups have invited me to attend one of their meetings to provide a legislative update. If you have a group that would like for me to come to a meeting, please let me know.
Report Waste, Fraud and Abuse in State Government: To report waste, fraud and abuse in state government, you can call: 1-855-SC-FRAUD.
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 website can be reached at www.tomyoungforsenate.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.
Small Business Help – SC Dept. of Commerce: The South Carolina Department of Commerce has helpful information for small business owners and employees. To learn more, go to http://sccommerce.com/sc-business-network.
State House Tours: Tours are available for the S.C. State House by calling (803) 734-2430. If you set a tour between January and June and it is on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, please let me know so I can do my best to see you.
Thoroughbred Country– South Carolina Regional Tourism Organization: To learn more about tourism in the four county region of Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, and Barnwell, visit www.tbredcountry.org.
Email Updates: If you know of people in or around District 81 who do not receive my updates but they would like to get them, 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 tom@tomyoungforsenate.com 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.
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