We as a country have a federal government that is not serious about border security. Every day brings another story of an American citizen harmed by an illegal alien. States have a role to play in protecting their citizens. As part of my first three bills, I will introduce a bill prohibit bail for illegal aliens. If we catch an illegal alien, that alien should stay in custody until his trial.

With Covid, everyone saw the mess that is public education today. However, James moved to give real school choice years before Covid, by founding and funding charter schools across South Carolina. Every parent should have the ability to direct where their child goes to school. Those who claim “public dollars shouldn’t go to private education” forget where those “public dollars” come from – they come from the private citizens in paying their taxes. There is nothing wrong with families overseeing their children’s education with some of the tax dollars that are taken from them.

South Carolina currently has enough energy for its needs. However, with the growth we are experiencing, we will need increased infrastructure and generation capability in the energy area. We cannot let those who care more about a tree or frog shut down our natural gas, nuclear, and coal power plants. Moreover, we cannot stand by and watch China profit from South Carolina tax payer dollars through solar or wind mandates at the state level.

Farming is South Carolina’s largest economic sector. We should make every effort to protect and grow the agricultural production of our state. A thriving farming culture brings more than just local, great tasting food. A thriving farming culture maintains the work ethic that has built this state over the generations.

China is on the march across our country. Buying up land in strategic locations, while claiming benign intentions. In South Carolina, with our growing defense manufacturing capacity and key military bases, we need to be proactive in preventing Chinese ownership of South Carolina lands. The General Assembly has moved to protect us, but we need to do more, with tighter acreage limits, stricter limits on foreigners purchasing South Carolina land, and larger buffer zones around sensitive sites.