majority leader Archives - SC Senate Republican Caucus

PRESS RELEASE: South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey Releases Statement on the Passage of School Choice Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2023

SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SHANE MASSEY RELEASES STATEMENT ON THE PASSAGE OF SCHOOL CHOICE BILL

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Today, the South Carolina Senate adopted S. 39, a bill to establish Education Scholarship Trust Funds. Qualifying students will be able to use the scholarship funds to cover costs associated with attending the school of their choice.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey issued the following statement:

“School choice will transform education in South Carolina. With today’s vote, Senate Republicans stood up for South Carolina’s working families. This landmark legislation will give low-income parents the option to send their children to the school that is best suited for them. School choice means the quality of a child’s education will no longer be determined by his or her zip code.”

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Senate Republicans Lead Fight To Protect Life And Pass South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection From Abortion Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 28, 2021

Legislation Clears Senate, Now Moves To The House of Representatives

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Today the South Carolina Senate passed Senate Bill 1, known as the South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection From Abortion Act. The legislation passed the Senate by a 30-13 vote and will be referred to the House of Representatives for consideration.

The Heartbeat Bill is one of the most significant pieces of pro-life legislation to pass the Senate. If signed into law, it would ban abortions in South Carolina at the time in which a heartbeat is detectable, effectively bringing legal abortions down from twenty (20) weeks to just six to eight (6-8) weeks. The bill as passed includes exceptions for pregnancies as the result of rape, incest, or a medical emergency to protect the life of the mother. An allegation of rape or incest must be reported to the sheriff in the county in which the abortion was performed, no later than twenty-four hours after performing or inducing an abortion.

Quotables:

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey says, “Passing this bill has been a priority since day one. South Carolina sent thirty Republicans to the State Senate for a reason and this is one of the bills we hear of most often. Passage of the Heartbeat Bill will save thousands of innocent pre-born lives in our state, and strikes an appropriate balance that we feel will stand up to Court scrutiny. It has taken a lot of hard work and coordinated teamwork to get this bill across the finish line, and I’m pleased to see the bill pass with an overwhelming vote and now move to the House for a vote.”

Bill sponsor Senator Larry Grooms says, “Life is the most precious right we have. Government’s primary duty is to protect the fundamental right to life. Without life, no other rights really matter. We know that a heartbeat is the most universal and most recognizable sign of life. There is no denying the fact that when you end a heartbeat, you end a life. The Heartbeat Bill respects this fundamental right and I’m pleased to see it pass the Senate today.”

Medical Affairs Committee Chairman Senator Danny Verdin says, “Life won in the South Carolina Senate today. The rights of the unborn deserve protection under the law. No symbol of life is stronger than a beating heart, and the Heartbeat Bill ensures that when a baby’s heart is beating, the government will not sanction that life to be taken. The Medical Affairs Committee took hundreds of hours of testimony on the matter and heard from hundreds of constituents from all across South Carolina. The members of the Senate Medical Affairs Committee have worked diligently and respectfully to those testifying and colleagues of the committee throughout this process.”

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Senate Returns To Columbia For New Legislative Session

The South Carolina State Senate returned to Columbia this week to convene the first week of regular session of the 124th General Assembly. Highlights of the week included the swearing-in of six newly elected Senators, adoption of the governing Senate Rules, the Governor’s State of the State Address, and a Medical Affairs subcommittee on Senate Bill 1.

ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION

At the start of a new legislative session, the Senate, in tradition, meets on day one to organize for a new session. One of the first acts of the organizational session is to elect the Senate President, who convenes and leads the Senate. The full Senate body votes on a Senate President to which Harvey Peeler (R-Gaffney) was unanimously elected to continue in serving as the Senate President.

In his first address to the new Senate, President Peeler said, “It’s a great honor to have the opportunity to lead this body for the next four years. I don’t take your faith in me lightly, and I hope I have proved that to you. The last two years were challenging and unpredictable. It’s not what I imagined when you first elected me president but I took on the challenge because difficult challenges is when we learn the most as leaders. We need direction when times are tough…this session will be unlike any other. You chose me to be your leader and I look forward to working with each one of year to ensure this year is healthy and successful.”

Following the November 2020 General Elections, six new Senators were elected to the body: Brian Adams (R-Berkeley), Billy Garrett (R-Greenwood), Penry Gustafson (R-Kershaw), Michael Johnson (R-York), Josh Kimbrell (R-Spartanburg) and Vernon Stephens (D-Orangeburg). Republicans will start the new legislative session with 30 of the 46 members – the largest Republican control of the State Senate in more than 150 years. We welcome our new members of the Senate Republican Caucus!

MAJORITY LEADER ELECTION

Pursuant to the Senate Rules, the Majority and Minority Caucuses are required to hold election for leader at the start of the four-year terms. The Senate Republican Caucus unanimously elected Shane Massey (R-Edgefield) to continue serving as the Senate Majority leader. Senator Massey was first elected Majority Leader in 2016.

In a statement to the press, Senator Massey said, “I am grateful to my Senate colleagues for their confidence in allowing me to continue to lead the Senate Republicans into the next legislative session. We have a great team, the people of South Carolina have seen that, and have empowered us to continue to lead on the most important of issues that affect their daily lives: continuing to combat COVID-19, reducing burdensome regulations that choke success and block high-paying jobs, making state government more accountable, and protecting the rights enumerated in the constitution. We were entrusted to lead, and we intend to work hard to better South Carolina for all its citizens.”

SENATE RULES PACKAGE

The Senate additionally approved a rules package on the first day of session. The Senate rules will govern debate and procedure for the Senate until the next legislative session. Included in this year’s rules package was an improvement to the Rule 15, “Fixing a time certain to vote,” or commonly referred to as cloture. The provision offered in the Senate Republican package would reduce unnecessary delay when debating legislation important to South Carolina citizens, while respecting the Senate’s critical role to provide careful consideration of any proposed law and ensuring that every Senator’s voice is heard when representing their constituents. It strikes the right balance.

Also included in the package was a requirement that Senators disclosure earmark requests, identify which projects for which they seek tax dollars, and publish the cost of the project, and if the project was funded. This important rule addition provides improved transparency project in the budget so that you can see where your hard-earned money is spent.

STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS

Keeping with tradition of a new session, Governor Henry McMaster gave his State of the State Address to lawmakers on Wednesday, January 13th. The full speech is available to watch HERE.

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SC Senate Republicans Unveil SC Leads Act

On Monday, June 22, South Carolina Senate Republicans, in a press conference, unveiled a proposal to file new legislation to enhance law enforcement accountability, standards, and make other policy recommendations. The proposal known as The South Carolina Law Enforcement Accountability, Duty and Standards (SC LEADS) Act enhances law enforcement accountability, transparency, and professional standards, and seeks to strengthen trust in South Carolina.

The proposal includes:

1.Required Baseline Standards and Accreditation

1. Requirement of an agency to adopt the baseline required standards as set forth by the Law Enforcement Training Council (LETC). may result in debarment from grant funding, civil fines, and the loss of an agency’s authority to remain a law enforcement agency.
2. The LETC shall establish baseline required standards for all law enforcement agencies in South Carolina. Standards will include but are not limited to the following policies:
  1. Use of Force Continuum-when and how to respond to active resistance.
  2. Uniform vehicle pursuit standards
  3. Hiring and terminating practices
  4. Mandatory post basic academy field training
  5. Implantation and use of body-worn cameras and car cams
  6. “No Knock Warrant” standards in compliance with U.S. Supreme Court decisions
  7. Duty to intervene – mandated duty on officers to intervene when observing an officer failing to meet baseline standards established or agency policy.
3. After implementing the LETC baseline standards, agencies would be incentivized to go beyond those baseline standards through an accreditation option that is not cost prohibitive

2. Duty To Intervene

1. Add “failure of duty to intervene” as established in baseline standards mandating officers intervene when observing failure to meet baseline standards.
2. Failure to intervene could result in decertification and/or potential criminal charges.

3. Fully fund body-worn camera program, and South Carolina Highway Patrol car camera program

4. Mandatory Attendance at Misconduct Hearings

1. A law enforcement agency who has reported an occurrence(s) of misconduct by an officer to the Criminal Justice Academy must fully cooperate with any investigation.

5. Non-Certified Officers and Training

1. Strengthen requirements for officers who have not yet been certified by the academy and improve training.
  1. Support H.5109 – non-certified officers shall not perform duties unless accompanied by a certified officer
  2. require mandatory field training for all newly certified officers
2. Require all newly appointed police chiefs to attend a chief’s school and annually obtain continuing law enforcement education credit

6. Centralized Investigation and Charging Authority

1. Centralize investigation and charging authority for officer involved interaction resulting in death or great bodily injury:
  1. SLED to conduct all investigations unless there is a conflict, the Attorney General shall appoint an investigating agency in cases of SLED conflict
  2. SLED reports investigative findings to AG
  3. State charges are presented or declined by the AG within 3 months of completion of the investigation
  4. State Grand Jury has exclusive jurisdiction over criminal charges involving death or GBI as a result of an officer involved interaction
  5. The local solicitor has the ability to request the AG review an officer involved incident (other than death and GBI) in any other circumstance

Watch full video of the press conference by clicking, HERE, and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

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SC Senate Republicans Lead The Way On Education Reform

South Carolina Senate Republicans are leading the way in improving education for all children, teachers, administrators and parents in South Carolina! Despite eight weeks of delay from those wishing to preserve the status quo, Senate Republicans were able to pass a comprehensive education reform proposal that addresses many of state’s most critical needs in education.

“The Senate made education reform its top priority this year and has worked diligently for 8 weeks to craft a bill that provides many important improvements to South Carolina’s public schools,” Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey says. “I’m hopeful the House of Representatives to continue this important work of supporting our teachers and improving educational opportunities for our students.”

Chairman of the Senate Education Committee Greg Hembree says, “In my eight years in the Senate, I have never seen this body work harder on any single issue than the work we have done on this education reform effort. Although the Senate has passed S.419, we still have work ahead of us…when we complete our work on this bill, our work will not stop. The hard work of building an education system that gives every student in South Carolina the opportunity for a world-class education never ends, and we will continue that work, every year.

The Senate version of the bill:

Sets policy commitment for educations, known as Educator Fundamentals for Professional Excellence, to provide proper workplace expectations, including:
- Policies to provide faculty by fully respected by school and district officials.
- Ability for teachers to initiate disciplinary measures of persistently disruptive students.
- Expectation of a safe, secure, orderly work environment free of dangers, hazards or threats.
- Guaranteed at least 30-minute unencumbered duty-free lunch period for elementary school teachers free of planning and instruction.
- Additional compensation for work time required above and beyond stated contract days and responsibilities as teachers.
- And be free of excessive and burdensome paperwork related to disciplinary actions, district evaluation procedures, and other administrative inquires that prevent the fulfillment of teachers’ primary directive to implement effective instruction for their students.
- Provide support and assistance to meet performance standards and professional expectations.
Eliminates three state-mandated tests: social studies in 5th and 7th grades and science in 8th grade.
Expands 4K to every district in the state for students who are in families under 185% of poverty.
Doubles the reimbursement amount teachers receive for classroom supplies from $275 to $550.
Requires the Department of Education to pay initial certification costs for all new public school teachers.
Offers personal finance elective as requirement for economics course.
Allows students to retain their eligibility for Palmetto Scholarship for up to two years if attending a technical college.
Expands Palmetto and Life Enhancement scholarships, an additional $2500 per year, to college students majoring in education.
Mandates School Boards adopt follow code of ethics which must be submitted to the Department of Education and followed.
Creates a model training program for local school board members including, but not limited to, the powers duties, and responsibilities of board members; policy development; board relations; district finance; ethics compliance; nepotism; conflicts of interest and community relations.
Establishes a framework for turning around failing schools and allows for removal of elected school boards in chronically failing districts.
Provides summer reading camps for students after Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades.
Protects student data and information collected, to be held personal and confidential with state and federal privacy laws.
Allows district flexibility for mileage reimbursement for teachers.
Requires school boards to provide a streamlined template for student-learning objectives (SLO’s) further reducing teacher paperwork.
Creates a teachers preparation data dashboard to give an easily accessible source of information for teachers related to professional assistance.
Ensures reading coaches do only the job they were employed to do.
Adds 5 day scheduling flexibility to do KRA (Kindergarten Readiness Assessment)
Reauthorizes the National Board Certification program for teachers.
Requires two-thirds vote by the Board of Education to receive schools of innovation approval.
Makes structural changes to schools of innovation for consistent statewide compliance with schools of innovation guidelines.
Mandates local school districts must ensure completion of semester exams prior to a scheduled December break.
Eliminates the Education Oversight Committee.
Cements the GPA for lottery scholarships to allow students to remain eligible on the current ten point scale.
Permits students to receive additional SCWINS Scholarship if attending a two-year public technical college if the student is majoring in a critical workforce area program defined by SBTCE and is receiving a LTAP scholarship or meets the income eligibility guidelines for free-reduced meals; conditioned upon the student receiving career and guidance counseling and other compliance guidelines.

Governor Henry McMaster issued the following comments following passage of S.419:

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Education Reform Bill Set For Priority Status In Senate

Education of Top Importance In 2020 Says Senate Majority Leader

COLUMBIA, SC — The South Carolina Senate today voted to set Senate Bill 419, an education reform package, for special order priority status by a vote of 40 to 4. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey made the special order motion on the Senate floor on what is the first day of new annual legislative session signifying the Senate’s commitment to make significant improvements to the state’s K-12 education policy.

“Providing a high-quality education to children in South Carolina continues to be at the top of the priority list for members of our Senate Republican Caucus, and we sent a clear message of that commitment today in setting S.419 for priority status in the Senate,” Senator Shane Massey says.

Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, Senator Greg Hembree, echoed the importance prioritizing the reform legislation.

“The Education Committee worked diligently through the fall and winter of 2019 hearing from teachers, parents, administrators, students and the public to craft a quality piece of legislation with lasting impact. There is plenty more to be done, but I am pleased of the work of the committee up to this point and look forward to final passage of key reforms that will improve our education policy for years to come.”

Special Order votes require a 2/3 vote in the affirmative of members voting and present. The motion passed with a vote of 40 in the affirmative and only four members voting against the motion.

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