COLUMBIA, SC (WBTW) – The second session of the 121st meeting of South Carolina General Assembly began Tuesday in Columbia.
Among the top issue on the agenda that may be unique to this session include, added help for state roads and bridges, flood relief from the October floods, how to spend an expected extra $1.3 billion in revenue and figuring out how to handle a court order to improve public schools.
State senators and representatives pre-filed more than 250 bills (199 in the House, 54 in the Senate).
Some concern help for flood victims, tax relief and tougher restrictions on guns.
Some others concern things like stricter penalties for harming or killing a police dog, regulating Viagra, banning cell phones in public schools and giving the public the chance to vote on whether or not to return the Confederate flag to Statehouse grounds.
All of those bills were referred to committees.
Many, however, will never get out of committee and most will never become law.
The session is scheduled to end on June 2.
Our area has one new state representative.
Rep. Russell Fry (R-Surfside Beach) won a special election in September to fill the final year of former Rep. Nelson Hardwick’s (R-Surfside Beach) term.
Here is a list of your local senators and representatives:SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE
Vincent Sheheen (D-Camden) District 27 (Chesterfield County)
Greg Hembree (R-North Myrtle Beach) District 28 (Horry and Dillon Counties)
Gerald Malloy (D-Hartsville) District 29 (Darlington, Chesterfield, Lee and Marlboro Counties)
Kent Williams (D-Marion) District 30 (Marion, Florence, Dillon, Horry and Marlboro Counties)
Hugh Leatherman (R-Florence) District 31 (Florence and Darlington Counties)
Ronnie Sabb (D-Greeleyville) District 32 (Williamsburg, Georgetown, Florence and Horry Counties)
Luke Rankin (R-Myrtle Beach) District 33 (Horry County)
Dr. Ray Cleary (R-Murrells Inlet) District 34 (Georgetown and Horry Counties)
Kevin Johnson (D-Manning) District 36 (Clarendon, Darlington and Florence Counties)SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE
Richie Yow (R-Chesterfield) District 53 (Chesterfield County)
Pat Henegan (D-Bennettsville) District 54 (Marlboro, Darlington and Chesterfield Counties)
Jackie Hayes (D-Dillon) District 55 (Dillon, Darlington, Horry and Marlboro Counties)
Mike Ryhal (R-Carolina Forest) District 56 (Horry County)
Wayne George (D-Mullins) District 57 (Marion, Dillon and Horry Counties)
Jeff Johnson (R-Conway) District 58 (Horry County)
Rev. Terry Alexander (R-Florence) District 59 (Florence and Darlington Counties)
Phillip Lowe (R-Florence) District 60 (Florence and Darlington Counties)
Roger K. Kirby (D-Lake City) District 61 (Florence and Marion Counties)
Robert Williams (D-Darlington) District 62 (Darlington and Florence Counties)
Jay Jordan (R-Florence) District 63 (Florence County)
Robert Ridgeway (D-Manning) District 64 (Clarendon County)
Jay Lucas (R-Hartsville, Speaker of the SC House) District 65 (Darlington and Chesterfield Counties)
Heather Ammons Crawford (R-Socastee) District 68 (Horry County)
Rev. Carl Anderson (D-Georgetown) District 103 (Georgetown, Horry and Williamsburg Counties)
Greg Duckworth (R-North Myrtle Beach) District 104 (Horry County)
Kevin Hardee (R-Loris) District 105 (Horry County)
Russell Fry (R-Surfside Beach) District 106 (Horry County)
Alan Clemmons (R-Myrtle Beach) District 107 (Horry County)
Stephen Goldfinch (R-Murrells Inlet) District 108 (Georgetown County)
