"These issues aren't talking points to me. They're the reason I ran in 2012, and the reason I'm running again. Here's where I stand — and what I've done about it."
CHILDREN & FAMILIES EDUCATION
PUBLIC SAFETY
HOUSING
TAX RELIEF
HEALTH CARE
THE ENVIRONMENT
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Every session, my first question is the same: what does this mean for South Carolina's children? As a member and past Chairwoman of the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children, I've worked to make sure children aren't an afterthought at the State House. This year, that work delivered. I sponsored the Social Media Protections for Minors Act — now signed into law — strengthening parental controls over minors' accounts and limiting how platforms use and keep children's personal information. I also sponsored the law giving children with autism greater access to specialized ABA therapy right in their school settings. And we passed tougher sentences for those who sexually exploit minors, created a civil claim for victims of "revenge porn" — including AI-generated images — and opened kinship foster care so children can stay connected to the people they know and trust. The work isn't finished: I'll keep fighting for paid parental leave for our state employees and teachers, because no South Carolina parent should have to choose between a paycheck and a newborn.
EDUCATION
Our children deserve schools that prepare them for the future, and our teachers deserve pay and respect that match the job we ask them to do. The state budget this year includes a $2,000 teacher raise and a $50,500 minimum starting salary, new funding for school safety and instructional materials, and a fully funded breakfast for every public school student. I'll keep pushing for classrooms that work for every child in Richland County, not just some.
PUBLIC SAFETY
South Carolina still ranks among the worst states in the nation for domestic violence. That's unacceptable and it's personal for the families living it. This year, we made survivors of domestic violence protected tenants, so a survivor can leave a dangerous situation without being penalized for breaking a lease or discriminated against by future landlords. We strengthened the homicide by child abuse law to cover all children under 18, cracked down on marketing vaping products to young people, and worked to toughen our DUI laws. And I'm continuing the fight to pass the Pray Safe Act and a state Hate Crimes law. South Carolina remains one of the only states in America without one. That should embarrass all of us — and I intend to fix it.
HOUSING & TAX RELIEF
Columbia families are feeling squeezed from every direction, and this session I focused on relief where it counts. I sponsored the new law sealing eviction records more than seven years old, so one old filing can no longer keep a family out of housing. We protected heirs' property so families clearing title to inherited land aren't hit with a surprise tax bill, and we kept a home's 4% assessment rate in place while an estate is settled — sparing grieving families a sudden tax increase. It's the kind of relief I see the need for every week in my own real estate and probate practice. And I'll always use my best judgment on your behalf: when the House passed a tax restructuring that would have raised taxes on more than 624,000 South Carolinians — mostly middle-class families — I voted no. I support lowering our state income taxes, but not on the backs of working people.
HEALTH CARE
Your health shouldn't depend on your zip code or your paycheck. This year we made it easier for women to access hormonal contraceptives directly from their pharmacist, tightened rules on insurance adjusters so policyholders aren't shortchanged after a disaster, and I supported the push to ban physician noncompete contracts because keeping doctors in our communities protects patient choice. The budget also funds Medicaid and community-based services and invests in the MUSC cancer hospital. I'll keep working to expand access to care for families across the Midlands.
ENVIRONMENT
The Midlands' rivers, lakes, and green spaces are part of who we are. I'm proud to have earned the Conservation Voters of South Carolina's Green Tie Award and the Sierra Club's Legislator of the Year — and prouder still to keep defending the natural resources our kids will inherit.
