Legislative recap

As a member of the SC House of Representatives for Beaufort and Jasper Counties, I take seriously the responsibility of keeping you informed about the work being done on your behalf in Columbia. It is an honor to represent our community in the South Carolina House and to serve as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

As I reported last month in this column, the House recently completed the first year of 2025-2026 legislative session. This month I want to share a breif summary of some of the other important work that I was involved in this year, including legislative efforts focused on tax relief, economic growth, infrastructure, education, public safety, and strengthening our communities.

This year’s state budget focused on conservative fiscal management while addressing real needs across South Carolina. It includes $1 billion in tax relief, $200 million in income tax cuts, and $800 million in property tax relief.

It also raises starting teacher salaries to $48,500 (significantly higher than the 2017 salary of $28,190), allocates $45 million to fund the school choice initiative for up to 10,000 eligible K-12 students of South Carolina’s 770,000 K-12 public school students and provides a School Resource Officer in every public school across the state.

SC DOT will receive $200 million to speed up the repair and replacement of aging bridges and $35 million to continue to clean up debris caused by Hurricane Helene.

The budget includes $500 million to renovate and build new university facilities (including nonrecurring dollars - $9,250,000 for the last installment of state funds to build the USCB Convocation Center) and nearly $85 million for maintenance, renovation, and repairs for the state’s technical colleges including $1,000,000 for facilities at TCL.
The budget increases pay across law enforcement agencies and invests in criminal justice initiatives, including the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

One of the most exciting accomplishments this year in the House was the passage of H4216- a comprehensive income tax plan that puts our state on a responsible path to eliminate the income tax altogether. I was proud to support this legislation, which cuts government spending and devotes more than $400 million in immediate tax relief. It lowers the top marginal tax rate from 6.2% to 5.39% and charts a path toward a flat 1.99% rate -eventually reaching full elimination if economic conditions continue to improve. I also supported legislation cutting personal property tax rate for boat owners.

To help business and entrepreneurs, I voted for the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act, which ends outdated regulations, prevents unelected bureaucrats from imposing new rules without oversight, and helps ensure entrepreneurs and job creators can grow without being buried in red tape.

As discussed previously in detail, I was proud to lead in the passage of the sweeping liquor liability reform and long-overdue updates to our state’s joint and several liability laws which ensures business are only held responsible for their share of fault, not punished for the actions of others.

With fentanyl continuing to ravage communities across our state, I proudly supported the Fentanyl-Induced Homicide bill, which makes it a felony to unlawfully provide fentanyl that results in a death.

Finally, I supported legislation to penalize high-speed chases, to make our roads safer ( South Carolina Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act) and to create a new criminal offense for the disclosure of intimate images -including AI-generated “deepfakes” protecting victims from a growing form of online abuse in the digital age.

Although session in Columbia is over for the year, my work does not stop. This is the time of year that we have more time to meet with constituents in the district. Further, committee work continues year-round and I remain committed to staying engaged on the issues that matter most to our district.

I always welcome input from constituents- it helps me guide my work as a representative of the Beaufort and Jasper Counties. It is an honor and privilege to represent the citizens of the Lowcountry. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I may be of assistance.

Weston Newton is the representative for District 120 in the State House of Representatives. WestonNewton@schouse.gov.