Serving the State

Spring in the Lowcountry is simply spectacular and Steve Wilmot and the Heritage Classic Foundation folks do an incredible job with the tournament showcasing the amazing place we all get to call home.

From the candy-striped lighthouse to the scenic views of the Calibogue Sound and the lush green grass and azalea blooms on the golf course, the world has a front seat to see that which makes this place so very special. For this week in April we are without question the envy of the entire state of South Carolina. I am especially excited to celebrate both The Heritage and Easter holiday with my children at home.

We have been in session in Columbia for fourteen weeks with approximately 3 weeks left before adjournment until January. Hearings and committee work can and often takes place while we are “out of session” but we do not generally meet as a body unless called back for a particular purpose.

There are several matters that will be addressed by both the House and Senate in the remaining weeks of session with some being carried over until next year. It is my strong belief that a solution to the skyrocketing liquor liability insurance premiums crushing our restaurants and bars should not be one of those items. These South Carolina small businesses deserve better.

The House passed a bill last year which the Senate did not take up before the legislative session ended and earlier this year. As I described in detail a couple of months ago in this column, the House unanimously passed and sent to the Senate a liquor liability tort reform bill expanding our previous work to also protect the public with harsher DUI penalties and remove the “joint and several liability” provisions in the statutes dealing with the sale use or possession of alcohol.

In early April, the Senate, after 4 weeks of committee work followed by 5 weeks of debate on the Senate Floor, passed a significantly broader tort reform bill which also includes liquor liability provisions. Unfortunately, this omnibus bill from the Senate arrives with only a limited amount of time left in the legislative year.

While we are working on a schedule for the Judiciary Committee to take testimony and to take up the Senate’s shotgun approach, it is unlikely we can get though in a handful of days that which the Senate debated for over 9 weeks. Perhaps the Senate will also look at our rifle approach so that collectively we can provide relief to our restaurants, and VFW clubs.

In keeping with our efforts to make South Carolina a safer place to live and work, the House passed a couple of bills earlier this month to strengthen protections against child exploitation. H3045 relating to obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse passed the House and was sent to the Senate. This bill criminalizes the creation, distribution, and possession of sexually explicit “visual depictions” or representations of minors that are obscene.

Additionally, the House passed and sent to the Senate H3046 relating to sexual exploitation of a minor to address a growing problem with AI -generated or altered “morphed images” that make it look like an identifiable minor is engaged in sexually explicit activity or in a state of nudity. These are critical updates to our laws in the digital age and ensure South Carolina has the tools to protect our most vulnerable.

It is an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of South Carolina District 120 in the House. If I may be of assistance, please do not hesitate to call on me.

Weston Newton is the representative for District 120 in the State House of Representatives.