WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
(Statewide Session)
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
The Senate assembled at 10:30 A.M., the hour to which it stood adjourned, and was called to order by the PRESIDENT.
A quorum being present, the proceedings were opened with a devotion by the Chaplain as follows:
The Lord declared through Ezekiel:
“I will bless them... I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.” (Ezekiel 34:26)
Please join me as we bow in prayer:
Glorious Lord, we are truly blessed here in South Carolina. We praise You and thank you, O God, for the richness of our blessings: for our citizens, for our natural resources, for the promises of the future for our State. And we praise You, Lord, for these Senators and staff members who strive to honor You and who labor on behalf of all South Carolinians. Moreover, we lift up to You our Governor whose inauguration unfolds shortly, as well as other officials who are soon to take office. During this year, O Lord, bestow showers of blessings on the work of this Senate, and as always, to You be the glory. In Your name we pray, dear Lord. Amen.
The PRESIDENT called for Petitions, Memorials, Presentments of Grand Juries and such like papers.
Doctor of the Day
Senator BRYANT introduced Dr. Marshall Meadors of Anderson S.C., Doctor of the Day.
CO-SPONSOR ADDED
The following co-sponsor was added to the respective Bill:
S. 178 Sen. Hayes
RECESS
At 10:45 A.M., on motion of Senator LEATHERMAN, the Senate receded from business for the purpose of attending the Inaugural Ceremony and following the ceremony, the Senate would stand adjourned.
INAUGURAL PROGRAM
Processional
282nd Army Band, Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina
Warrant Officer One Thomas W. Jackson, Jr., Commander
Escorts – Cadets from the Citadel
CEREMONY
THE HONORABLE HUGH K. LEATHERMAN, SR.
President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Presiding
Remarks by Senator LEATHERMAN
Distinguished guests and ladies and gentlemen of South Carolina:
Welcome to the second inauguration of the One Hundredth Seventeenth Governor of South Carolina and the Inauguration of the Lt.Governor and our Constitutional Officers.
Today is a great day because we gather to witness the true genius of America’s Founding Fathers. Around the world we see war, strife, and famine when governments fail to serve their people. But in America -- yes in South Carolina -- our citizens select new leaders under a system of peace and responsibility that is respected around the world.
This morning, we welcome two new leaders onto this stage for the first time, in addition to the Speaker of the House Jay Lucas and I, who recently accepted new roles, Lt. Governor-elect Henry McMaster and Superintendent of Education-elect Molly Spearman will receive the oath of office and assume the great responsibility entrusted to them by the citizens of South Carolina.
Today also marks the final time an independently elected Lieutenant Governor and Adjutant General will appear at this ceremony. Driven by the will of the people, reforms are being installed to allow the Governor to select men and women of their choice for these roles in the future.
And while it is the future that generates optimism for us all, the drumbeat of democracy, often calls its leaders in the most difficult directions.
South Carolina is a proud military State. When called, our citizen-soldiers put aside their fear and do their duty. We elected leaders must do the same -- putting aside our political fear so that we might have the honor of doing justice for those we serve.
That honor flows from the rule of law and oaths we take. Honor is also found in the manner in which we act -- which is often as important as the actions we take.
Our highest purpose is to work together, in harmony, for a safe and prosperous Palmetto State. The lesson taught by the apostle Paul to the early Christians in Galatia is as imperative today as it was in the earliest days of humanity when he wrote, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.” Paul believed that our entire life is a unique privilege through which we should serve others.
And though we come down from the mountains, out of the coastal waters, and rise from fields of the Pee Dee with diverse backgrounds and differing perspectives, we are all South Carolinians. It is precisely because of these differences that we have been brought together.
As the poet William Blake wrote, “Opposition is true friendship.” I challenge those here today to use this stage as an instrument to achieve our common goals and avoid the pitfalls of political alienation, to strive to be creators of consensus and restore the dignity and importance of the political profession.
Many see a tarnished image of our government today. This image must be confronted and repaired. Only by working in concert, under the umbrella of honesty and cooperation, can we restore the dignity of the government we lead and honor the trust the people of this State have placed in each of us.
This year will mark historic changes in the operation of our State. As old institutions fall, new responsibilities rise upon the Governor and the General Assembly. These reforms will make our State better. But we must be prepared to do more.
Still, we are challenged by the manner in which we conduct ourselves, fight poverty, care for the old, educate the young, and rebuild our infrastructure. Only together can we meet these challenges.
Inside our grand State House, the dominant symbols on our State Seal are the Lady Hope and the motto, “prepared in mind and resources.” South Carolina is a small State with worldwide influence. From our soldiers delivering freedom around the world to the world class companies that call us home -- Michelin, BMW, Honda, Boeing, many others and many more to come -- we have achieved great things through this spirit of hope and a work ethic built on constant preparation.
So, under the light of the Lady Hope, let us live the lessons of the Apostle Paul so that we may all join together to grow our resources and prepare our people for a brilliant future!
May God bestow His blessings, wisdom, and protection on our Governor and the Constitutional Officers.
Thank you.
* * *
Welcome The Honorable Hugh K. Leatherman
Invocation Rev. Dr. Ronnie Elijah Brailsford, Sr.
Bethel A.M.E. Church, Columbia
Presentation of the Colors The Citadel Color Guard
Pledge of Allegiance Corporal Kyle Carpenter
Medal of Honor recipient
Star Spangled Banner Francis Scott Key and John Stafford Smith
Candice Glover
Administration of the Oath to the Office
Lieutenant Governor The Honorable Henry Dargan McMaster
by The Honorable Hugh K. Leatherman, Sr.
State Officers
by Lieutenant Governor Henry Dargan McMaster
Secretary of State The Honorable Mark Hammond
State Treasurer The Honorable Curtis Loftis
Attorney General The Honorable Alan Wilson
Comptroller General The Honorable Richard Eckstrom
Superintendent of Education The Honorable Molly Mitchell Spearman
Adjutant General The Honorable Robert E. Livingston, Jr.
Commissioner of Agriculture The Honorable Hugh E. Weathers
“I Have Had Singing” Ron Jeffers
“Sweet Freedom” arr. Gwyneth Walker
The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and
Humanities Cantus Chamber Choir
Dr. David Rhyne, Conductor
“Stars I Shall Find” Victor Johnson
River Bluff High School Chamber Choir
Miki Keisler, Director
Administration of the Oath to the Governor
The Honorable Nikki Randhawa Haley
by Chief Justice Jean Hoefer Toal
Inaugural Address The Honorable Nikki Randhawa Haley
Her Excellency, Governor of South Carolina
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
By the Honorable Nikki Randhawa Haley
Four years ago, I spoke from this very same spot, on this very same occasion.
It’s really good to be back!
On this amazing day, I want to take a moment to thank Michael, Rena, and Nalin. They understand that we are a family of service. Service always brings with it some level of sacrifice, but it is my family and their love of South Carolina that motives me.
Michael and I would also like to thank our parents and families. Their support and strength continues to be the balance we need. We are thankful to each and every one of you for loving us unconditionally.
I’d also like to say a special thank you to the former governors and first ladies who took the time to be here today: Governor Dick Riley, First Lady Iris Campbell, Governor and Mrs. David Beasley, Governor and Mrs. Jim Hodges, and First Lady Jenny Sanford. Michael and I have a great respect for their service, sacrifice, and commitment to our State, and it is on their shoulders that we stand and continue to drive South Carolina forward.
And of course, I want to thank the great people of our State. You made the judgment in November to put me back on this podium today. The trust you have placed in me is something I hold very dear. I will never forget it. I will never take it lightly. And I will again spend each and every day proving to you that you made the right decision.
My friends, it truly is a great day in South Carolina!
I am not unaware that four years ago, when I spoke for the first time as governor, there was some skepticism.
It was not unfounded.
I was young. I was unknown. I was different.
But I knew in my heart then, as I know now, what South Carolina could be.
We are a fiercely proud State, a State with a history as rich as it is complicated, a State where the intensity of our individualism is surpassed only by the shared joy we draw from being, collectively, South Carolinians.
And therein lies our strength.
I long ago learned from my parents the value in bringing people together. Our differences, they taught my brothers, my sister and me, are nowhere near as powerful as what unites us.
Albert Einstein once remarked that “nothing truly valuable can be achieved except by the unselfish cooperation of many individuals.”
We have achieved much of great value since I first took the oath of office.
Four years ago, I spoke of serious economic difficulties and the largest budget shortfall in state history.
Today, our economy is among the fastest growing in the nation. Our people have more jobs than ever in our history. Our industries are flourishing, with more new businesses and jobs coming in every week. We’re building cars and planes and tires like never before, and there’s more of that on the way.
We have created a more responsive, more responsible state government. We have helped our friends and neighbors become less dependent on government assistance. We have changed the way we fund the education of our children. We have stood tall against a federal government insistent on making it harder for our people to achieve the American dream. We have changed the image of South Carolina, not just across the country but around the world.
And we have done it together.
But we aren’t finished, not yet, not even close.
On Christmas night, home in his bed, surrounded by love and prayer, Governor James Edwards passed away.
Governor Edwards was a kind and gentle man with a deep devotion to South Carolina. He loved this State, and this State, as we do, loved him back. He believed in us, in our future, in our greatness.
During his inauguration as governor, forty years ago, he read the following quote: “I have dreamed man's dreams that never came true, I have seen them vanish at dawn, but I have realized enough of my dreams, thank God, to make me want to dream on.”
And then he asked us to dream on, to “build together for a great tomorrow.”
My dreams for South Carolina know no bounds.
They are the dreams of a little girl from Bamberg who would one day grow up to be governor.
They are the dreams of her parents who left everyone and everything they knew in search of a better life.
They are the dreams of a mother who wakes every morning hoping her children’s future will be even brighter than her own.
My dreams for South Carolina know no bounds. They are as expansive as my love for this State and for the people who call it home.
In the South Carolina I dream of, a daughter of Dillon starts each day with the same hope and possibility as a son of Greenville.
In that South Carolina, a single mother-of-two feeling stuck in her job knows that if she wants it, a better opportunity is waiting just around the corner.
In that South Carolina, mothers and daughters, sisters and wives, go to bed each night knowing that they are safe, that they are loved and supported, that their community is with them.
In that South Carolina, we are competing not just with North Carolina and Georgia, but with India and China.
And in that South Carolina, every little girl and every little boy dreams as big as I do, and does so knowing every one of those dreams is within reach.
That South Carolina is real. That South Carolina is achievable. That South Carolina is worth fighting for.
But we all know that progress never comes easily. It requires hard work, determination, discipline, and sometimes, it requires us to make changes. As great as our State is, it’s not perfect. Far from it. It’s our job to keep striving for that perfect goal. We’ll never quite reach perfection here on earth, and we know that. But we can make everyone’s lives better for trying.