Dear Friends,

There is only three weeks left in the 2012 session of the General Assembly, but that is only nine working days! We have accomplished a lot this session but we need to finish strong to get some important items passed before time runs out.

Memorial Day is to help us remember that our freedom was not FREE! Many people have died in the service for our country and so it is important that we remember them. Memorial Day should be a time of solemn reflection on some of the most sacred of human ideals: faith, family, duty, commitment, heroism and honor. We are so profoundly indebted to all military personnel who have given their lives defending us.

As most of you know, I have been visiting all the schools in the North Augusta area over the past couple of months. Last week, after the conclusion of my visits, I had a meeting with Dr. Beth Everitt, Superintendent of Schools and Mr. Ray Fleming,Vice Chair – District 5 to have a round table discussion about the future of the schools in the North Augusta area. This was a very productive meeting.

Even though I will not have any opposition in November, I still need your financial support. To have a strong voice in Columbia, I have to communicate with my constituents. And that is you! My website, newsletters, mailers and Facebook are the communication tools that I use. It takes extra time and campaign funds to maintain them. If you would like to contribute, please mail a check to Hixon For House, P.O. 7927, North Augusta, SC 29861 or contribute online by going HERE.

I hope that you find this update helpful and informative:

Voters Will Decide:

Constitutional changes require approval by the voters, which is why the House concurred with the Senate's version of the legislation for Joint Election of the Governor and Lt. Governor. Originally the House approved that the Governor would be able to choose the Lt. Governor rather than be elected separately starting in 2014. The Senate's version will allow for the change in 2018 as long as the voters approve it in the November 2012 election.

The Primary Election Issues:

There has been a lot of confusion over the recent SC Supreme Court's decision that stated; any candidate that did not turn in a statement of economic interest at the time of their filing for election will not appear on the June Primary ballot. This decision ultimately has taken over 180 candidates off the Primary ballot, impacting both Republican and Democrats. Since the Supreme Court’s decision, the Attorney General has been asked for his opinion whether the candidates not on the ballot could run as a petition candidates for the November 6 election. The Attorney General's opinion is that the candidates taken off the ballot can run as petitioned candidates. The Elections Commission said that they will follow the Attorney General's opinion.

Hands off for Both Parties:

The Senate unanimously approved a bill to fix problems in future elections so we will not have the same result as this year, where over 180 candidates were removed from the June 12 party primary ballots. The Senate bill removes the parties from the filing process and syncs the deadlines for incumbents and challengers to turn in financial paperwork. The bill requires both challengers and incumbents to file financial forms online and bring proof into their local election commission office by the March 30 filing deadline. Senate Judiciary Chairman Larry Martin said the bill turns the process over to professionals who will be trained on any future law changes and be at a fixed location with regular hours, as opposed to political party officials who can change each election cycle.  The bill has no bearing on candidates taken off June 12 party Primary ballots. The bill now comes to the House.

Operating Golf Carts Along The State's Highways:

The House agreed to Senate amendments to bill (H-3259), that authorizes golf cart owners to obtain a permit decal and registration from the Department of Motor Vehicles. To obtain a decal you must present proof of ownership and liability insurance for the golf cart and pay a five dollar fee. This decal allows for the limited operation of the golf cart during daylight hours on a secondary highway or street for which the posted speed limit is no more than thirty five miles an hour within a set area that is nearby their residence. It also allows for use nearby the entrance to their gated community, or on an island that is not accessible by a bridge designed for use by automobiles.

Charter School Choices Expand:

Gov. Haley signed into law a bill expanding charter schools. The new law allows boys-only and girls-only charter schools and requires traditional schools to open their doors for students who want to do extracurricular activities not offered by their charter school. It also allows universities to sponsor their own schools. State Education Superintendent Mick Zais said, "Charter schools are not a magic bullet, but they are a tremendous step in the way to providing a personalized and customized education for every student." SC currently has 17,000 students in 47 charter schools.

Opening Schools to All Our Children: 

I am pleased to report we are closer to passing a bill that would open public school athletics and all extra-curricular school activities to home-schoolers. This bill (S-149) passed a House sub-committee this week and will likely pass the Education Committee next week then move to the House floor. It has already received unanimous Senate approval. Home school parents and students have spent many years seeking this opportunity. Not surprisingly, two groups who lobby for public schools spoke out against the bill. They argue students who do not attend public schools should not benefit from the programs public schools offer.

Governor Haley's Ethics Complaint Continues:

The Ethics Committee met this past Friday and decided to seek more information as it considers whether to reopen the complaint. The committee voted unanimously to ask for employment documentation from Governor Haley and her previous employer. Legislation filed by Rep. James Smith requests the House Ethics Committee reconsider its May 2 decision to dismiss an ethics complaint against then Representative Haley after unanimously finding probable cause to pursue the complaint.

State Retirement System:

The Senate approved a pension reform plan that will mostly impact new employees. Sen. Greg Ryberg said the bill strengthens the state retirement system in a way that honors promises to current employees. Key provisions of the bill include the following: 

• Employees as of July 1, 2012 will not be eligible for the Teacher and Employee Retention Incentive (TERI) program.
• Existing TERI program participants will undergo a phasing-out process for five years, ending the program by June 30, 2018.
• The Average Final Compensation (AFC) as of July 1, 2012 will be computed using the average of the five highest years of compensation for new employees only. The changes would apply only for employees hired after June 30.
• All employees would contribute more – an additional 1.5 percentage points over three years, to 8 percent, instead of 1 percentage point over two years under the House plan.
• The General Assembly Retirement System will close for those elected after July 1, 2012. All newly elected lawmakers will be included in the same retirement system as state employees.

Silver Crescent Recipient:

The Aiken County community came together Thursday evening to celebrate the retirement of outgoing University of South Carolina Aiken Chancellor Dr. Tom Hallman. He retires next month after 29 years at USCA, the last 12 as Chancellor. The Aiken County Legislative Delegation presented Dr. Hallman with the Order of the Silver Crescent in recognition of his service to USCA and the greater community. Dr. Hallman is a champion of education and his outstanding leadership has advanced USCA into an award-winning institution for which we are all proud.