SC Senator Thomas Alexander on Novelty Lighters

SC State Senator Thomas Alexander on his novelty lighter legislation.

Alexander easily defeats newcomer to retain S.C. Senate District 1 seat

State Senator Thomas Alexander, R-Walhalla, easily fended off a challenge by political newcomer, Constitution Party candidate Polly Nicolay, to gain another term in Columbia.

Alexander garnered 86 percent of the vote to win with 23,828 votes in Tuesday’s voting to Nicolay’s 3,826 votes in unofficial returns.

Throughout the campaign, the 52-year-old Alexander stressed that his leadership on committees and subcommittees allows him to address issues of health care and veterans affairs. Read more

This Year’s Constitutional Amendments

Dear Friends:

With the General Election drawing close, November 4th, I wanted to contact you regarding the various Constitutional Amendments that will be on the ballot for your consideration. One of the most common comments I hear on Election Day is that, I wish there was more information ahead of time on the Constitutional questions on the ballot.

The enclosed information is included for you to do just that - provide information ahead of time. You will find attached the statewide questions, as they will appear on the ballot with the approved explanation of each that will also be on the ballot.

It is my sincere hope that you will find this helpful and useful. However, if you would like further information on any of these Constitutional Amendments or have questions I might answer, please feel free to contact me.

As always, please contact me if I can be of service to you. It is an honor and privilege to serve as your State Senator.

With warmest regards,

THOMAS C. ALEXANDER

2008 Constitutional Amendment Questions

Amendment 1

Must Section 33, Article III of the Constitution of this State be amended so as to delete the provision that no unmarried woman shall legally consent to sexual intercourse who shall not have attained the age of fourteen years?

Yes or  No

Explanation of Above:

This amendment deletes the section of the Constitution which says an unmarried woman must be fourteen years old or older in order to consent to sexual intercourse. Deleting this section would allow the state legislature to set the age of consent. Currently, the state legislature has the age of consent set at sixteen for most cases.

A “yes” vote would delete the section from the Constitution and let the state legislature set the age of consent.

A “no” vote would leave the section of the Constitution in place.

Amendment 2

Must Section 16, Article X of the Constitution of this State relating to benefits and funding of public employee pension plans in this State and the investments allowed for funds of the various state-operated retirement systems be amended so as to provide that the funds of any trust fund established by law for the funding of post-employment benefits for state employees and public school teachers may be invested and reinvested in equity securities subject to the same limitations on such investments applicable for the funds of the various state-operated retirement systems?

Yes or No

Explanation of Above:

“Post-employment benefits” are benefits, mainly health insurance, provided to eligible state government and school district retirees.

To comply with a change in accounting standards, the state has created trust funds to pay for these post-employment benefits. This amendment relates to how the money in these trust funds may be invested.

A “yes” vote would give the state government the option to invest these funds in equity securities (stocks).

A “no” vote would mean that state government is not allowed to invest these funds in any kind of equity securities (stocks).

A Note from Thomas

Dear Friends,

Serving as your state Senator is an honor and privilege. Since entering public service, I have dedicated myself to a couple of fundamental principals.

First, as a public servant, serving you, my constituents. I enjoy the opportunity to meet with the people and families of the area. And to assist with your needs and the issues having an impact on your lives.

Second, I have tried to give thoughtful, deliberate and honest consideration to the pressing issues of our state government. In Columbia, we deal with issues that will directly impact the lives of South Carolinians. My duty to our great state is one I take very seriously. It is for this reason that I constantly seek reasonable, cost effective solutions to our state’s challenges. As a small businessman, I approach the issues with a sense of fiscal responsibility.

I welcome your thoughts and suggestions on how we can work together to improve our state. Please feel free to call on me at home or in Columbia. Thank you for the privilege of serving you. If you wish, please take a moment to fill out my contact form I have provided for your convenience. I would like to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Thomas Alexander

P.S. If you would like to be add to my e-mail list and receive periodical updates about the latest news from the Senate, please click here.

Educating our next generation of leaders

Last session, we took a significant step in ensuring that South Carolina’s schools provide the training and equipment for our students to compete across the nation – and across the globe.

The enactment of the South Carolina Virtual School Program laid the groundwork for a system of online classes for our state’s high school students. Theses virtual schools will hold our students and teachers to the same high standards as traditional classes. By taking advantage of rapidly changing technologies, our students will have a greater variety of courses, moving beyond what is offered at their particular school.

Providing for Economic Growth

We here in our area know more about the decline in manufacturing jobs and job loss than any other area of South Carolina.  I believe we must work hard to promote economic development measures that will bring increased investment and new high paying jobs to our area. We recently passed legislation providing job development tax credits, which will help sustain existing manufacturers and employers and will create incentives to bring new corporate citizens to South Carolina.

Read more

Cutting Taxes

That’s why I have supported major tax relief packages during the last two legislative sessions.

In 2006 I supported a plan to reduce property taxes by $500 million across the state. Homeowners across the state demanded relief and we got the job done. This reduction was especially beneficial for our seniors on fixed incomes.

This past year I supported for a plan to relieve the tax burden on South Carolina’s working families by over $220 million. Included in the 2006 property tax relief package was a reduction in the state grocery tax 2 percent from 5 percent down to 3 percent. The 2007 plan completely eliminated the grocery tax by removing the additional 3 percent sales tax, saving taxpayers more than $200 million per year.

Personal income taxes were also decreased by $86 million a year, decreasing them for all South Carolina taxpayers.

You can count on me to continue being a dependable voice for tax cuts.

Strengthening Law Enforcement

I am proud to support law enforcement and to ensure they have the tools needed to protect our communities. One key piece of legislation we passed in the Senate this year would allow South Carolina’s law enforcement agencies to work with federal officials to find and detain individuals living illegally in South Carolina. The plan ensures that when the tax dollars of the citizens of South Carolina are being spent on public projects, those dollars are going to law abiding and tax paying members of our communities, and not to workers who are here unlawfully.
Read more

Reforming Health Care

As a member of the Banking and Insurance committee, I have worked hard to ensure quality and affordable health care for all South Carolinians.

I worked with my colleagues to pass legislation improving access to affordable health insurance by allowing South Carolina’s small businesses to join together to form “health group cooperatives.” These cooperatives would help cut costs for small business, which in turn, would increase coverage for the growing number of South Carolinians who cannot find affordable healthcare.

This year I am chairing a special committee looking at the cigarette tax issue. Currently South Carolina has the lowest in the nation at 7 cents a pack. We are currently looking at plans to raise that tax and dedicate those funds to helping the uninsured.
We need accessible and affordable health care, especially for the uninsured citizens in South Carolina. The rate of uninsured citizens continues to grow at a rapid rate and act immediately. Raising the cigarette tax will start to address this critical issue.