Dear friends,

Lucky us! We are blessed to live in the Palmetto State, which Gov. Henry McMaster often describes this way: “South Carolina is the best place in the world to live, work, and raise a family.” He frequently adds, “And the best is yet to come.”

Some may quibble with that assessment, but no one has convinced our governor otherwise, and I agree with him. Our liberty-loving state is a special slice of the American landscape.

South Carolina is not perfect. Tell me what state is. Like our nation, our state remains a work in progress.

In his budget message to the General Assembly last month, Gov. McMaster wrote: “Given our thriving economy, improvements in education, and progress in preserving our natural resources, it should be no surprise that people from across the country are moving to South Carolina at a faster rate than to any other State. That growth, however, brings challenges.”

Among the most pressing of those challenges is keeping our transportation system ahead of our rapidly growing population.

“As South Carolina’s population increases, our roads, bridges, highways, and interstates must keep pace with the demand we place on them,” the governor wrote. “We have made tremendous progress improving our roadways with major projects under construction in every corner of the State, with almost $7 billion in active projects underway.”

South Carolina’s economy is strong. Employers are creating jobs, entrepreneurs are launching businesses, and larger companies are investing here. Since 2017, the state has announced more than $56 billion in new capital investment and over 103,000 resulting jobs.

Growth inevitably brings growing pains. South Carolina’s future remains bright, however.

Gov. McMaster has been an effective leader because he wants what is best for South Carolina. He has been an invaluable partner to the General Assembly throughout a period of remarkable advancements. Our partnership shows what we can accomplish when the executive and legislative branches cooperate, collaborate and stay focused on serving South Carolinians.