NO. 49

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

The Senate assembled at 11:00 A.M., the hour to which it stood adjourned, and was called to order by the ACTING PRESIDENT, Senator OTT.

The following Bill and Resolutions were read the third time, ordered sent to the House:

S. 171 (Word version) -- Senators Gambrell and Garrett: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 3 TO CHAPTER 75, TITLE 39 SO AS TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR WASTE TIRE MANIFESTS AND RELATED PROVISIONS; BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 75, TITLE 39 SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE INSTALLATION OF UNSAFE USED TIRES, AND RELATED PROVISIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-96-170(E) THROUGH (F), RELATING TO WASTE TIRES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A COUNTY MAY CHARGE UP TO FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS AS A TIPPING FEE; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-96-170(N) THROUGH (S), RELATING TO WASTE TIRES, SO AS TO AMEND THE COLLECTION OF THE FEE TO INCLUDE USED TIRES, TO PROVIDE FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE WASTE TIRE FEE AND RELATED WASTE TIRE FUNDS, TO REMOVE THE REBATE PROVISIONS, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STATEWIDE MARKET INFRASTRUCTURE FOR TIRE-DERIVED PRODUCTS; TO DIRECT THE CODE COMMISSIONER TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS.

On motion of Senator GAMBRELL.

Senator CORBIN desired to be recorded as voting against the third reading of the Bill.

S. 469 (Word version) -- Fish, Game and Forestry Committee: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, RELATING TO ELECTRONIC HARVEST REPORTING OF BIG GAME - SC GAME CHECK, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 5331, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS.

On motion of Senator CAMPSEN.

S. 470 (Word version) -- Fish, Game and Forestry Committee: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, RELATING TO WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA REGULATIONS; TURKEY HUNTING RULES AND SEASONS; AND BEAR HUNTING RULES AND SEASONS, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 5332, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS.

On motion of Senator CAMPSEN.

Thank you, Mr. PRESIDENT. Members of the Senate, I am not going to let my student from Colleton, Senator MATTHEWS, outdo me on Women's History Month. As we get closer to the races at Darlington Raceway, I want to speak about a pioneer in NASCAR, Ms. Louise Smith. Louise Smith was born in Georgia and moved to Greenville County at four years old. Smith regularly outran the local police throughout Greenville County in the late thirties and forties. She may or may not have had something in the back of her trunk -- we haven't determined that yet.

This brought her to the attention of NASCAR founder, Bill France, Sr. He invited her to race at the new Greenville Pickens Speedway in 1946. She drove a modified 1939 Ford Coupe and placed third in what was both her first race and the first race she ever attended. One year later she entered her husband's new Ford Coupe in a NASCAR race on Daytona Beach. She rolled her car five times in a mid-race accident, but she finished thirteenth after fans on the beach rolled her car back up right. Between 1946 and 1956, Senator GOLDFINCH, she boasted thirty-eight victories and became a beloved figure in the male dominated world of motor sports. Headlining at races in the United States and Canada, "The other drivers didn't like me when I raced because I was a woman, but they liked me even less when I beat them," she is quoted as saying.

In 1999, she became the first woman inducted into the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame in Talladega, a fitting tribute to her pioneering career. At eight-two years old she said, "that honor means all the world to me. Back in my day, I was the first to do a lot of things back then; women were not supposed to do all those things. Now this is certainly an honor." Louise Smith lived not only as a pioneer for women but a pioneer for all of NASCAR racing. She is remembered as "The first lady of racing" and was on the NASCAR circuit from 1945 to 1956. She quit racing in 1956 but stayed close to the track working with Darlington Raceway's Pageant before she resigned as grand patron in November 1989 after serving more than a decade. She was also the inspiration for the character Louise Nash in the Cars movie franchise. She paved the way for women racers whose names might be a little more popular, like Janet Guthrie or my friend Danica Patrick. We should all be proud of one of our South Carolinians, South Carolina's own, Louise Smith. Thank you, Mr. PRESIDENT.

On motion of Senator MATTHEWS, with unanimous consent, the remarks of Senator MARTIN were ordered printed in the Journal.

Thank you, Mr. PRESIDENT. Members of the Senate, today I rise to humbly honor and pay tribute to a true South Carolina treasure. A woman whose soulful voice and extraordinary talent have left an indelible mark on the music industry and this community. Angela Laverne Brown, more popularly known as Angie Stone, was born and raised here in Columbia, S. C. Her journey is one of resilience, passion and undeniable brilliance. From her early days of singing at First Nazareth Baptist Church, which is just a couple blocks down the street here on Gervais Street, to becoming an internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter and actress. Her artistry has transcended generations and genres.

At sixteen-years old, she formed the groundbreaking rap trio "The Sequence", the first all-female rap group which paved the way for female artists of hip hop for generations. In the late 1990s, she was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis and released her debut solo album in 1999. Her signature sound, a fusion of R&B, soul and jazz has given us timeless classics like "No More Rain in the Clouds" and "Brother". Songs that speak to the heart and uplift the soul and celebrate the richness of our culture. Her incredible contributions to music have earned her widespread recognition including three Grammy nominations, two Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards and the Soul Music Icon Award at the Black Music Honors Hall of Fame. Additionally, she received an NAACP Image Award nomination and has been recognized by various organizations for her artistic achievements and dedication to uplifting others through her music. She has been inducted into the C.A. Johnson Hall of Fame, here in Columbia, and in the Hall of Fame of the Columbia Housing Authority. Beyond the stage and the studio, Ms. Stone also used her platform to give back to the community, mentoring young artists and advocating for health awareness.

After being diagnosed with diabetes in 1999, she became a spokesperson for FACE Diabetes, Fearless African Americans Connected and Empowered program, which helps African Americans understand their risk for diabetes and how to control it. And although she had international acclaim, South Carolina was still home to her. It was not unusual to see her around town eating at a restaurant, in the beauty salon or shopping in our local stores. I remember the last time I saw Angie, she was right here in October at C.A. Johnson's homecoming. She was graciously taking pictures with all the people who wanted to see her and cheering on her alma mater. She carried our city and our State with pride. Angie never forgot where she came from, and today I want to take a moment to ensure that South Carolina never forgets her. Angie was tragically killed Saturday morning in an automobile accident while leaving a performance in Mobile, Alabama, on her way to perform a halftime show for the CIAA in Baltimore. Thousands of tributes from people were posted from all over the world -- from celebrities to political icons to everyday people. A lot of people had no idea that Angie Stone was from right here in Columbia, S.C. She was bigger than life and contributed to so many things. Her contributions to the arts and culture are immeasurable and her impact will be felt for generations to come. So it is with great pride that I recognize and ask that the Senate recognize and celebrate her legacy in this Chamber today, and so Mr. PRESIDENT, I would ask unanimous consent that at the next appropriate time the Senate adjourn in the memory of Angie Brown better known as Angie Stone.

On motion of Senator JACKSON, with unanimous consent, the remarks of Senator DEVINE were ordered printed in the Journal.

Thank you, Mr. PRESIDENT and members of the Senate, soon this Body will take up two consequential pieces of legislation, S. 184 and S. 244 commonly known to all of us as liability and tort reform respectively. Now, I am not going to speak on the Bill at this moment and I don't want to get ahead of the Majority Leader, but I do want to take a moment to share with you all how I would like to see this conversation unfold over the next couple of weeks.

Like many of you, I have been inundated with emails, as well as telephone calls from people on both sides of this issue. I think we all can agree that passions are running rather high on both sides of this issue. Almost to the point where some folks would have you believe that this has to be a zero-sum game.

If you support the Bill, then you are anti-plaintiff or don't support injury victims. If you are somehow anti-business -- I believe those two things don't have to be mutually exclusive -- you can be both pro-business and at the same time, be a very staunch proponent of injury victims.

Before I came to the Senate, my background was that I served on Richland County Council and when I campaigned, I was supported by the business community. I also pledged to citizens I would govern in a way that not only facilitated a pro-business climate but also promoted policies and tried to implement policies that protected the quality of life as well as to protect our citizens.

Going forward I would hope that is the sort of the attitude that informs how we approach the discussion. Again, this does not have to be a zero-sum game. The first time I addressed this Body was during my introductory remarks. I said to you all then, that regardless of party affiliation, I would work with anybody who shared the goals of growing our economy, making sure that we promote public safety, as well as protecting families and protecting individual liberties and rights.

All I would ask of this Body is to allow cooler heads to prevail as we take up this consequential legislation and make sure that whatever we do in the end that we check the respective boxes of growing our economy, making sure that we protect individual liberties, that we protect the rights of injury victims and also that whatever we do advances the common good. Thank you, Mr. PRESIDENT.

On motion of Senator SABB, with unanimous consent, the remarks of Senator WALKER were ordered printed in the Journal.

At 11:06 A.M., on motion of Senator WALKER, the Senate adjourned to meet next Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 11:00 A.M.

This web page was last updated on Friday, April 4, 2025 at 11:22 A.M.