The fight to expand educational freedom, protect and empower our children, and promote fiscal responsibility continued in full force this week at the State House. My colleagues and I in the took bold steps to strengthen school choice, close dangerous loopholes in our child exploitation laws, and advance a conservative, responsible budget that prioritizes taxpayers.
Expanding School Choice for South Carolina Families
This week, I voted for S.62, a major step forward in giving parents more control over their children’s education while ensuring accountability and long-term sustainability. We’ve fought for years to ensure that every child in South Carolina—regardless of their zip code or financial background—has access to a quality education tailored to their needs.
The Senate version of this bill laid the foundation, but the House strengthened it to ensure a legally sound, structured, and fair program. We restored the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, reinforcing the long-term stability of the program, and appointed a trustee to oversee its management and protect against legal challenges. We also prioritized students in greatest need—children of military families, foster children, low-income students, and those with disabilities—ensuring they have first access to scholarships before the general application window opens.
Unlike the Senate’s proposal, which tied funding to the Education Lottery and placed a permanent cap on participation, the House version guarantees $6,000 per student with future increases tied to the State Aid to Classrooms formula. This ensures families and schools can count on stable funding instead of relying on fluctuating lottery revenues. We also removed the participation cap after 2026, allowing more families to benefit from school choice in the years ahead.
I have always believed that education is not one-size-fits-all. Parents should decide what’s best for their children. This bill delivers on that promise, expanding educational opportunity while ensuring strong oversight, financial accountability, and a program that will stand the test of time.
While we are blessed here in our community with one of the best performing school districts in the state, other communities are not. I will continue to support options that can help those without our advantages have an opportunity to chase their dreams and continue lifelong learning. I support public, charter, and private schools. Just like our tax dollars currently support K-12 and our state’s colleges and universities thru financial scholarships, needs-based funding, and tuition grants.
Protecting Children from Online Exploitation
While we worked to expand opportunities for children in the classroom, we also took action to protect them from the dangers of online exploitation. This week, the House Judiciary Committee gave a favorable report to H.3046, a bill that strengthens South Carolina’s laws against child predators by closing dangerous loopholes in our sexual exploitation statutes.
As technology evolves, so do the threats that predators use to target children. This bill ensures that AI-generated and digitally altered images of minors are treated the same as any other form of child exploitation. It strengthens penalties for those who create, distribute, or possess these materials and requires that offenders be added to the Sex Offender Registry to ensure law enforcement and communities are aware of their crimes.
My commitment to public safety and protecting the most vulnerable has always been at the forefront of my work. As a member of the House Republican Caucus, I will continue to support legislation that ensures South Carolina remains a place where criminals are held accountable and our children are safe.
The bill passed overwhelmingly with a vote of 90 in favor and only 17 against.
Of course, an out-of-state group seeking to raise money and raise their extreme profile, decided to completely distort the intent of this legislation and once again mass-texted our community. I know y’all are getting tired of those texts and many are opting out. Smart choice! I’ve been told 6 of these type texts have gone out over the past few weeks. I’m sure more will come. Please visit my website www.NathansNews.com so you can get the facts and so I can set the record straight.
Delivering a Conservative, Fiscally Responsible Budget
This week, the Ways & Means Committee (where I serve) continued work on the state budget to ensure it reflects our conservative values—cutting taxes, reducing wasteful spending, and making smart investments in South Carolina’s future.
I have always believed that every tax dollar belongs to the hardworking people of South Carolina. That’s why this budget provides over $1 billion in tax relief, including $800 million in property tax cuts and over $200 million in income tax reductions. We are committed to keeping money in your pockets and ensuring that our state remains competitive for businesses and job creators.
At the same time, we are making critical investments in areas that matter most. This budget keeps us on track to raise teacher salaries to $50,000 by 2026, ensures continued support for school safety, workforce training, and infrastructure improvements, and funds much-needed law enforcement pay raises. We also prioritized protecting taxpayer dollars by requiring state agencies to cut unnecessary vacancies and implement new fraud prevention measures.
I believe that fiscal conservatism isn’t just about cutting spending—it’s about making sure that every dollar we spend is used wisely. This budget is a reflection of the House Republican Caucus’ commitment to responsible governance, strong economic growth, and ensuring that South Carolina remains a place where businesses thrive, families prosper, and government works for the people—not the other way around.
We’re Not Stopping
The work doesn’t stop here. In the coming weeks, I’ll continue supporting and advancing policies that put South Carolina families first. Whether it’s ensuring parents have a voice in their children’s education, fighting for lower taxes, or strengthening public safety, I’ll work to continue delivering results.
I’m honored to fight for our conservative values and work alongside House Republican Caucus members to make South Carolina stronger, safer, and more prosperous. As always, I appreciate your support and look forward to keeping you updated on our work at the State House.
Staying Informed:
As the session progresses, I will continue to share updates like this one to keep you informed about the work being done in Columbia. These weekly columns are designed to provide insight into legislative priorities, progress, and key developments. If you ever have questions, concerns, or ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Your input is invaluable to me and helps ensure that I am representing your needs effectively.
This week, my MARCH COMMUNITY UPDATE email went out. If you did not receive it, please let me know so I can add you to the distribution list. [email protected]. I have sent these regular updates out for many years to help keep you informed of what’s going on at the State House and here in the Irmo/Chapin Community!
