To My District 24 Neighbors:
It was another busy week in Columbia, but we kicked it off here at home..
Filing for Re-Election
Flanked by Mary Margaret and everyone’s favorite Caroline, I filed for re-election last week. It has been such an honor to have your support over the years, and I love representing our home in Columbia.
I’m excited to kick off the campaign in the next few weeks and I hope to see you out on the campaign trail. Election is in November, and I would appreciate your support once again!
Affordability & Tax Relief
One of the biggest wins on the House floor last week was the passage of the South Carolina Boat Tax Act (H.3858). Our state is one of the top boating states in America, but for too long, we’ve also had the highest boat taxes in the nation. This legislation cuts boat property taxes nearly in half, eliminates the insane double taxation on boat motors, and simplifies the process into one easy payment. This should make it more affordable for families to enjoy our Upstate lakes without being penalized by excessive taxes.
Protecting Children & Strengthening Schools
Protecting our children is always a top priority. Last week, we advanced the Stop Harm from Addictive Social Media SHASM Act (H.4591) out of Judiciary Committee, which takes aim at the addictive features that keep kids glued to their screens. The bill addresses doom scrolling, autoplay videos, and late-night notifications, while also giving parents more control through tools like screen time limits and the ability to disable algorithm-driven content. This is about putting parents back in the driver’s seat and protecting kids from harmful online behavior, as we saw in the spate of court cases last week against the major social media companies.
We also passed the Smart Heart Act (H.3831) which ensures schools are prepared to respond in life-threatening emergencies by requiring that AEDs are accessible within a three-minute response time. This bill addresses a critical gap in emergency preparedness. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death on school campuses, and this legislation will help save lives by ensuring help is always within reach.
Public Safety & Law and Order
We also passed the K9 Officer and Horse Protection bill (H.3034), also known as Fargo’s, Hyco’s, Rico’s, Coba’s, Wick’s, and Mikka’s Law, strengthens penalties for those who harm or kill law enforcement animals. These highly trained K9 officers are vital members of law enforcement teams, and this bill ensures that the law reflects both their value and their service. It also protects taxpayer investments and stands in support of the officers who rely on these animals every day.
We head back to Columbia tomorrow to continue work with about six weeks left in the legislative session. As always, I appreciate the opportunity to represent you and to keep you informed about what we’re doing in Columbia. I welcome your feedback and encourage you to reach out at any of the phones or emails below if you have any questions or would like more information on these or other issues before the General Assembly.
Bruce Bannister
S.C. House of Representatives – District 24
Gower-Augusta Road-Alta Vista-Hollingsworth Park-Mauldin
brucebannister@schouse.gov (official email)
bruce@brucebannister.com (campaign email)
Statehouse Phone: (803) 734-3144
Keep up with the SC House Republican Caucus:
https://www.facebook.com/SCHouseGOP
https://twitter.com/SCHouseGOP
https://www.schousegop.com
