Governor Henry McMaster wants SC to “Introduce Nuclear Energy Renaissance” – a daily newspaper of South Carolina

“I believe that the restart of these two reactors will not only help to nourish the future needs of our country’s energy, but also lead to a renaissance of nuclear energy throughout the country, which will stimulate investment and build new production of Nuclear energy, “McMaster said in his time speech.

The governor’s support for the project comes as legislative leaders are struggling with how to meet the growing energy needs of the state.

“We are running out of time,” said the governor, who has officially become the longest-held governor in the history of South Carolina.

“Our capacity and opportunities for the production of electricity, distribution and transmission must be able to cope with increased future economic development, expected technological progress and population growth,” McMaster continued.

And he called on the action of the General Assembly to deal with the problem.

When Santee Cooper is now not existing South Carolina Electric & Gas partnered in the summer expansion of VC nearly two decades ago, it marked the first new nuclear construction in the country for 40 years.

But construction is lagging behind the graphics and above the budget. Companies eventually gave up efforts in July 2017 – after jointly spending $ 9 billion.

South Carolina Power customers are still paying a large part of the costs for reactors that have not yet generated a single megawatt.

Remembering Helen

The governor also continued to pay tribute to the South Carolina electric communal line workers.

The arrival of Hurricane Helen in the state of Palmo as a tropical storm in the previous ones on September 27 knocked out the power of about 1.4 million homes and businesses.

“Joining us here tonight are some of the men and women who worked day and night – some weeks, at dangerous heights and around a deadly high voltage – to return the power supply,” McMaster said, asking the workers on the balcony to stand.

The legislators responded by giving them a standing ovation.

Helen was the most deadly storm that once hit the state killed 49 people and damage at least 6,300 homes and 912 roads. Ten bridges still need to be restored.

More than $ 5 million donations were poured into the One SC Fund at the Central Carolina Community Foundation to help people recover, the most ever donated to the Storm Fund as it was created after the historic flood of 2015

The state has received federal dollars for disasters and is expected more, but it won’t be enough, McMaster said.

For example, the Ministry of Transport will need an additional $ 50 million to remove debris and costs for repairing roads not covered by the federal government, he said.

In the meantime, to prepare for future storms, the governor renewed his budget demands to allocate $ 40 million to fill a couple of state -funded couple to help restore and prevention of disasters. He also wants legislators to invest $ 150 million in a new state grant program to cover what the Federal Emergency Management Agency is gone.

“That’s how we care about our people,” he said.

“We have to fix this”

McMaster again requested the legislature to put state agencies serving people with disabilities and mental health problems under his direct control as cabinet agencies.

The Federal Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state last month, saying that South Carolina holds adults with serious mental illness in institutions longer than needed.

According to an external analysis of the state’s health system, 77% of young people facing depression do not receive treatment for mental health. This is at the top of the growing number of homeless people who “fall through the cracks”, with an untreated mental, physical or drug problem, the governor said.

“Our people with physical disabilities, special needs and mental health problems seeking help should be guided through a confusing landscape of offices, agencies and employees, as they seek help for a loved one or dependent,” McMaster said. “We have to fix this.”

McMaster said the agencies are managed by councils of the commissioners “who are not responsible to anyone.” He asked the legislature to “hold one person – their governor – responsible” to the Ministry of Mental Health and the Ministry of Disabilities and Special Needs.

Choosing a private school

The senators are in their second week of debate on a bill that would use lottery profits to provide scholarships for private K-12 private training. As introduced, the aid for up to 15,000 students will be aligned with what the state sends the school districts on average to a student, which will be about $ 8,500 in the next school year.

The governor asked GOP-controlled legislative power to send him a bill as soon as possible, which would reimburse the private payments suspended in September by the Supreme Court of the State. The majority of the judges have ruled that payments violate the prohibition of the State Constitution for Public Dollars, directly in favor of private education, which partially discarded a law of 2023, which provides $ 6,000 a year in taxpayer-funded scholarships.

“Parents, not school visit lines, should determine the education that best meets their child’s unique needs,” McMaster said.

But the Democrats, in their response to the Governor’s remarks, were pushed back, saying that the so -called school choice was not the answer.

“Instead of sending our tax dollars to private schools, we must first finance our public schools – something that South Carolina has neglected for decades,” says Senator Margi Bright Matthew.

Walterboro’s democrat, who delivered his party’s response, said the Senate debate bill was dismantling public education.

“Taking money from public schools and providing it to private schools will not improve the results of education for the thousands of children who need it most,” she said.