2021 Public Policy Guide by Greenville Chamber

growing a greater

GREENVILLE SEE PAGE 5

how to

BE INVOLVED SEE PAGE 10

DRIVING QUALITY FORWARD. SUCCESS FOLLOWS WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER.

POLICY AGENDA & ADVOCACY GUIDE

WELCOME

500 | .1050 550 S Main Street | Suite GreenvilleChamber.org | 864.242

Greenville, SC

th Carolinians,

Dear fellow Greenvillians and Sou

Chamber Coalition and the S.C. regional partners with the Upstate The Greenville Chamber, and our e the Upstate the best place mak to es at all levels of government ocat adv n, litio Coa r mbe Cha ro Met policy solutions, advocate for k with our investors to cultivate to work and do business. We wor cate our investors on how ships with elected officials, and edu those solutions by building relation r business. new laws and regulations affect thei es. The COVID-19 pandemic ity faced unprecedented challeng In 2020, the business commun loyees and customers safe emp r vent their operations to keep thei required business leaders to re-in while keeping their doors open. ortant wins for Upstate 0 legislative session featured imp Despite these challenges, the 202 taxes, streamlining and se licen ness ly process of paying busi iend unfr very the rams ne amli stre and minority-business grant prog businesses. We were able to es. Our advocacy secured smallness busi our of s for sand ing thou fund re for secu ess Program. We helped standardizing the proc the federal Paycheck Protection ent the lem into supp on to l milli 0 leve e $92 stat put to and l rs at both the loca we worked with legislato g Angel Investor tax credits. And ndin exte by tups star tech wth high-gro eases. will greatly off-set future tax incr unemployment trust fund, which s clearer than ever: dst this, the Chamber’s mission ring Ami ty. rtain unce is ain cert is that g Advocacy programs bring As we head into 2021, the only thin e regional economic growth.” Our driv to ity mun com ness busi the “to lead, convene, and mobilize ther to do just that. business and political leaders toge explosive growth, and we’ll cture needed to serve our region’s stru infra cal criti t ng easi incr on s the COVID pandemic. Perhaps mos In 2021, the Chamber will focu challenges we saw exposed during the er answ the to in em rejo or syst on stay cati ple edu look at reforming our criminal justice reforms to help peo partners across the state to pass important of all, we will work with perity more equitable for all. workforce and make our state’s pros 2021. More federal, state, and local agendas for s and other issues outlined in our item e thes find s. will nda you age es, e pag thes On the following August in order to create loyees have provided input since than 1,000 businesses and their emp Coalition are Chamber and Upstate Chamber halls of Congress, the Greenville the to encounter et and Stre s crisi Main 9 ID-1 from es COV As your advocat businesses recover from the s help that cy poli lic pub ote prom Upstate, is uniquely positioned committed to working tirelessly to our 12 chamber partners across the with ther toge r, mbe Cha e nvill accomplish these goals. new opportunities. The Gree and their 300,000 employees to es ness busi 0 8,00 than e mor of to leverage the power port of the Greenville Chamber. Thank you for your continued sup you this year! We look forward to working with nville Chamber Max Metcalf // 2021 Board Chair, Gree

INSIDE:

6 12

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES South Carolina State and Local Level Agenda

2021 ELECTION CALENDAR Filing deadlines, primary dates and more.

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

8 22

ADVOCACY COMMITTEES Four committees that develop policies directly impacting the Upstate business community. SMALL PRICE FOR POLITICAL INFLUENCE How the Greenville Chamber makes a very complicated process simple.

14-19 FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL REPRESENTATION Meet the elected officials who represent the Upstate community.

Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide 2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER

WELCOME TO THE

GREENVILLE CHAMBER

STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

MAX METCALF //// 2021 Board Chair BMW Manufacturing Company, LLC NEIL BATAVIA //// Vice Chair of Business Advocacy Dority and Manning P.A MILTON SHOCKLEY //// BRAD MEDCALF Co-Chairs, Business Advocacy Committee CARLOS PHILLIPS //// President & CEO JASON ZACHER //// Senior Vice President of Business Advocacy Office: 864.239.3718 //// Cell: 864.787.6608 jzacher@greenvillechamber.org //// Twitter: @jasonczacher ANNA RUSSELL //// 2020 Advocacy Intern

COST OF LIVING 2020

91.1 Greenville versus

100 United States C2ER Survey Q3 2020

UPSTATE CHAMBER COALITION

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Website: www.upstatechamber.org Twitter: @UpstateChamberSC Facebook: UpstateChamberCoalition Instagram: UpstateChamberSC

MEMBER CHAMBERS

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Anderson Area Chamber................... andersonscchamber.com Cherokee County Chamber............... cherokeechamber.org Clemson Area Chamber..................... clemsonareachamber.org Fountain Inn Chamber........................ fountaininnchamber.org Greenville Chamber.............................. greenvillechamber.org Greater Greer Chamber ..................... greerchamber.com

POPULATION GROWTH 2018-2040

43.2% Greenville 13.9% United States versus

Greenville County / Census Bureau

Greater Easley Chamber.................... easleychamber.org Greenwood Chamber ......................... greenwoodscchamber.org Laurens County Chamber.................. laurenscounty.org Oconee County Chamber.................. oconeechambersc.org OneSpartanburg, Inc. ......................... onespartanburginc.com Simpsonville Area Chamber ............ simpsonvillechamber.com Greater Travelers Rest Chamber ...... greatertrchamber.com 4

2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

DEFINING & ADVOCATING

ECONOMIC SUCCESS

JOB GROWTH 2020-2040

The Greenville Chamber

19.3% Greenville

is focused on

versus

15.4% United States REMI/ Clemson University

PER CAPITA INCOME 2019

Growing a Greater Greenville and enacting policies to increase

$49,801

Greenville

educational attainment,

versus

$56,490

deliver a

United States

21st century

U.S. Department of Commerce

workforce, and drive entrepreneurial

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT 2018

45.4% Greenville

versus

51.3% United States Lumina Foundation

GDP GROWTH 2010-2018

growth. As we prepare our region for this bold future, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re tracking these metrics as we work

on policy solutions. The rapid growth of our

44.9% Greenville

region makes it imperative that we enact policies that will

versus

37.5% United States

help us exceed national metrics for education and income.

U.S. Department of Commerce

Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide 2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER

2021 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

STATE LEVEL AGENDA LOWER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE BARRIERS

PUBLIC SCHOOL REFORM

INCREASE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

• Commit to a path to increasing teacher pay to the National Average;

• Allow lottery tuition assistance to be used for those seeking high-quality industry credentials.

• Study the implementation of pay bands for teachers with special skills and give districts more flexibility in recruiting for critical-needs areas;

PROFESSIONAL LICENSING • Require LLR and the boards that oversee professional licenses to carefully examine requirements to ensure they are necessary and not merely barriers to competition.

• Allow districts to designate more deregulated schools; • Allow high-performing schools to have up to 10% of their teachers be non-certified;

• Give our DACA residents the right to receive state licenses to work.

• Make it easier for mid-career professionals to switch to teaching;

INCREASE ACCESS TO CHILDCARE

• Offer tax credits to businesses that hire teachers as summer employees.

• Expand the accessibility of childcare options – a major workforce barrier. We must work on solutions to increase the accessibility of childcare and lower the cost to workers.

REASONABLE, FAIR LEGAL REFORMS

• Provide fair COVID liability protections for businesses and schools; • Pass the “Fair Share Act”

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

The Chamber urges the General Assembly to review our state’s current penal code to prepare inmates for high-demand career opportunities and make it easier to transition into the workforce. Addressing the following issues will meet these directives in the future:

• Reform civil asset forfeiture laws; • Pass a hate crime statute; • Expand expungement for non-violent offenders; • Assist returning citizens with vital records upon release; and • Create a state tax credit for hiring returning citizens.

BOOST POST-COVID ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Hold businesses’ unemployment rates harmless for layoffs from COVID-19 shutdowns;

• Assist high-growth startup companies by making it easier to attract early-stage capital;

• Actively target industries in California, New York, and other high-tax states to relocate;

• Increase state support for mass transit in our metro areas;

• Increase state investment in tourism advertising;

• Dedicate funding to our commercial airports to expand passenger and cargo service;

• Support the development of high-speed broadband infrastructure in cities and rural areas; • Provide resources to make it easier for employees to work from home; • Restructure our state’s incentives so we may better attract office, headquarter, and R&D jobs that may have a large number of stay-at-home employees;

• Require an economic impact statement for new regulations – not simply a state fiscal impact. Regulations above a certain economic impact should have a waiting period before being approved by the General Assembly.

ADDRESS THE PENSION CRISIS

• Close the state pension system to new employees; • Switch to a defined contribution plan; • Allow government subdivisions to leave the system so they may pay more competitive salaries; and • Preserve promises made to those currently in the system. 6

2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

2021 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

LOCAL LEVEL AGENDA MEET OUR GROWTH CHALLENGES

SEWER SYSTEM UNIFICATION

ZONING

• Unify the disparate special-purpose sewer systems in order to promote economic growth, save precious tax dollars, and protect the environment.

• Enact zoning ordinances in high-growth, un-zoned areas of Greenville County to protect the rights of both property owners and developers.

TRANSIT FUNDING

ROADS

• Fund Greenlink’s long-term Transportation Development Plan and give our transit system the funding it needs to ensure access to education, work, and healthcare.

• Support a funding plan for upgrading our stressed road system in the county.

UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE • Finalize the UDO and follow through on the promises made in the county’s comprehensive plan.

EXPAND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

INVESTMENT

REGULATION

EQUITY & INCLUSION

• Invest of tax dollars and allow entities such as the Greenville Housing Fund to transform those dollars into housing opportunities.

• Remove barriers to development of housing for our workforce in all parts of our community to support developers pursuing these types of projects.

• Drive business growth and economic prosperity for our community by addressing racebased disparities in education, income, health, and the justice system.

BOOST LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

TECHNOLOGY

CONFERENCE CENTER

UNIVERSITY RIDGE

• Aggressively seek the development of digital infrastructure to underserved areas while also rolling out the latest in smart cities and 5G technologies.

• Encourage continued progress on building a new Downtown Conference Center.

• Ensure development continues on the University Ridge Development.

ENSURE GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY

• Greenville County, the School Board, municipalities, and special purpose districts must implement technologies to stream meetings and ensure all citizens may monitor and participate in the process.

U.S. CHAMBER AWARDS GREENVILLE CHAMBER WITH 5-STAR ACCREDITATION The United States Chamber of Commerce recently awarded the Greenville Chamber with 5-Star Accreditation for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the community. Only 207 of 7,000 chambers in the U.S. are accredited and it is a prestigious honor that distinguishes the high quality, expertise and strong leadership displayed by chambers receiving this designation.

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide 2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER

GREENVILLE CHAMBER’S BUSINESS ADVOCACY PROGRAM

ADVOCACY COMMITTEES

The Greenville Chamber’s Business Advocacy program advocates on behalf of the Upstate business community in order to create a globally competitive Upstate economy where businesses succeed and people prosper. We focus on the political issues facing business, so you can focus on running your business. To ensure the business community has a strong voice, we also work to educate and engage business leaders about the issues. We have four issue-based policy committees where investors can interact with decisionmakers and develop policies to impact the business community.

BUSINESS ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

The cornerstone policy committee at the Greenville Chamber. Open to all Chamber investors, the Business Advocacy Committee convenes business leaders and policy makers to develop the policies needed to ensure economic growth. Joining this Committee allows local business leaders to elevate their policy discussions and political connections.

Co-Chairs:

Milton Shockley // Re/Max Realty Brad Medcalf // Pinnacle Financial Partners

Membership: Open to all Chamber Investors Meetings:

Second Friday of every month

GROWTH & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE

Greenville is expected to add more than 200,000 residents and 100,000 jobs by 2040. This rapid growth will stress the Upstate’s infrastructure. The Growth and Infrastructure Committee will develop the policy solutions needed to meet the needs of a growing business community while protecting our quality of life. This Committee will forward policy positions to the Advocacy Committee for inclusion in the Chamber’s Policy Agenda.

20 40

Co-Chairs:

Bob Knight // Public Strategy Jennifer Mustar // HDR

Membership: Open to any Chamber Investor at the Business Leader ($1,500) level or above Infrastructure Projects Subcommittee Chair: Jennifer Mustar // HDR

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Responsibilities: This subcommittee will develop a biennial White Paper of infrastructure projects that the committee, and the Chamber as a whole, will use as priorities.

HEALTHCARE & COMMUNITY WELLNESS COMMITTEE

This committee is focused on the Upstate’s healthcare landscape, with special attention to access to care, healthcare innovation, and community health. Studies clearly show that a healthy community is a prosperous community. This committee will develop sound policy solutions with the input from experts in physical and community health, business, and policy. This Committee will forward policy positions to the Advocacy Committee for inclusion in the Chamber’s Policy Agenda.

Co-Chairs:

Walker Smith // Bon Secours St. Francis Health System Laura Turner // Prisma Health

Membership: Open to any Chamber Investor at the Business Leader ($1,500) level or above

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE

This committee advocates for environmental and sustainable energy policies that are responsive to Greenville’s rapid growth and manufacturing economy. We will do this by creating policy solutions based on sound science and risk management, while protecting the operations of Upstate businesses.

Co-Chairs:

Charlie Isham // C&EC, Inc. Jason Martin // Duke Energy

Membership: Open to any Chamber Investor For more information on the Chamber’s committees, and for meeting dates: go to www.greenvillechamber.org or email us at advocacy@greenvillechamber.org 8

2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

MICHELIN CARES Improving lives one South Carolina community at a time

45+

As a sustainable mobility company headquartered in South Carolina for more than 45 years, Michelin is committed to creating a better way forward for its customers, communities and employees. In 2020, Michelin was ranked No. 4 by Forbes magazine among the best employers in South Carolina. With 12 sites in South Carolina, Michelin employees more than 9,000 corporate and production employees across the state.

STAYING INFORMED & ADVOCATING FOR YOUR BUSINESS

FOUR WAYS TO GET INVOLVED 1. JOIN OUR ADVOCACY COMMITTEES The Greenville Chamber has four Advocacy committees to engage your interest: Business Advocacy, Growth and Infrastructure, Healthcare and Community Wellness, and Energy and Environmental Compliance. These committees give our investors the opportunity to hear from experts in these policy areas, connect with your local elected officials and regulators, network with Chamber investors with similar interests, and stay abreast of new legislation and regulations.

More info on these committees can be found on page 8.

2. STAY INFORMED BY JOINING OUR GRASSROOTS LIST You’re busy running your business, so we know that you don’t have time to pour over jargon-heavy legislation or stream hours-long committee meetings. By joining our Grassroots list, you’ll receive regular updates from the Chamber’s Advocacy staff on important legislation and political events that affect your business. These weekly updates are jargon free and meant to provide a quick snapshot to keep you informed.

If you’d like to be added to our Grassroots list, email us at advocacy@ greenvillechamber.org

4. ATTEND ONE OF OUR MANY ADVOCACY EVENTS

The Greenville Chamber and our partners at the Upstate Chamber Coalition hold many Advocacy events throughout the year. Whether you’re interested in running for office, want to learn about how to advocate for your issues, want to learn more about policy, or like to meet members of our local, state, and federal delegations, we hold events that offer all of these opportunities and more.

Take a look at our upcoming 2021 events at greenvillechamber.org, or email advocacy@greenvillechamber.org for more information 10

2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide

3. ADVOCATE FOR YOUR BUSINESS As legislation moves through the process, we often call on our investors to use their voice to help clear legislative hurdles. You can advocate for pro-business legislation or squash anti-business legislation by responding to the Chamber’s Calls to Action. If there is an issue that you’re passionate about, take a few minutes to write your representative an email or give them a call. Personal contact is always the best option over automated emails. If you enjoy that, you can take our Advocacy 101 class offered each fall. That class will give you the tools you need to advocate effectively for your business and the issues you care about.

Direct advocacy is one of the best ways to get involved in shaping policy.

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

2021 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

2020 TEACHER SALARIES #2

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD $50,503

DENVER CO $45,800

SALT LAKE CITY, UT $45,800

LOUISVILLE, KY $44,660

5 9

6 8

2020 STARTING TEACHER SALARIES

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK $41,000

GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS & PEER METRO SCHOOL SYSTEMS

WAKE COUNTY, NC $41,274

CHATTANOOGA, TN $41,051

AUSTIN, TX $51,000

NASHVILLE, TN $45,964

#10

GREENVILLE, SC $40,013

Creating opportunities since 1962. www.gvltec.edu/ GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide 2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER

NOVEMBER 2021 S

T 9

W 10

12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

GREENVILLE CHAMBER NEWS AND INFORMATION

2021 ELECTION CALENDAR MARCH 2021

S 7

JUNE 2021

12 13

S 6

12 13 14

12 13 14 15 16 17

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

28 29 30 31

27 28 29 30

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

29 30 31

2021 Greenville County Municipal Elections • • • • • •

City City City City City City

of of of of of of

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

June 8 City of Greenville party primaries

AUGUST 2021

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

March 16 – 30 Filing for Greenville municipal elections

JULY 2021

July 15 - August 16 Filing for Public Service Districts

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

TBD - August 16 Non-partisan municipal filings

2021 Greenville County Special Purpose District Elections

Greenville (partisan) Fountain Inn Greer Mauldin Simpsonville Travelers Rest

• • • • • • • •

Belmont Fire & Sanitation Berea Public Service Brookfield Special Tax Clear Spring Fire Duncan Chapel Fire Foothills Fire Gantt Fire Sewer & Police Glassy Mountain Fire

• Gowensville Fire • Lake Cunningham Fire • Marietta Water Fire Sanitation & Sewer • North Greenville Fire • Parker Sewer & Fire • Piedmont Park Fire • Slater Water & Sewer

• Slater Marietta Fire & Police • South Greenville Fire • Taylors Fire & Sewer • Tigerville Fire • Wade Hampton Fire & Sewer

GENERAL ELECTION //// NOVEMBER 2 Contact Greenville County Voter Registration at 864.467.7250 and/or each individual district for qualifications and candidate filing information for these offices. For more information on voting, go to scvotes.org

2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

UPSTATE LEADERSHIP IN THE

LINDSEY GRAHAM (R)

TIM SCOTT (R)

Washington Office:

202.224.5972

Upstate Office:

864.250.1417 District Staff:

• Van Cato State Director • Angie Omer Upstate Regional Director

202.224.6121

Upstate Office:

864.233.5366 District Staff:

• Danielle Gibbs Regional Director

U.S. HOUSE

U.S. SENATE

U.S. SENATE & HOUSE

JEFF DUNCAN (R-3)

WILLIAM TIMMONS (R-4) S.C. Fourth Congressional District

S.C. Fifth Congressional District

Washington Office:

Anderson Office:

Greenville Office:

Rock Hill Office:

District Staff:

S.C. Third Congressional District

202.225.5301

864.224.7401

• Jordan Christian Regional Director

202.225.6030

RALPH NORMAN (R-5) 202.225.5501

864.241.0175

803.327.1114

• Hope Blackley District Director

• David O’Neal District Director

LEADERSHIP IN THE TOP

PAMELA EVETTE (R) Lieutenant Governor 803.734.2100 www.ltgov.sc.gov

RICHARD ECKSTROM (R) Comptroller General 803.734.2121 www.cg.sc.gov

ALAN WILSON (R)

HUGH WEATHERS (R) Commissioner of Agriculture 803.734.2210 www.agriculture.sc.gov

CURTIS LOFTIS (R)

MOLLY SPEARMAN (R) Superintendent of Education 803.734.8500 www.ed.sc.gov

Attorney General 803.734.8500 www.scag.gov

MARK HAMMOND (R) Secretary of State 803.734.2170 www.sos.sc.gov

2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide

EDUCATION

TREASURER

SEC OF STATE

COMPTROLLER

Governor 803.734.2100 www.governor.sc.gov

AGRICULTURE

LT. GOVERNOR

GOVERNOR

HENRY MCMASTER (R)

ATTY GENERAL

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE OFFICES

State Treasurer 803.734.2101 www.treasurer.sc.gov

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

UPSTATE LEADERSHIP IN THE

RICHARD CASH (R)

Greenville - District 7 karlallen@scsenate.gov

Anderson - District 3 richardcash@ scsenate.gov

DISTRICT 10

5 2

The South Carolina Senate consists of 46 members who are elected from single member districts of approximately 87,200 citizens.

Greenwood - District 10 billygarrettjr@yahoo.com

DISTRICT 6

MIKE GAMBRELL (R)

Anderson - District 4 mikegambrell@ scsenate.gov

BILLY GARRETT (R)

Greenville - District 5 tomcorbin@scsenate.gov

TOM CORBIN (R)

DISTRICT 11

KARL ALLEN (D)

Senators serve four year terms.

South Carolina General Assembly: www.scstatehouse.gov

JOSH KIMBRELL (R)

Spartanburg - District 11 josh@vote joshkimbrell.com DISTRICT 13

Oconee - District 1 thomasalexander@ scsenate.gov

DISTRICT 5

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 7

DISTRICT 1

THOMAS ALEXANDER (R)

DISTRICT 4

SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE

Senate Switchboard: 803.212.6200

HARVEY PEELER (R)

Cherokee - District 14 harveypeeler@ scsenate.gov GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

REX RICE (R)

Pickens - District 2 rexrice@scsenate.gov

SHANE MARTIN (R)

DISTRICT 9

Spartanburg - District 13 shanemartin@ scsenate.gov DISTRICT 8

DISTRICT 2

DISTRICT 14

Greenville - District 6 dwightloftis@ scsenate.gov

Correspondence & Mail: The Honorable (Senatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Name) South Carolina Senate P.O. Box 142 Columbia, SC 29202 DISTRICT 12

DWIGHT LOFTIS (R)

SCOTT TALLEY (R)

Spartanburg - District 12 scotttalley@scsenate.gov

ROSS TURNER (R)

Greenville - District 8 rossturner@scsenate.gov

DANNY VERDIN (R)

Laurens - District 9 dannyverdin@ scsenate.gov

Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide 2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER

UPSTATE LEADERSHIP IN THE

BRUCE BANNISTER (R) Greenville - District 24 brucebannister@schouse.gov

DISTRICT 5

DISTRICT 21

RITA ALLISON (R) Spartanburg - District 36 ritaallison@schouse.gov

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 35

DISTRICT 17 MIKE BURNS (R) Greenville - District 17 mikeburns@schouse.gov

BILL CHUMLEY (R) Spartanburg - District 35 billchumley@schouse.gov

JERRY CARTER (R) Pickens - District 3 jcarter@ncees.org

DISTRICT 10

DISTRICT 36

DISTRICT 24

SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

36 19 20 23 22 21 3 5 24 10 25 27

MAX HYDE (R) Spartanburg - District 32 maxhyde@schouse.gov

DISTRICT 11

STEWART JONES (R) Laurens - District 14 stewartjones@schouse.gov

2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide

6 8

11 South Carolina General Assembly: www.scstatehouse.gov

House Switchboard: 803.734.3000

Correspondence & Mail: The Honorable (Representativeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Name) South Carolina House of Representatives P.O. Box 11867 Columbia, SC 29211

STEVEN LONG (R) Spartanburg - District 37 stevenlong@schouse.gov

DISTRICT 38

DISTRICT 4 DAVEY HIOTT (R) Pickens - District 4 davidhiott@schouse.gov

JONATHON HILL (R) Anderson - District 8 jhill@schouse.gov

DISTRICT 37

PATRICK HADDON (R) Greenville - District 19 patrickhaddon@schouse.gov DISTRICT 32

DOUG GILLIAM (R) Union - District 42 douggilliam@schouse.gov

CRAIG GAGNON (R) Abbeville - District 11 craiggagon@schouse.gov DISTRICT 8

DISTRICT 19

JASON ELLIOTT (R) Greenville - District 22 jasonelliott@schouse.gov

WEST COX (R) Anderson - District 10 westcox@schouse.gov

DISTRICT 14

DISTRICT 23 DISTRICT 42

CHANDRA DILLARD (D) Greenville - District 23 chandradillard@schouse.gov

BOBBY COX (R) Greenville - District 21 bobbycox@schouse.gov DISTRICT 22

NEAL COLLINS (R) Pickens - District 5 nealcollins@schouse.gov

JOSIAH MAGNUSON (R) Spartanburg - District 38 josiahmagnuson@ schouse.gov GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

UPSTATE LEADERSHIP IN THE

ROSALYN HENDERSONMYERS (D) Spartanburg - District 31 rosalynhendersonmyers@ schouse.gov

ROGER NUTT Spartanburg - District 34 roger@rogernutt.com DISTRICT 25

DISTRICT 7

ASHLEY TRANTHAM (R) Greenville - District 28 ashleytrantham@ schouse.gov

JAY WEST (R) Anderson - District 7 jaywest@schouse.gov

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

DISTRICT 18

DISTRICT 27 GARRY SMITH (R) Greenville - District 27 garrysmith@schouse.gov

TOMMY STRINGER (R) Greenville - District 18 tommystringer@schouse.gov DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 28

As outlined by our State’s Constitution, the General Assembly’s annual session begins on the second Tuesday in January and runs through the second Thursday in May.

DISTRICT 6

The South Carolina House of Representatives consists of 124 part-time citizen legislators elected every two years to represent our state’s 124 separate single-member districts.

LEOLA ROBINSONSIMPSON (D) Greenville - District 25 leolarobinsonsimpson@ schouse.gov

BRIAN WHITE (R) Anderson - District 6 brianwhite@schouse.gov

BILL WHITMIRE (R) Oconee - District 1 billwhitmire@schouse.gov

DISTRICT 30 DISTRICT 12

DISTRICT 29

ANNE PARKS (D) Greenwood - District 12 anneparks@schouse.gov DISTRICT 2

34 35

STEVE MOSS (R) Cherokee - District 30 stevemoss@schouse.gov

BILL SANDIFER (R) Oconee - District 2 billsindifer@schouse.gov DISTRICT 9

DENNIS MOSS (R) Cherokee - District 29 dennismoss@schouse.gov

ANNE THAYER (R) Anderson - District 9 annethayer@schouse.gov DISTRICT 16

37 32

ADAM MORGAN (R) Greenville - District 20 adammorgan@schouse.gov

DISTRICT 34

TRAVIS MOORE (R) Spartanburg - District 33 travis@upstatelawsc.com

DISTRICT 31

JOHN MCCRAVY (R) Greenwood - District 13 johnmccravy@schouse.gov

DISTRICT 20

DISTRICT 13

DISTRICT 33

SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARK WILLIS (R) Greenville - District 16 markwillis@schouse.gov

Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide 2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER

LOCAL LEADERSHIP IN THE

DISTRICT 19

Michael Barns (R) District 18 mbarnes@ greenvillecounty.org 864.877.9457

Twelve members, each elected in single member district contests for four year staggered terms.

Willis Meadows (R) District 19 wmeadows@ greenvillecounty.org 864.419.8419

www.GreenvilleCounty.org 864.467.7115

301 University Ridge, Suite 2400 Greenville, SC 29601

22 21 26 23 25

DISTRICT 23

DISTRICT 21

DISTRICT 20

Joe Dill (R) District 17 jdill@ greenvillecounty.org 864.380.6534

DISTRICT 22

DISTRICT 17

DISTRICT 18

GREENVILLE COUNTY COUNCIL

DISTRICT 27

DISTRICT 28

Xanthene Norris (D) District 23 xnorris@ greenvillecounty.org 864.271.6798

DISTRICT 26

Stan Tzouvelekas (R) District 22 stantzo3@ gmail.com 864.630.5252

DISTRICT 25

Chris Harrison (R) District 21 chris@ harrisonforcouncil.com 864.354.9881

DISTRICT 24

Steve Shaw (R) District 20 steve@ steveshawlaw.com 864.834.4404

Liz Seman (R) District 24 lseman@ greenvillecounty.org 864.501.4126

Ennis Fant (D) District 25 efant@ greenvillecounty.org 864.467.2787

Lynn Ballard (R) District 26 lballard@ greenvillecounty.org 864.243.0014

Butch Kirven (R) District 27 bkirven@ greenvillecounty.org 864.228.9300

Dan Tripp (R) District 28 dtripp@ greenvillecounty.org 864.962.1093

LEADERSHIP IN LOCAL

MUNICIPALITIES FOUNTAIN INN

GREER

MAULDIN

SIMPSONVILLE

TRAVELERS REST

MAYOR G.P. McLeer, Jr. WARD 1 John Mahony WARD 2 Jay Thomason WARD 3 Anjeanette (AJ) Dearybury WARD 4 Phil Clemmer WARD 5 Anthony Cunningham WARD 6 Mack Blackstone

MAYOR Rick Danner DISTRICT 1 Jay Arrowood, DISTRICT 2 (Mayor Pro Tem) Wayne Griffin, DISTRICT 3 Mark Hopper DISTRICT 4 Lee Dumas DISTRICT 5 Wryley Bettis DISTRICT 6 Judy Albert

MAYOR Terry Merrit SEAT 1 Taft Matney SEAT 2 Carol King SEAT 3 Jason Kraeling SEAT 4 Michael Reynolds SEAT 5 Dale Black SEAT 6 Diane Kuzniar

MAYOR Paul Shewmaker WARD 1 Matthew Gooch WARD 2 Stephanie Kelley WARD 3 Jenn Hulehan WARD 4 Sherry Roche WARD 5 Ken Cummings WARD 6 Lou Hutchings

MAYOR Brandy Amidon

2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide

COUNCIL Shaniece Criss Kelly Byers Sara Gilstrap Grant Bumgarner Harvey Choplin Brantly Vest Jeff George Rick Floyd

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

LOCAL LEADERSHIP IN THE

MAYOR

GREENVILLE CITY COUNCIL The Greenville City Council consists of a mayor, elected atlarge, and six council members, two of whom are elected atlarge and four who are elected from their respective districts.

Knox White (R) // Mayor kwhite@greenvillesc.gov

864.467.4590

• All members serve a four year term. • Elections are conducted every two years. • Together they constitute the legislative body of the City.

John DeWorken (R) Lillian Brock Flemming (D) Kenneth Gibson (D) District 1 District 2 District 3 jdeworken@ lflemming@ kgibson@ greenvillesc.gov greenvillesc.gov greenvillesc.gov 864.905.5529 864.241.8677 864.326.0450

Wil Brasington (R) District 4 wbrasington@ greenvillesc.gov 864.421.3047

AT-LARGE

DISTRICT 4

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 2

www.greenvillesc.gov // Office of the City Clerk // cpitman@greenvillesc.gov // 864.467.4431

Dorothy Dowe (D)

At-Large Representative

ddowe@ greenvillesc.gov 864.884.4444

Russell Stall (D)

At-Large Representative

rstall@ greenvillesc.gov 864.430.0636

LOCAL LEADERSHIP IN THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SUPERINTENDENT

GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS W. Burke Royster, Ph.D. Superintendent

wroyster@greenville.k12.sc.us 864.355.8860

The Board of Trustees of Greenville County Schools is an elected body, their mission is to ensure excellence in the governance of a quality educational program by analyzing needs, establishing policies, allocating resources, and monitoring progress.

Glenda Morrison-Fair Area 23 gsmf7782@gmail.com 816.529.3579

Area 19 dbush19@aol.com 864.271.9972

Derek Lewis

Secretary, Area 24 derek@lewis4schools.com 864.423.5316

Michelle Goodwin-Calwile Area 25 mgoodwincalwiled25@gmail.com 864.275.6511

Charles J. (Chuck) Saylors Area 20 chucksaylors@gmail.com 864.354.3577

Roger D. Meek

Area 26 rdmeek@bellsouth.net 864.380.8389

AREA 22

AREA 21 Angie Mosley

Area 21 mosleyad@aol.com 864.630.0500

Lynda Leventis-Wells Chair, Area 22 llwells22@gmail.com 864.268.0579

AREA 28

Debi C. Bush

AREA 27

Area 18 sudduthp@bellsouth.net 864.877.0685

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

AREA 20

AREA 19

AREA 18 Patrick L. Sudduth

AREA 26

AREA 23

Area 17 cstyles@ngu.edu 864.270.0339

AREA 25

Carolyn J. Styles

AREA 24

AREA 17

www.greenville.k12.sc.us // 864.355.3100 // 301 E Camperdown Way, Greenville

Sarah Dulin

Area 27 sarahdulin@gmail.com 843.814.1181

Lisa H. Wells

Vice-Chair, Area 28 lisahwells@yahoo.com 864.963.2355

Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide 2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER

GREENVILLE CHAMBER NEWS AND INFORMATION

GUIDE TO LOBBYING ELECTED OFFICIALS MAKE A CALL 1 4 7

2 5 8 0

3 6 9 #

• Calling is the best option if a vote is coming up soon. • Always say who you are, where you’re from (“I live in your district!”), and what role you play in the community (“I own Smith’s Auto Shop.”) • Make your request and be respectful of the official’s time.

WRITE A NOTE • You can advocate by sending a formal letter or a less-formal email. • Keep it relatively short (one page), outline your story, make your request. • Be sure to use the correct salutation (Senator Turner, Congressman Timmons, Councilor Seman). “The Honorable” works for most officials.

WAYS TO ENGAGE

SCHEDULE A MEETING

Tips on engaging with your elected officials to advocate for issues you are passionate about.

• Meeting face-to-face with elected officials or staff is the most effective way to advocate. • Make an appointment – don’t just show up! • Bring people with you. Coalitions do better than individuals. • Attend our legislative events for a less-formal meeting.

ENGAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA • While not as personal or effective as other methods of engagement, social media can be used to advocate. • Twitter is the most used platform among Congressional and Statehouse officials. • Always identify yourself as a constituent.

DO YOUR RESEARCH • Do your homework on the legislator you’re meeting with and be familiar with his or her position and voting record on your issue. • Plan your responses about favorable or unfavorable reactions. • If possible, have supporting documents and data for your position (but you don’t need to be an expert – you are the constituent). • Be ready to answer any arguments from the opposing side.

LISTEN CAREFULLY • Ask the official for his or her position and listen to them carefully. • Be patient and don’t interrupt. • Stay passionate but respectful.

MAKE A REQUEST • Make a specific request. Include a bill or ordinance number if you can. • Communicate why you are asking the official to take a position and how that issue affects you as a constituent. • Give the official real, concrete examples tailored to your community. • Ask directly: “Can we count on your support?”

HOW TO ENGAGE No matter how you choose to communicate with your elected official, you want to be effective with your limited time.

BE SURE TO FOLLOW-UP • Thank them for their service and for taking the time to engage with you. • If a legislator asked for more information, get that information to them ASAP. • If you met with them in person, send a hand-written thank you note after the meeting. 20

2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

UPSTATE LEADERSHIP IN THE

U.S. SENATE & HOUSE

real estate, the modern way

Village of West Greenville 582 Perry Ave Greenville, SC 29611 864.236.4111 GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide 2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER

GREENVILLE CHAMBER NEWS AND INFORMATION

HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW (BEFORE SESSION) PREFILED

FIRST READING

COMMITTED OR RECOMMITTED

AMENDED

SECOND READING

You can forget what you learned in Schoolhouse Rock!, a bill’s journey to becoming a law is actually a complicated one – wrought with twists and turns. That’s why the Chamber has two full-time, dedicated experts to advocate for our Upstate business community.

TABLED, CONTINUED, REJECTED

AMENDED

After 1st Reading

RATIFIED

GOVERNOR

RETURNED TO HOUSE

CONCUR

NON-CONCUR

RECEDE

MESSAGE TO SENATE

CONFERENCE REPORT ADOPTED

INSIST

NO REPORT

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

FREE CONFERENCE REPORT RECEIVED, ADOPTED FREE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE APPOINTED SIGNED OR WITHOUT SIGNATURE VETO

For Chamber Investors, a complicated process becomes simple. • Join a committee. • Take the legislative survey and help shape the Agenda. • Then, let us do the heavy lifting for you. Through every twist and turn, we’re there. 22

COMMITTEE REPORT

THIRD READING

SENATE 3 READINGS

We let you get back to doing what you do best, without having to worry about navigating the political maze. Throughout the year, our lobbyists will attend 100+ meetings and log nearly 1,000 hours on the ground at County Square, the Statehouse, and in Washington fighting for Upstate businesses.

NO REPORT

WITHOUT REFERENCE

AMENDED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

A Small Price for Political Influence

No matter who gets elected to office, our singular focus is being the voice of business with elected leaders. We see our advocacy team as an extension of your team, bringing years of experience, indepth knowledge of the legislative process, and relationships on both sides of the aisle founded on respect.

COMMITTEE REFERENCE

2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide

FREE CONFERENCE POWERS GRANTED

FREE CONFERENCE POWERS REQUESTED (2/3 VOTE)

BECOMES AN ACT VETO OVERRIDDEN VETO SUSTAINED

Flowchart illustrates how a bill, originating in the House of Representatives, becomes a law. GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

UPSTATE LEADERSHIP IN THE

U.S.Fiber SENATEInternet & HOUSE Quality High-Speed Is Coming to Blue Ridge Country! A Joint Venture Dedicated to Making Connections and Improving the Quality of Life for Blue Ridge Electric Co-op Members • Fiber that connects directly to the home • Broadband internet with no glitches! • Superfast 1 GIG (1,000 Mbps) uploads & downloads • Unlimited bandwidth: high speed internet, HDTV, Voice, Business Services • Affordable & reliable, with impeccable customer service • For more information: gigupblueridge.com

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org

Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide 2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER

UPSTATE LEADERSHIP IN THE

U.S. SENATE & HOUSE

The right business policies today pave the way for generations to come.

... Because TOGETHER, WE pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.

We’re pleased to support the Upstate Chamber Coalition’s vital work in fostering business success across the Upstate and beyond.

10 counties. 9 cities. 190+ investor companies. The Upstate SC Alliance brings all of these together to spur innovation and investment in the region. Using our collective resources, #TeamUpstate fuels our rise. Join Us. 24

2021 GREENVILLE CHAMBER Policy Agenda & Advocacy Guide

upstateSCalliance.com

GREENVILLECHAMBER.org