Last week was the 6th week of the 2020 legislative session. There are 12 legislative weeks remaining before the General Assembly adjourns on May 14, 2020.

Here are the highlights from last week in the Senate –

SANTEE COOPER REPORT – The Senate spent last week hearing from and questioning witnesses regarding the Department of Administration’s report and recommendations on the future of Santee Cooper. The Department and its experts testified on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the CEO of Nextera Energy testified on the bid to purchase Santee Cooper. On Thursday, senators heard from Dominion Energy regarding a proposal to manage Santee Cooper.

The Senate will hear from Santee Cooper on Tuesday, regarding its reform proposal. That hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will be live-streamed here. 

You can read the Department of Administration’s report here.

CONSTITUENT INTERESTS

DO YOU NEED A REAL ID? – SCDMV is now issuing Real ID licenses and identification cards. If you intend to get a Real ID, DMV encourages you to avoid long lines and get the new ID before the September 30, 2020 deadline. So far, about 26% of South Carolinians have a Real ID. Therefore, it is likely that lines will get longer the closer we get to September 30.

WHY WOULD YOU NEED A REAL ID?: To board any commercial airline flight, enter a secure federal building, or visit a military installation on and after October 1, 2020, you must have a REAL ID or another federally approved identification such as a valid US Passport or military ID.

DO YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR CURRENT ID SOON?: There is no need to rush to DMV now. In fact, unless your driver’s license or ID card is expiring, there is really no reason to wait in line to change your card right now. If you do decide to get a Real ID, make sure you take the correct documentation to change your current license or ID card to a Real ID.

In order to purchase a REAL ID, you must bring original or government-issued copies of all of the following:

  • Proof of identity (Government-issued birth certificate or valid US Passport)
  • Proof of SSN (SSN card, W-2, non-1099, 1099)
  • Two Proofs of Current, Physical SC Address (no PO boxes)
  • Proof of All Legal Name Changes (Marriage license(s), divorce decree(s), court order(s); If a customer has a valid US Passport/Passport Card in his or her current, legal name and the name on all other documents match, the valid US Passport/Passport Card be used as this category and proof of identity)

You can get more information about needed documentation at SCDMV’s Real ID page.

SCDOT ROAD PROJECTS – SCDOT now has an interactive map to allow citizens to see the road and bridge projects going on around the state. You can see that map and current projects here.

HOW IS THE GAS TAX BEING USED? –  SCDOT’s website allows you to view a detailed revenue statement and project list that is funded by the Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund (IMTF). SCDOT updates this site monthly as the revenue comes in. You can see that report here.

WANT TO SEE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN ACTION? – The Senate meets in statewide session on Tuesdays at 2:00, Wednesdays at 12:00, and Thursdays at 11:00. Committees and subcommittees meet Tuesday mornings, Wednesday mornings, and Thursday mornings. You can watch live coverage of the Senate, House of Representatives, and committees here.

OUR SENATE DISTRICT – Senate district 25 consists of all of Edgefield County and parts of Aiken, Lexington, McCormick, and Saluda Counties. If you’d like to see the district map, go here.

VOTING RECORD – If you’d like to see how I’ve voted on issues, go here. You can always check to see how I vote by going to my website,www.senatormassey.com, and clicking on the “Voting Record” tab.

SPEAKING WITH GROUPS – Several groups, clubs, and classes around our Senate district have invited me to attend their meetings and provide legislative updates. If you would like for me to come speak with your group, please let me know.

EMAIL UPDATES – If you know of people in or around District 25 who do not receive my updates but would like to get them, please email their names and email addresses to me. You can also forward this email to them and encourage them to sign up for the updates at www.senatormassey.com.

Sincerely,

Shane Massey
P.O. Box 551
Edgefield, SC 29824
Email: shanemassey@scsenate.gov
Cell Phone: (803) 480-0419

P.S.  Please visit www.senatormassey.com for more posts, news, and video updates. Also, please “friend” me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.