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Beaufort County legislators recently convened to discuss the top priorities for this year.
What topped the list? Education funding, state spending, and pension and tax reform. While quite a bit of progress was made in 2011 in each of these areas, the legislators state that there's more work to be done.
The Island Packet got in touch with some of the legislators in order to get their individual beliefs regarding what should be a top priority in 2012, which included:
- Rep. Curtis Brantley, D-Ridgeland - Improving the education system, working to create more job opportunities, and bringing the Jasper Ocean Terminal to the area;
- Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort - Controlling and decreasing state spending, tax reform, and making "South Carolina the most free state" in the country;
- Rep. Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort - Improving the EFA funding formula, lowering South Carolina's overall sales tax, and pension reform; and
- Rep. Andy Patrick, R-Hilton Head Island - Creating "the absolute best learning environment" in our schools, state pension reform, and Medicaid reform.
You can read their opinions in detail at the Packet's report, and if you're interested in letting the legislators above in on your opinions: Contact Brantley here, Davis here, Erickson here, and Patrick here. Additionally, you can get in touch with Rep. Bill Herbkersman, R-Bluffton here; Rep. Kenneth Hodges, D-Green Pond here; and Sen. Clementa Pinckney, D-Ridgeland here.