Greenville Chamber 2018 Public Policy Guide by Greenville Chamber

MOVING OUR REGION UP THE VALUE CHAIN.

42,000 JOBS IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS The Upstate is poised for continued job growth and enhanced prosperity. It takes the right business climate to seize these opportunities.

Workforce Expansion

Materials Innovation

Foreign-Direct Investment

Technology Innovation

Middle Market Growth

Trade Agreements

Business Growth through Trade

Infrastructure

You, too, can join the 180+ public and private sector partners working to position the 10-county Upstate to excel in the global economy.

For more information, contact Lauren Scoggins, Director of Investor & Public Relations lscoggins@upstatealliance.com or 864.283.2305

www.upstateSCalliance.com

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR As the Voice of Business in the Upstate, the Greenville Chamber is focused on making it easier to do business in Greenville and improving our area’s incredible quality of life. Our team works hard to advocate on behalf of the business community on public policy issues that impact your bottom line. We look ahead to 2018 after a year that included several landmark legislative wins, including the final passage of new, sustainable, and substantial funding for the infrastructure that drives our Upstate economy. The Upstate business community’s engagement in politics is reaching new levels. Our deployment of new software in 2017 gave you quick and easy ways to reach elected officials. More of you contacted your legislators on the road funding issue than on any other issue we’ve tracked. That engagement continued when a record number of people took our legislative survey this fall. The challenges facing your business are coming from all directions. Political gridlock prevents elected officials from solving the problems our nation faces. Political populism and polarization have skewed our discourse and make it harder than ever to seek compromise. Amid all of this, the Chamber’s mission is clearer than ever: “to lead, convene, and mobilize the business community to drive regional economic growth.” Our Advocacy programs do just that. As your advocate in Congress, at the Statehouse, at City Hall, and at County Square, the Greenville Chamber works to promote the issues that are important to our investors and look out for the interests of Upstate business. Together, with our 10 chamber partners across the Upstate, the Upstate Chamber Coalition leverages the power of more than 8,000 businesses and their 300,000 employees to get things done. On the following pages, we outline our federal, state, and local agendas for 2018. Each year, the Upstate Chamber Coalition creates a unified state and federal agenda that guides our advocacy efforts. This year, we held nearly two dozen “listening tour” meetings with our investors and partners. After we listened to your needs, we compiled everything into an online survey, and a record number of businesses participated. The results were clear, and the agenda items we lay out in the following pages are what the Greenville business community told us is important to you. Beyond Congress and the Statehouse, the Greenville Chamber adds our local agenda, focused on overcoming the challenges created by our rapid development. We watch out for you locally because the decisions made at City Hall and County Square are frequently more impactful, and happen more quickly, than those made hundreds of miles away. Thank you for your support of the Greenville Chamber. We look forward to hearing from you this year!

TABLE OF CONTENTS GUIDING PRINCIPLES ADVOCACY AGENDA 3 Federal Agenda 4 State Agenda 7 Local Agenda

ADVOCACY COMMITTEES 8 Get Involved 9 Committee Listing

LEGISLATIVE REPORT 10 Senate 1 1 House of Representatives

DIRECTORY OF OFFICIALS 12 13 14 15 17 18

Federal Officials State Officials Senate House of Representatives Greenville County Council Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees 19 City Officials

MEETING OFFICIALS

Dr. Keith Miller, 2018 Board Chair, Greenville Chamber

GUIDING PRINCIPLES The Upstate business community must do all we can to shape the direction of our community and the policies we need to extend our economic progress in this age of political uncertainty. The Greenville Chamber will make it easier to do business in our region so our investors may grow and create jobs. We will keep that focus whether we are debating trade deals with distant countries, working on reforming our burdensome tax system, or working for more efficient transit to move our neighbors.

Dr. Keith Miller 2018 Board Chair Max Metcalf Vice Chair of Business Advocacy Milton Shockley Chair, Business Advocacy Committee James Akers Chair, Small Business Policy Council Carlos Phillips President/CEO

“Few relationships are as critical to the business enterprise itself as the relationship to government… To a large extent the relationship to government results from what businesses do or fail to do.” - Peter Drucker S T A N D 11

Chambers

S U P P O R T More than

8,000 businesses

Jason Zacher Senior Vice President of Business Advocacy (864) 239.3718 (office) (864) 787.6608 (cell) jzacher@greenvillechamber.org @jasonczacher Katie Busbee Director of Legislative Affairs (864) 239.3748 (office) (803) 261.9324 (cell) kbusbee@greenvillechamber.org

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

UCC MEMBER CHAMBERS: Anderson Area Chamber Cherokee County Chamber Clemson Area Chamber Greater Greer Chamber Greater Easley Chamber Greenville Chamber Greenwood Chamber Laurens County Chamber Oconee County Chamber Simpsonville Area Chamber Spartanburg Area Chamber

CHAMPION More than

300,000 employees

PUBLISHED BY The Brand Leader Copyright @2018 by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and The Brand Leader. All foreign and U.S. rights reserved. Contents of this publication, including images, may not be reproduced without written consent from the publisher.

2018 ADVOCACY AGENDA // FEDERAL

The Upstate has deep ties to countries around the world, and we are home to more than 500 foreign-owned companies from 34 countries. This makes foreign trade a vital part of our economy. We also oppose burdensome federal regulations that make it more costly to do business.

UNITED STATES FEDERAL AGENDA

Trade Immigration

International trade has powered the Upstate’s economic renaissance. Exports drive more than $12 billion in economic activity and support more than 64,000 Upstate jobs.

We support NAFTA and other trade deals that will expand the Upstate’s exports. We strongly support restoring the Export-Import Bank’s ability to finance major projects and urge the President to nominate, and the U.S. Senate to confirm, nominees who support the Bank.

Regulation

The burden of Federal Government regulation is a top issue for Upstate employers. There is a $2 trillion compliance cost to business nationwide, and there have been more than 180,000 new regulations since 1976—promulgated by all administrations and parties.

We support the ongoing administrative review of federal regulations to ensure they are both still needed and can be changed to ease the burden on businesses. We support legislation that will require immediate stays on regulations with a major economic impact pending judicial review.

Transportation & Infrastructure

South Carolina has dealt with underfunded and crumbling infrastructure head-on, and it’s time for the Federal Government to do the same. Both presidential campaigns promised new infrastructure funding in 2016, but no action has been taken. In 2018, it is essential that Congress address this issue.

Immigration has long been the lifeblood of the American economy. Today, immigration brings a disproportionate number of entrepreneurs into the economy and is bringing in young workers to offset the large retiring population of Baby Boomers. We urge Congress to work on common sense immigration reform that addresses the long-term needs of the American economy. More legal immigration is needed to help our economy grow and create jobs. We ask Congress and the Trump Administration to expand legal immigration beyond the restricted amount available per year and reform programs such as the H-1B and L-1 visa programs. Beginning in March, 1,000 workers a day will lose their ability to work if the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is allowed to end. Congress needs to take immediate action to keep these workers in our country.

Tax Reform

The last time Congress tackled Tax Reform, Top Gun was a hit in theaters. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform our burdensome tax system, make it fairer to taxpayers, and ease our extremely high tax rates on small businesses. The Upstate Chamber Coalition urges Congress to enact a tax reform plan that will make our tax code simpler and fairer to small businesses – notably by reducing the tax on “pass-through” income that nearly 95 percent of small businesses and sole proprietorships pay.

The Upstate Chamber Coalition support efforts to pass increased and long-term funding legislation to repair our crumbling road and transit infrastructure. We also support the continued appropriation of federal funds to assist with the Charleston Port deepening project.

STATE

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE AGENDA EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

The Greenville Chamber leads the Upstate Chamber Coalition, which was created to present a unified voice for the Upstate business community in the General Assembly. Each year, we create a joint agenda that pushes job-creating reforms at the Statehouse.

The Upstate is one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions, and our job growth is rapidly outpacing our available workforce. Our region needs to look at innovative ways to expand our workforce and educate the next generation of workers.

Expungement

We support the final passage of H. 3209—the expansion of expungement for one-time, non-violent drug offenders to expand our workforce.

Workforce Housing

We support the passage of H. 3867 that allows new, market-based avenues so local builders and developers can more easily partner with non-profits to build critical housing for our workforce.

“K-16” Education Funding

The Coalition urges the General Assembly to increase funding for education from K-12 to our technical colleges and to our research universities. In a knowledge-based economy, we need affordable and accessible education options.

Licensing

There are 7,000 ready, willing, and able workers in South Carolina who are permitted to work under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. With a shortage of workers across the state, the General Assembly needs to allow these students to receive state licenses for licensed professions.

PENSION CRISIS

PUBLIC TRUST

Our state’s unfunded public pension liability is a fiscal crisis that could dramatically increase costs for the business community. Reforms made in 2017 relieved some pressure on the system so that the General Assembly may tackle the systemic problems. The General Assembly must minimize the impact on local government —and private sector tax rates—because of the state’s unrealistic pension expectations. Failure to address this crisis will mean fewer resources to apply to education, infrastructure, and public safety.

South Carolina faces a crisis of public trust in our elected officials. The vast majority of our honest, hard-working public servants need to immediately close loopholes and tighten our ethics laws to restore faith in our state government.

2018 ADVOCACY AGENDA // STATE

We scored a major victory in 2017 with the passage of comprehensive infrastructure funding legislation. While we continue the implementation of that road funding plan, it is important to recognize that infrastructure is no longer simply lane miles and asphalt. We need to turn our attention to the rest of our infrastructure so we may continue to power our economy.

Commercial Aviation

The General Assembly should create a Statewide Commercial Service Airport funding program to assist our state’s airports in making key capital improvements and to support economic development. We suggest a steady, dedicated stream of funding—such as the tax on rental cars—be allocated to this program.

Mass Transit

INFRASTRUCTURE

Capital Projects

Our major cities are some of the fastest-growing in the nation. The General Assembly must give municipalities the ability to enact capital projects sales taxes by referendum—the same power currently given to counties—so they can fund critical infrastructure if the state is unwilling or unable to do so.

Transit is not a social service; it is an economic development and retention imperative. As the Amazon HQ2 project clearly stated, functioning mass transit is important to business. If our state is going to attract headquarter companies, and compete with larger metropolitan areas for jobs, it is critical that the General Assembly begin increasing state support for mass transit in our metro areas.

The Greenville Chamber will work at the state and local levels to cut red tape for small business, make our region more economically competitive, and lower the barriers to entry for local entrepreneurs.

High-Impact Company Incentives

South Carolina is aggressive in attracting manufacturing jobs— and we must continue to do so. The Coalition supports S. 404, which will re-vamp our corporate incentive programs to focus on the high-impact companies which do not qualify for traditional incentive packages that focus on costly infrastructure.

Angel Investor Tax Credit Expansion

TAXES & REGULATION Business License Fees

The Greenville Chamber supports streamlining and standardizing the business license fee process. We oppose intentional efforts to negatively impact municipal revenue since cities do not have full taxing authority. We will also aggressively seek compromise on which entity manages an online payment portal.

The General Assembly needs to immediately reauthorize the successful Angel Investor Tax Credit program (H. 4035/S. 588) that encourages South Carolinians to fund our own high-impact start-up companies.

South Carolina is consistently rated in the bottom half of states for legal climate. While the General Assembly has undertaken some landmark reforms over the past decade, we need to undertake several initiatives to make our legal system fairer to the business community.

Joint and Several Protections

The General Assembly needs to re-institute “joint and several” protections for businesses to reasonably reflect fault in tort actions—not simply penalize small businesses for having deep pockets.

TORT REFORM

Automatic Stay

We support S. 105, legislation that will create a timeline for automatic stays in pending lawsuits against development projects. Currently, there is no timeline, and many stays are essentially indefinite.

Nuisance Lawsuits

We support H. 3653, legislation that will protect existing, permitted manufacturing. This bill will lower legal costs and create more certainty for our manufacturers and homeowners.

driving success from day one.

From apprenticeship programs and co-ops to scholars programs and customized training on demand, Greenville Technical College is your #1 source for the workforce of tomorrow. We develop well-rounded students so that businesses get well-rounded employees who are ready on day one. Over 400 companies and nearly 30,000 students turn to Greenville Technical College's 100+ programs spanning academics and Economic Development & Corporate Training. Shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you?

gvltec.edu/building_your_business

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2018 ADVOCACY AGENDA // LOCAL

GREENVILLE, S.C. LOCAL AGENDA Greenlink

The City of Greenville and Greenville County need to create a plan that will expand the hours of operation for Greenlink to better serve our employers and their employees. This should be a first step toward a long-term plan to bring Greenlink funding to the level of our peer cities so our workers have public transit options to take advantage of jobs, healthcare, and education.

TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE

Regional Planning

We urge communities across the Upstate to support regional efforts to plan for our future road, air, and transit needs.

We support market-based efforts to expand the availability and affordability of housing options in our community for young professionals and working families.

Greenville is the fastest-growing city east of Texas. With that rapid growth comes the immediate need for the City of Greenville, Greenville County, and our special purpose districts to address bottlenecks while preserving our regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-term growth plans.

Permitting

We urge all local governments, cities, counties, and our fire and sewer districts to improve the speed of the permitting process while maintaining long-term plans for growth management. We appreciate the concrete moves Greenville County took in this area in 2017.

WORKFORCE HOUSING

PERMITTING / GROWTH Sewer Service

We ask Greenville County to fund a study to examine the consolidation of our sewer districts in order to promote economic growth, save precious tax dollars, and protect the environment.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED // ADVOCACY COMMITTEES

HOW TO GET INVOLVED BECOME AN ADVOCATE

The Greenville Chamber needs your voice. Your investment in the Chamber gives you two full-time government affairs professionals representing you in Congress, at the Statehouse, in County Square, and in City Hall. We need your help to ensure that pro-business policies are enacted at all levels of government, which will make it easier for you to grow your business.

Join our Advocacy Committees

Visit our Action Center

Stay Informed by Joining our Grassroots List

Lobby with us in D.C. and Columbia

The Greenville Chamber has five issuebased Advocacy committees you can get engaged with: Business Advocacy, Healthcare Issues, Transportation and Infrastructure Issues, Environmental Issues, and the Small Business Policy Council. These committees are an opportunity to hear from experts in these policy areas, talk with your local elected officials, and stay abreast of new legislation and regulations. The Business Advocacy committee and Small Business Policy Council also help craft the Chamber’s Legislative Agenda and Local Policy Agenda. These committees are open to all chamber investors and are a perfect first step for getting involved. More info on these committees can be found on the next page.

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 weekly updates from the Chamber’s Advocacy staff on legislation that affects business, and where it is in the legislative process. These weekly updates are jargon free, and give you a snapshot of what the Chamber is watching and working on. They will also let you know of upcoming legislative events from our 11 chambers in the Upstate Chamber Coalition. If you’d like to be added to our Grassroots list, email Katie Busbee at kbusbee@greenvillechamber.org

As legislation moves through the legislative process, we often call on Chamber investors to help our bills clear legislative hurdles. You can advocate for pro-business legislation, or squash antibusiness legislation by visiting our Action Center at www.upstatechamber.org. There you can find issues the Chamber is working on that need action from you! You can also use the Action Center to locate your elected officials, from city council to Congress, along with their contact information. Of course, you don’t have to wait for a Call-to-Action from us to advocate for your business—we’ve put together a how-to guide on effectively setting up meetings, crafting your message, and lobbying for your issues, which you can find in the back of this manual. Advocating for your business is one of the best ways to get involved in shaping policy.

In 2018, you’ll have the opportunity to visit D.C. and Columbia with us to lobby on issues important to your business. Our D.C. National Issues Forum will be in September 2018, and our UCC Advocacy Day at the Statehouse will be on February 28th, 2018. These trips are a great opportunity to meet with your elected officials and talk about issues that affect your business and see the legislative process up-close. The Chamber also holds many other Advocacy events throughout the year: whether you’re interested in running for office, want to learn more about a policy issue, or would like to meet members of your local, state, and federal delegations, our events offer all of these opportunities and more. For more on our D.C. National Issues Forum, UCC Advocacy at the Statehouse, or other events, please visit www. upstatechamber.org.

2018 ADVOCACY COMMITTEES // LISTING

ADVOCACY COMMITTEES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Interested in joining one of our committees? Our Business Advocacy Committees are open to any Chamber investor.

Business Advocacy Committee

Get your Politics Fix: Our Business Advocacy Committee is an opportunity to receive legislative updates from the local, state, and federal levels of government, hear from policy experts, and develop relationships with your elected officials. Chair: Milton Shockley

Transportation & Infrastructure Issues Committee

A 21st Century Infrastructure: The Transportation Committee often hosts guest presentations on important infrastructure issues such as road projects, rail, air service, public transportation, the port, and their impact on local economic development. Chair: Bob Knight

Healthcare Issues Committee

Building a Healthy Greenville: The Healthcare Committee provides a forum for discussion on issues of policy, affordability, access to care, and clinical topics to improve the healthcare of the greater Greenville area. This committee will meet the second half of 2018. Chair: TBA

Environmental Issues Committee

The Intersection of Industry and Compliance: The Environmental Issues Committee often hosts speakers from SCDHEC and industry leaders to talk about water and air quality, energy, regulatory compliance, and other related topics. Chair: Charlie Isham

Small Business Policy Council

Overcome Red Tape: The Small Business Policy Council informs, creates, and guides our efforts in engaging local government, and crafts solutions to obstacles small business owners face in starting and growing their businesses. Chair: James Akers, Jr.

All of our committees meet from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Please visit www.greenvillechamber.org for specific dates and locations. Dates and times are subject to change.

SENATE & HOUSE REPORT // LEGISLATIVE REPORT

2017

SENATE & HOUSE REPORTS SEE HOW YOU’RE AFFECTED

H. 3516 Road Funding Second Reading

H. 3516 Road Funding Conference Report

H. 3516 Veto Override

H. 3358 Real I.D.

H. 3726 Pension Reform

S. 105 Automatic Stay

S. 114 Non-Profit Alcohol

S. 118 Magistrate Jurisdiction

S. 28 Supt of Education Enacting Legislation

S. 404 High-Impact Co. Tax Credits

H. 3969 Education Standards

The business community scored a number of major legislative victories in 2017, including the passage of a long-term funding plan for our road infrastructure. Here is how the Upstate legislative delegation voted on the business community’s priorities during the last legislative session

Alexander, Thomas

R-Walhalla

YES

Allen, Karl

D-Greenville

YES

Cash, Richard 1

R-Powdersville

Corbin, Tom

R-Travelers Rest

YES

Gambrell, Mike

R-Honea Path

YES

Martin, Shane

R-Pauline

YES

Nicholson, Floyd

D-Greenwood

YES

Peeler, Harvey

R-Gaffney

YES

Reese, Glenn

D-Spartanburg

YES

Rice, Rex

R-Pickens

YES

Talley, Scott

R-Spartanburg

YES

Timmons, William

R-Greenville

YES

Turner, Ross

R-Greenville

YES

Verdin, Danny

R-Laurens

YES

SENATE REPORT

1 Richard Cash took over in May for Kevin Bryant, who was elevated to Lt. Governor.

H. 3516 Road Funding Second Reading

H. 3516 Road Funding Conference Report

H. 3516 Veto Override

H. 3209 Expungement

H. 3653 Nuisance Lawsuits

H. 3726 Pension Reform

S. 114 Non-Profit Alcohol

H. 3146 Supt. of Education Const. Amend.

H. 3358 Real I.D. Concur w/ Senate

H. 3969 Education Standards

Allison, Rita

R-Lyman

YES

Anthony, Mike

D-Union

YES

Bannister, Bruce

R-Greenville

YES

Bedingfield, Eric

R-Belton

YES

Burns, Mike

R-Travelers Rest

YES

Chumley, Bill

R-Woodruff

YES

Clary, Gary

R-Clemson

YES

Cole, Derham

R-Spartanburg

YES

Collins, Neal

R-Easley

YES

Dillard, Chandra

D-Greenville

YES

Elliott, Jason

R-Greenville

YES

Forrester, Mike

R-Spartanburg

YES

Gagnon, Craig

R-Abbeville

YES

Hamilton, Dan

R-Greenville

YES

Henderson, Phyllis

R-Greenville

YES

Hill, Jonathon

R-Townville

YES

Hiott, David

R-Pickens

YES

Loftis, Dwight

R-Greenville

YES

Long, Steven

R-Boiling Springs

YES

Magnuson, Josiah

R-Landrum

YES

McCravy, John

R-Greenwood

YES

Mitchell, Harold

D-Spartanburg

YES

Moss, Dennis

R-Gaffney

YES

Moss, Steve

R-Blacksburg

YES

Parks, Anne

D-Greenwood

YES

Pitts, Mike

R-Laurens

YES

Putnam, Joshua

R-Powdersville

YES

Robinson-Simpson, Leola

D-Greenville

YES

Sandifer, Bill

R-Seneca

YES

Smith, Garry

R-Simpsonville

YES

Stringer, Tommy

R-Greer

YES

Tallon, Eddie

R-Spartanburg

YES

Thayer, Anne

R-Anderson

YES

West, Jay

R-Belton

YES

White, Brian

R-Anderson

YES

Whitmire, Bill

R-Walhalla

YES

Willis, Mark

R-Fountain Inn

YES

HOUSE REPORT

X =Did not vote or absent A=Absent P=Present

SOUTH CAROLINA FEDERAL OFFICIALS // DIRECTORY

SOUTH CAROLINA FEDERAL OFFICIALS GENERAL INFORMATION

South Carolina has two U.S. Senators and seven Congressmen. Three of these Congressional districts cover the Upstate.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R) D.C. Office: (202) 224.5972 Upstate Office: (864) 250.1417 District Staff: Van Cato, State Director Laura Turner, Upstate Regional Director

Senator Tim Scott (R) D.C. Office: (202) 224.6121 Upstate Office: (864) 233.5366 District Staff: Danielle Gibbs, Regional Director Seth Blanton, Constituent Services

Congressman Jeff Duncan (R-3) D.C. Office: (202) 225.5301 Anderson Office: (864) 224.7401 Laurens Office: (864) 681.1028 District Staff: Rick Adkins, Deputy Chief of Staff Elizabeth Edwards, Regional Director

Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-4) D.C. Office: (202) 225.6030 Greenville Office: (864) 241.0175 Spartanburg Office: (864) 583.3264 District Staff: Cindy Crick, Chief of Staff Missy House, Field Representative

Congressman Ralph Norman (R-5) D.C. Office: (202) 225.5501 Rock Hill Office: (803) 327.1114 District Staff: David Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal

DIRECTORY // SOUTH CAROLINA STATE OFFICIALS

GOVERNOR

Henry McMaster (R)

Phone: (803) 734.2100 www.governor.sc.gov LT. GOVERNOR

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE OFFICIALS

Kevin Bryant (R)

Phone: (803) 734.2080 www.ltgov.sc.gov ADJUTANT GENERAL

Major General Robert E. Livingston Jr. (R)

(803) 299.4200 www.scguard.com

ATTORNEY GENERAL

GENERAL INFORMATION All statewide elected offices will be up for election in 2018. Note: Because of Constitutional Amendments, the Lieutenant Governor and Adjutant General will be appointed by the Governor and will no longer be elected in 2018.

Alan Wilson (R)

(803) 734.3970 www.scag.gov

COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE

Hugh E. Weathers (R)

(803) 734.2210 www.agriculture.sc.gov

COMPTROLLER GENERAL

Richard Eckstrom (R)

(803) 734.2121 www.cg.sc.gov

SECRETARY OF STATE

Mark Hammond (R)

(803) 734.2170 www.scsos.com

STATE TREASURER

Curtis Loftis (R)

(803) 734.2101 www.treasurer.sc.gov SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION

Molly Spearman (R)

(803) 734.8500 www.ed.sc.gov

UPSTATE SENATE // DIRECTORY

SENATE These are the 14 State Senators from the eight county Upstate Chamber Coalition area.

SENATE SWITCHBOARD:

(803) 212.6200

Shane Martin

(R-Spartanburg) - District 13 shanemartin@scsenate.gov

Floyd Nicholson

(D-Greenwood) - District 10 floydnicholson@scsenate.gov

SEND MAIL TO:

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

Harvey Peeler

(R-Cherokee) - District 14 harveypeeler@scsenate.gov

Glenn Reese

(D-Spartanburg) - District 11 glennreese@scsenate.gov

Thomas Alexander

(R-Oconee) - District 1 thomasalexander@scsenate.gov

Karl Allen

(D-Greenville) - District 7 karlallen@scsenate.gov

Richard Cash

(R-Anderson) - District 3 richardcash@scsenate.gov

Tom Corbin

(R-Greenville) - District 5 tomcorbin@scsenate.gov

Mike Gambrell

(R-Anderson) - District 4 mikegambrell@scsenate.gov

Rex Rice

(R-Pickens) - District 2 rexrice@scsenate.gov

Scott Talley

(R-Spartanburg) - District 12 scotttalley@scsenate.gov

William Timmons

(R-Greenville) - District 6 williamtimmons@scsenate.gov

Ross Turner

(R-Greenville) - District 8 rossturner@scsenate.gov

Danny Verdin

(R-Laurens) - District 9 dannyverdin@scsenate.gov

DIRECTORY // UPSTATE HOUSE

Rita Allison

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

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES These are the 37 State House members from the eight county Upstate Chamber Coalition area.

Mike Anthony

(D-Union) - District 42 michaelanthony@schouse.gov

HOUSE SWITCHBOARD: (803) 734.3000 SEND MAIL TO:

Bruce Bannister

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

Mike Burns

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

Bill Chumley

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

Gary Clary

(R-Pickens) - District 3 garyclary@schouse.gov

Derham Cole

(R-Spartanburg) - District 32 derhamcole@schouse.gov

Neal Collins

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

Chandra Dillard

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

Jason Elliott

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

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

Mike Forrester

(R-Spartanburg) - District 34 mikeforrester@schouse.gov

Craig Gagnon

(R-Abbeville) - District 11 craiggagnon@schouse.gov

Dan Hamilton

(R-Greenville) - District 20 danhamilton@schouse.gov

Phyllis Henderson

(R-Greenville) - District 21 phyllishenderson@schouse.gov

Jonathon Hill

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

Davey Hiott

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

Dwight Loftis

(R-Greenville) - District 19 dwightloftis@schouse.gov

UPSTATE HOUSE // DIRECTORY

Steven Long

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

Josiah Magnuson

(R-Spartanburg) - District 38 josiahmagnuson@schouse.gov

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

Tommy Stringer

(R-Greenville) - District 18 tommystringer@schouse.gov

Rosalyn Henderson Myers

Eddie Tallon

John McCravy

Anne Thayer

(D-Spartanburg) - District 31 votehendersonmyers@gmail.com

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

Dennis Moss

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

(R-Spartanburg) - District 33 eddietallon@schouse.gov

(R-Anderson) - District 9 annethayer@schouse.gov

Ashley Trantham*

(R-Pelzer) - District 28 ashleytrantham@schouse.gov

Steve Moss

Jay West

Anne Parks

Brian White

Mike Pitts

Bill Whitmire

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

(D-Greenwood) - District 12 anneparks@schouse.gov

(R-Laurens) - District 14 mikepitts@schouse.gov

Joshua Putnam

(R-Anderson) - District 10 joshuaputnam@schouse.gov

Leola Robinson-Simpson

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

Bill Sandifer

(R-Oconee) - District 2 billsandifer@schouse.gov

Garry Smith

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

(R-Anderson) - District 9 brianwhite@schouse.gov

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

Mark Willis

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

* Ashley Trantham takes office in mid-January, following the resignation of Representative Eric Bedingfield.

DIRECTORY // GREENVILLE COUNTY COUNCIL

Bob Taylor (R-22)

btaylor@greenvillecounty.org (864) 414.7219

GREENVILLE COUNTY COUNCIL

Butch Kirven (R-27)

Chairman bkirven@greenvillecounty.org (864) 963.7616

Mike Barnes (R-18)

mbarnes@greenvillecounty.org (864) 963.7616

GENERAL INFORMATION Greenville County Council consists of 12 council members. Together they constitute the legislative body for the county. PHONE: (864) 467.7115

www.greenvillecounty.org

Lynn Ballard (R-26)

lballard@greenvillecounty.org (864) 243.0014

Rick Roberts (R-21)

rroberts@greenvillecounty.org (864) 877-9755

Sid Cates (R-20)

scates@greenvillecounty.org (864) 268.2725

Joe Dill (R-17)

jdill@greenvillecounty.org (864) 895.2243

Ennis Fant (D-25)

efant@greenvillecounty.org (864) 467-2787

Willis Meadows (R-19)

Vice Chairman wmeadows@greenvillecounty.org (864) 419.8419

Xanthene Norris (D-23)

Chairman Pro Tempore xnorris@greenvillecounty.org (864) 271.6798

Fred Payne (R-28)

fpayne@greenvillecounty.org (864) 963.1564

Liz Seman (R-24)

lseman@greenvillecounty.org (864) 421.0837

GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS BOARD OF TRUSTEES // DIRECTORY

GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS BOARD OF TRUSTEES GENERAL INFORMATION 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.

www.greenville.k12.sc.us W. Burke Royster, Ph.D. Superintendent wroyster@greenville.k12.sc.us (864) 355.8860

Debi C. Bush, Secretary, Area 19 dbush19@aol.com (864) 271.9972

Glenda Morrison-Fair, Area 23 gsmf7782@gmail.com (863) 232.1320

Michelle Goodwin-Calwile, Area 25 mgoodwincalwiled25@gmail.com (864) 275-6511

Crystal Ball Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Vice-Chair, Area 27 crystalball.oconnor@gmail.com (864) 979.8554

Joy Grayson, Area 17 joy@joy4education.com (864) 421.4650

Danna Rohleder, Area 21 Danna.rohleder@gmail.com (864) 616.4389

Lynda Leventis-Wells, Area 22 llwells22@gmail.com (864) 268.0579

Charles J. (Chuck) Saylors, Area 20 chucksaylors@gmail.com (864) 354.3577

Derek Lewis, Area 24 derek@lewis4schools.com (864) 423.5316

Patrick L. Sudduth, Area 18 sudduthp@bellsouth.net (864) 877.0685

Roger D. Meek, Area 26 Rdmeek@bellsouth.net (864) 233.8587

Lisa H. Wells, Chair, Area 28 lisahwells@yahoo.com (864) 963.2355

September 5-7, 2018 Washington, DC Join business leaders from across the Upstate for three days of policy work and lobbying on Capitol Hill. Get up close with top elected officials, staff, and DC personalities as we push the issues that will move the Upstate forward.

Registration opens in February www.upstatechamber.org

GREENVILLE CITY OFFICIALS GENERAL INFORMATION The City Council consists of the mayor and six council members. The mayor and two council members are elected at-large, while the remaining four council members are elected from single-member districts. Together they constitute the legislative body of the City. The city of Greenville operates under the CouncilManager form of government.

Office of City Clerk cpitman@greenvillesc.gov (864) 467.4431

Knox White R-Mayor kwhite@greenvillesc.gov (864) 467.4590 Jil Littlejohn Mayor pro tempore D-District 3 jlittlejohn@greenvillesc.gov

George Fletcher R-At Large gfletcher@greenvillesc.gov Russell Stall D-At Large rstall@greenvillesc.gov

Amy Ryberg Doyle R-District 1 adoyle@greenvillesc.gov

Lillian Brock Flemming D-District 2 lflemming@greenvillesc.gov

Wil Brasington R-District 4 wilbrasington@gmail.com

DIRECTORY // UPSTATE CITY OFFICIALS

FOUNTAIN INN

Sam Lee, Mayor sam.lee@fountaininn.org • (864) 862.4421 John Mahony, Ward 1 Michael Maier, Ward 2 Rose Ann Woods, Ward 3

Phil Clemmer, Ward 4 Anthony Cunningham, Ward 5 Matthew King, Ward 6

GREER

Rick Danner, Mayor rdanner@cityofgreer.org • (864) 801.2027 Jay Arrowood, District 1 Wayne Griffin, District 2 Mayor pro tempore

Kimberly Bookert, District 3 Lee Dumas, District 4 Wryley Bettis, District 5 Judy Albert, District 6

MAULDIN

Dennis Raines, Mayor mayorraines@mauldincitysc.com • (864) 505.5417 Taft Matney, Seat 1 Carol King, Seat 2 Terry Merritt, Seat 3

Scott Crosby, Seat 4 Dale Black, Seat 5 Larry Goodson, Seat 6

SIMPSONVILLE

Janice Curtis, Mayor mayorcurtis@simpsonville.com • (864) 619.8445 Matthew Gooch, Ward 1 Stephanie Kelley, Ward 2 Jenn Hulehan, Ward 3

Sherry Roche, Ward 4 Ken Cummings, Ward 5 Lou Hutchings, Ward 6

TRAVELERS REST Brandy Amidon, Mayor (864) 834.8740

Grant Bumgarner Kelly Byers Harvey Choplin

Rick Floyd Jeff George Brantley Vest

INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICY // MEETING OFFICIALS

MEETING OFFICIALS SOUTH CAROLINA STATE AGENDA

APPOINTMENT

• Make an appointment. Don’t just show up. • Give staff your contact information. In Columbia or Washington, schedules change fast. Meetings are commonly moved or delayed. • Bring several people with you. Coalitions do better than singles.

Meeting face-to-face with elected officials or their staff is the most effective way to influence public policy. It will often take many visits, emails, phone calls, and other contacts to influence a position on a piece of legislation. Far too many people in politics today are confrontational, inconsiderate, and entitled, so politeness, consideration, and gratitude can go a long way toward wielding influence. The tips below can help guide you toward a successful visit.

RESEARCH

• Check an official’s website and Google for their positions before the meeting. • Check your legislator’s voting record at scstatehouse.gov. • Plan your responses about favorable or unfavorable votes. Be polite and don’t comment off-the-cuff.

FOCUS

• Be on time. Legislators have a lot of demands on their time. If you’re late, you may not get another meeting. • Stay on topic. Don’t use jargon or acronyms. Speak about one issue at a time. • You don’t need to be an expert, you’re their constituent.

LISTEN

REQUEST

• Ask the legislator for their position and listen carefully.

• Make as specific a request as you can. “Please vote for H. XXXX” or “Please introduce legislation that will XXXXXX.”

• Thank them again for their service and for taking your meeting.

• Give them real, concrete examples, tailored as closely as you can to your local community, of why a bill should be supported, defeated, or introduced.

• Thank the staff. They’re the ones who can get you in again, or “forget” to pass along a message.

• Be patient and don’t interrupt. • Stay passionate, but respectful, about your issue. • Always remain polite and respectful.

THANK YOU

• Tell them you appreciate them “fitting you in” to their schedule.

POSITIVE

• Thank them for their service—no matter what you think of their record. • Find common ground (through your research) where you can start the discussion. • Don’t react negatively if you don’t like something that is said.

FOLLOW-UP

• If a legislator asked for more information, get that information and send it along ASAP. • Send a hand-written note thanking them for the meeting. This is the South, after all.

If a legislator asks you something you don’t know, simply say: “I don’t know, but I will get you that answer.” Then, get him or her the answer ASAP.

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The political landscape is constantly changing.

What can you do to ensure our elected officials represent our interests in Columbia?

BIGPAC advocates for the Greenville business community, the free market, and expanding our economy. Your contribution ensures support for public officials who share those values In 2016,

87%

of BIGPAC endorsed candidates won their races.

BIGPAC 22

Business and Industry in Greenville Political Action Committee

JOIN US! 2018 Legislative Kickoff Monday, January 8th 5:00 p.m. Aloft Hotel featuring Special Guests

HOUSE SPEAKER JAY LUCAS

and the Greenville Legislative Delegation For more information and to register: