South Carolina state representative Peter McCoy will seek a fifth term representing the voters of House District 115 (map) in the S.C. General Assembly, the veteran Lowcountry lawmaker announced this week.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the coastal communities of James Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah Island, and Seabrook Island in the South Carolina House of Representatives,” McCoy said in a statement. “I love this community and pledge to continue to put my heart and soul into representing this House District. I know the people of Charleston, James Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah and Seabrook need to maintain the leadership they have been able to count on in the Legislature.”
McCoy has made a name for himself in recent months after S.C. speaker of the House Jay Lucas put him in charge of handling all House legislation related to #NukeGate – the Palmetto State’s spectacularly failed command economic foray into the nuclear energy business.
He’s also continuing to face some blowback from the legislative leader whose demotion cleared a path for him … although the 39-year-old former assistant solicitor appears to have more friends than enemies within the chamber.
In fact, McCoy (below) is considered a shoo-in to replace outgoing lawmaker Greg Delleney as the chairman of the House judiciary committee – one of the most influential posts in the entire S.C. General Assembly.
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(Via: Provided)
House leaders tell us McCoy has their utmost confidence in this new position.
“Peter McCoy is a competent leader whose mettle was proved during his leadership of the House Utilities Rate Protection Committee,” said S.C. House majority leader Gary Simrill. “He will serve the House well in this new role.”
As noted earlier this week, we haven’t been quite as impressed with McCoy’s leadership on the #NukeGate panel as Simrill – although we do believe he is acting in accordance with what he believes to be the best interests of South Carolina utility ratepayers. Moreover, we think his work will lead to some significant concessions that will ultimately accrue to their benefit – assuming this latest round of legislative meddling doesn’t blow up in lawmakers’ faces.
Hopefully McCoy and his colleagues know the value of the hand they’ve been dealt … or rather the hand they dealt ratepayers a decade ago.
Anyway, McCoy wasn’t in the General Assembly back then – which is why he is able to list his starring role in the #NukeGate drama at the top of his reelection résumé.
“From protecting ratepayers in the nuclear disaster, to ensuring beach re-nourishment efforts continue for our barrier islands, to promoting educational needs for all students, to protecting our children with special needs, to advancing pro-business and pro-jobs legislation, from fighting to strengthen our ethics laws, and working to improve our local and state infrastructure – I am committed to the people and the future of our state,” McCoy said.
We’ve always liked McCoy. In fact, we’ve always believed he is one of several up-and-coming young legislative leaders with the potential to help reinvent South Carolina’s failed legislative state.
They’ve just got to get together and summon the political courage to do so …
For years, “Republicans” in the all-powerful legislative branch of government have been hopelessly addicted to taxing, borrowing and spending on a government that has consistently produced abysmal outcomes – economically, fiscally, educationally and with regards to infrastructure, public safety and other core functions of government.
If the Palmetto State ever hopes to move forward, the status quo must change …
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