Greetings, I hope you are well and enjoying this South Carolina weather. I am writing to share my perspective on my first year of Session as a South Carolina Senator with you, the citizens of South Carolina Senate District 17. I am working on a legislative review/summary that includes the changes in law, but I wanted to first write more about my experience as a freshman legislator since that is what most people ask me about when I see them. My first year was a whirlwind and one that many folks said was abnormal and more eventful than most. It was an exciting and exhilarating experience, and I was proud of being able to be an effective voice for our district.
To set the stage, South Carolina has 46 State Senators. South Carolina also has 46 Counties. You would think that means each County has a State Senator, but that is not the case. There are 46 Districts with equal population across the state. Some counties have multiple senators and many have just one. District 17 is a perfect example. I represent portions of Lancaster and York counties where I am one of multiple Senators in the County Delegation, but I am the sole Senator for Chester and Fairfield Counties. Our District is a rural district for the most part even with Downtown Rock Hill and Winthrop University being within the District 17 footprint. I often joke with the people in Columbia on the differences between District 17 and other districts. I point out that while all districts have citizens with South Carolina Driver’s Licenses, District 17 is made up mainly of citizens with South Carolina Driver’s Licenses AND South Carolina Birth Certificates (including myself). That distinction is important to me. South Carolina culture is important to me. Church on Sundays, grandma’s cooking, farming, hunting and fishing and many other staples of South Carolina tradition make our State a special place. There can be a big perspective difference between rural legislators with mainly homegrown constituents and developed/developing area legislators with an influx of new citizens. The Greenville and Columbia and Charleston struggles are different than the Chester and Bamberg and Darlington struggles.
To add another layer into the mix, I was fortunate enough to be elected in a freshman class of 13 new Senators. We were told that our freshman class is the largest class of new Senators since reconstruction in the late 1800’s. Seniority is still a big factor in the South Carolina Senate, but with over 28% of the body turning over it means that the Freshmen Senators are much more involved in the body than would typically be the case. I was one of the “flip seats” in which a seat that was held by a democrat turned republican. Simply being a republican immediately gave me a seat at the table in the majority party meetings.
There is also a professional distinction within the legislature. I am an attorney. Out of the 46 Senators, 20 of us are attorneys. Some folks believe there are too many lawyers in the legislature, but the good news is that I got to use my skillset and experience as an attorney for effective representation of South Carolina District 17. Being an attorney and more specifically a small-town general practice attorney has given me an edge in effectiveness in my Senate position. Our practice, with offices in Chester, Richburg and Winnsboro, covers a wide range of subject matter issues and we represent people from all walks of life. I am one of 5 attorneys at Gaston, Marion, Stubbs, Hunter & Swancy, P.A. We handle a lot of real estate closings, have a robust civil litigation practice including anything from injury law to contractual disputes and we are involved in quite a bit of probate and estate planning. In my early years of practice I also represented individuals in family and criminal proceedings.
That wide range of experience has given me an opportunity to be involved in and gain practical experience with many of the issues that we face in the legislature. One perfect example is that in a recent Family and Veteran Affairs Committee hearing it became abundantly clear that I was the only Senator on the committee that had any real-life experience with South Carolina Department of Social Services. It has been years since I dealt with these types of cases, but being appointed to these cases by the Court many times in my early years of practice gave me experience with that area of law. I used that experience to help make meaningful adjustments to SCDSS law in a way that helps children in South Carolina. Senior Senators even thanked me for my help on the issue. It is a pleasure to put my experience to work for you and our State.
We were able to get through some very tough issues this year that have been building for decades. Tort Reform, School Choice and Energy Legislation dominated the calendar time, but we were still able to get other meaningful legislation passed addressing public safety and other important core government functions. The Senate staff was a huge part of our ability to get tough issues moving in the chamber this year. The SC Senate staff is amazing. We have some of the most professional and eager to help individuals in our Senate that I have ever met. All things considered, I was able to put my work experience, my work ethic, my relationship building and my district focused mindset to work for you and our district. I might have been a freshman Senator, but I was told multiple times I did not act like one. I am eager to get back to work next year using everything I learned this year to be even more effective for our district. Thank you for the opportunity to do my part to make South Carolina and District 17 a better place to worship, work, play and raise a family. Stay tuned for a comprehensive legislative update from the 2025 South Carolina legislative year.
God Bless,
Everett B. Stubbs, III, Senator, SC Dist. 17
