The Political Beat Candidate Guide: South Carolina House of Representatives District 66

District 66 is located in York County and includes much of the Fort Mill and Tega Cay area.

Heather Hart (D)

What is the top issue in your district and how do you plan to address it?

The current cost of living crisis is hurting us. Expenses are rising but wages are

stagnant. The broken funding formulas mandated by Columbia are accelerating the pain

felt across our community. To address this, we need to examine how Columbia allocates

funding, supports wage growth, and prioritizes our infrastructure to keep commerce

flowing.

What policies will you advocate for to bring down costs?

To provide household relief, South Carolina should start with a cap on annual rate hikes

for investor-owned utility companies. The Rate Stabilization Bill passed last year without

a cap and now utility companies are asking for significant annual jumps. These jumps

affect voters’ bank accounts every single month.

We must further focus our legislative session on a wide range of economic relief options

including: temporary suspension of the gas tax, reigning in high insurance costs,

nutrition assistance for vulnerable families, and childcare tax credits.

What should South Carolina do about data centers?

Data centers have often come into communities through secretive negotiations and with

ambiguous benefit. South Carolina recently announced $9.12 billion of capital

investment; $4.9 billion of that was from two data centers that will result in only 57 new

full time jobs. I support a temporary moratorium on data centers in order to create state wide

recommendations and regulations that protect our environment, power grid, and job

opportunities. Residents must be guarded from any increase in energy costs associated

with these centers. We need to ensure transparency throughout the process so our

Residents can understand all implications and decide what makes sense for their

community.

Should South Carolina expand Medicaid?

65% of South Carolina voters support expanding Medicaid. Expanding Medicaid would

be good for our collective health as well as our pocketbooks. Currently South Carolina

leaves money on the table by not accepting federal expansion funds. Our residents

already pay federal taxes into this program, but they do not receive the benefit.

There are federal incentives available to cover the cost of expansion for the first 2 years

and within a year the new tax revenue generated by the expansion would offset the

majority of expenses. The remaining amount would be covered through budget

reallocation of programs that become obsolete through the expansion.

The expected annual economic output of our state would increase by about $4 billion

and create 20,000+ jobs. Additionally, by allowing more people to seek preventative

care before they are in an ER critically sick, the cost and efficiency of healthcare across

the state would improve. South Carolinians would welcome lower healthcare costs!

What separates you from your opponent?

I am a Democrat but come from a Republican background. The Republican party has

shifted away from beliefs I hold dear. Beliefs that reflect my faith and insist I care for my

community. The Democratic party aligns best with my desire to care for people, but that

does not mean policy will be dictated by the party. The residents of District 66 will

always be my primary focus, not a caucus or a party label.

I decided to run for office when I realized our representation did not reflect the values of

Fort Mill and Tega Cay. Instead, I saw hyped-up culture wars, attacks on school funding,

and local needs ignored. I am a writer and researcher by profession and I will bring those skills in analysis and

communication to the forefront for District 66. I will continue to meet with every segment

of our community and coordinate with local leaders to reflect our values and move our

priorities forward. I will work across party lines to advocate for our community.

If you like the sound of that future, I’d be honored if you vote for me, Heather Hart, on

November 3rd.

Jackie Terribile (R)

We will add a response once it is received.

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