Infrastructure – You will hear this year about our infrastructure (roads & bridges). I sponsored and voted for amendments in last year’s budget to send millions of dollars to our infrastructure needs and take it away from “pork” projects. I will fight for prioritization of funding and will continue to say NO to increasing taxes. Additional revenue should always be the last resort – especially when you have a broken system that needs to be fixed first. I have been rated a “Taxpayer Hero” by several conservative and pro-business groups and received my 2nd “Friend of the Taxpayer Award” from the SC Association of Taxpayers last year. Being a friend of the taxpayer means I am protecting your wallet.

Medicaid – Many of you have heard about Obamacare and the massive tax increases associated with it. Thankfully the Supreme Court ruled it what it always was – a TAX. However, one of the largest price tags that come with its implementation is the expansion of Medicaid in our State. Fortunately, the court ruled the expansion as optional and the States have the right to expand or not. In South Carolina, our K-12 Education expenses are roughly 50% of the state budget and have been since 2001. Medicaid has grown from 14% of state budget to almost 30% in the same amount of time. On its current path, Medicaid is unsustainable and will soon be 50% of our budget – leaving no funding for roads, bridges, police, firemen, disabled children & adults, etc. This is our current situation without even considering the expansion.

My number one priority this coming session is STOPPING Medicaid expansion! Some people will tell you this is “free” money from the federal government and it will help all people be insured. What I can tell you is that it will break our state budget and leave those it is supposed to cover without access to health care, as doctors go out of business and emergency rooms become flooded. We must fix the current system we have before more money is poured into it. As an engineer and business owner, when I see a problem, I work to fix it – not just pass it on to future generations.

Life, Liberty & Property Protection – I plan to support all efforts to protect our individual liberties, private property rights, and life. Plan to oppose any efforts to infringe on either!

You can reach me anytime by email (Shane@SenatorMartin.com) or my cell phone (864-804-8499) – I have a proven record of accessibility.