Senator Jeff Zell

Law enforcement and first responders, please attend if you can.

This is great training and will likely result in the saving of many lives.

Law enforcement and first responders are encouraged to join us on July 30th in Columbia for the Preventing Domestic Violence Homicide: Lethality Program Assessment (LAP) Summit to help ensure that every officer on the scene recognizes the "unseen" danger, and every high-risk victim is met with a coordinated, community-wide shield.

The event will focus on recognizing coercive control and its role in domestic fatality, understanding the importance of a coordinated community response, and learning more about the LAP, an evidence-based screening tool that helps assess a victim’s risk of homicide or near fatality and connect them with support at the scene.

This training has been approved for 2.25 VSP hours and for 2.25 SSCJA credits.

➡️ Learn more and register: https://sc.coalitionmanager.org/eventmanager/trainingevent/details/1355

Yesterday we continued our statewide Housing Affordability Listening Sessions with a packed room in Sumter.

This was the second stop in our four‑city series, and the turnout said a lot. People across South Carolina care deeply about housing affordability, and they are ready to be heard.

The conversation was real and heartfelt. We heard from residents, service providers, and community leaders. We also heard powerful testimony from people who once faced homelessness and were able to rebuild their lives with the help of programs that offered stability and a path forward.

Those stories stay with you, and they remind us why what we are doing matters.

A big thank you to the nonprofits, housing advocates, and associations who joined us:
SC Housing
Habitat for Humanity South Carolina
The Institute for Child Success
SC ROADMAP
Palmetto Community Advisors
The Affordable Housing Coalition of South Carolina
The South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health

And local community development groups, and our faith partners. Your commitment and expertise make a real difference.

I also want to thank the elected and appointed officials who took the time to be with us.

Representative David Weeks
SC Housing Dir Robert McDonald
Representative Carla Schuessler
Senator Jeffrey Graham
Senator Russell Ott
Senator Tamika Devine
Representative Annie McDaniel
Sumter Mayor Pro Tem James Blassingame
Manning Mayor Julia Nelson
Sumter County Councilwoman Tasha Gardner-Greene.

Your presence shows a shared commitment to finding real solutions.

Thank you to every speaker who stepped up yesterday. Your voices will help shape the recommendations we bring forward as this statewide series continues.

We have two more Housing Affordability Listening Sessions ahead. Florence on June 30 and Greenville on July 28. We encourage everyone to attend, participate, and submit written testimony. Every perspective helps us build a clear and actionable report that reflects the needs of communities across South Carolina.

We hope you can join us in Florence and Greenville!

Have pride in where you live!

Do you know South Carolina's litter laws? 🚨

Littering isn't just harmful to our roadsides and communities—it's against the law. In 2018, the South Carolina General Assembly passed Act 214, giving magistrates and municipal courts greater flexibility to prosecute litter violations and hold offenders accountable.

The message is simple: Littering will cost you, because it costs everyone.

As June comes to a close, law enforcement agencies across South Carolina are continuing to increase enforcement of litter, illegal dumping, and unsecured load laws. Make the right choice: secure your load, dispose of waste properly, and help keep South Carolina beautiful.

🚯 Don't risk it. Don't litter.

Congratulations to all the candidates moving forward from the Primary into the runoff and onward to the general election.

Strong congratulations and support to Alan Wilson for Governor, Mike Richenbach for Lieutenant Governor, Stumbo for Attorney General, and Cody Simpson for Commissioner of Agriculture.

These candidates ran serious, disciplined campaigns and earned their place through hard work and voter engagement across the state.

Respect to everyone who ran but did not advance, stepping into a primary takes real conviction and commitment to public service.

We deserve the government we elect. And wherever great power resides, great skepticism and careful guard must also reside with it.

As the Constitution intended, each branch should “jealously guard its powers” from encroachment by the others. That balance depends on constant vigilance.

I look forward to working in good faith and with transparency wherever possible as we move from the runoff into the general election, focused on accountability and delivering results for the people we serve.

Hope you see you all tomorrow!

Do you have a housing story to tell?

Whether you're dealing with rising rent, trying to buy your first home, maintaining an aging house, or watching family members struggle to find a place to live, organizers say your experience matters.

A bipartisan group of South Carolina lawmakers and housing advocates will be in Sumter on June 24 to hear directly from residents, community leaders, nonprofits, businesses and local officials about the housing challenges facing our region.

Read more about the upcoming Midlands Housing Listening Session and how local feedback could help shape future policy.

🔗 Story: https://manninglive.com/stories/residents-invited-to-share-housing-concerns-at-regional-listening-session,188995

Sumter Schools is assembling what looks to be a dream team of professional educators.

I have never been more hopeful for this district than I am right now. I will hold them accountable, as I will any entity, but the corporate decisions coming out of Dr. Gary's office fill me with hope.

Proud of the Board as well. None of this gets done without them.

Pray for them and support them. We have a chance to truly make positive changes.

With more than two decades of experience in public education, Dr. Kelvin Lemon has successfully served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, district administrator, director of secondary schools, coordinator of career and technical education, and school board member. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student achievement, instructional excellence, and organizational leadership.

As a nationally recognized school turnaround leader and former SCASA South Carolina Secondary Principal of the Year (2013), Dr. Lemon has a proven record of improving school performance, increasing graduation rates, strengthening school culture, and developing effective leadership teams. Under his leadership, schools have experienced significant gains in academic achievement, accountability ratings, and student success outcomes.

Dr. Lemon's diverse experiences at both the school and district levels have equipped him with a deep understanding of curriculum and instruction, school improvement, accountability systems, personnel development, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement. His ability to build relationships, support principals, analyze data, and implement sustainable improvement strategies makes him exceptionally well-positioned to support Sumter County's secondary schools.

Good info

Reminder: Polls are open until 7 p.m.

Election Day is finally here!

Cody Simpson knows South Carolina agriculture because he’s spent years working alongside the farmers, producers, and rural communities that keep our state moving. His experience, relationships, and understanding of the challenges facing agriculture make him uniquely qualified to lead from day one.

South Carolina needs a Commissioner of Agriculture who is ready to get to work, and Cody Simpson is that leader.

Today, he’s asking for your vote.

Let’s make sure we show up and support the man that has spent his whole life supporting South Carolina a farming and agriculture! 🌾🇺🇸

Today is Election Day.

Lt. Governor Pamela Evette has spent the last eight years helping grow South Carolina’s economy, creating opportunities for families, and delivering results for our state.

She brings real-world business experience, proven leadership, and a commitment to accountable government and individual freedom.

Prepared. Ready.

Today, she needs your vote.

Let’s get out and vote and take a friend!
🇺🇸🌙🌴

Lt. Governor Pamela Evette has never been a career politician. She came into public service from the private sector with real world experience, a strong work ethic, and a genuine desire to serve.

Her heart is good, and it shows how she treats people and how she approaches every responsibility she’s given.

She believes the government should stay in its lane, remain accountable, and protect the freedoms of the people it serves. And she’s lived that out, not with speeches, but with action.

Over the past eight years, she’s built partnerships across South Carolina and beyond that have helped grow businesses, strengthen our economy, and expand opportunities for families in every community and at every income level.

Her leadership has been part of every major effort to advance South Carolina’s economy. She shows up. She does the work. She gets results.

That’s the difference.

She’s prepared. She’s proven. She’s ready.

I’m proud to stand with Lt. Governor Pamela Evette as she steps forward to lead our great state.

Please. Never. Not for one second leave your children and animals in an unattended automobile.

Before locking your car, check for precious cargo in the backseat!

Heatstroke poses a deadly risk to children, especially in the sweltering summer months.

You have a say in hot car deaths. Stop. Look. Lock.