Issue Spotlight: Gun Rights

Guns don’t kill, people do. Any discussion about guns has to start with the fact that self-defense is a God-given right. No government, federal, state, or local, has the right to get in the way of that. What part of “shall not be infringed” does the Federal government not understand?

Guns of all types are simply tools. They can kill, and they can save lives. I'm thankful that SC has a Concealed Weapons Permit program that allows people to carry for self defence and that you can own just about any firearm in the state.

We fall short of where we should be, though. There are far less regulations restricting the ownership and carrying of guns in other states, such as Oklahoma. Here are some measures we should enact in South Carolina:

• Constitutional Carry - Citizens should not need a permit to carry concealed weapons. Our CWP program gives us reciprocity with other states, so while it should be maintained, it should be made optional.
• Campus Carry - If students are of age and have a Concealed Weapons Permit, they should be allowed to carry on college campuses. A recent study showed that one in five girls in college are sexually assaulted - and they should be able to defend themselves here, too.
• Gun Safety Education - We need to educate children in school about gun safety and respect for firearms. Children raised in a gun-owning household who have been taught gun safety bring a much more mature perspective to handling guns than those who haven't had that kind of upbringing.
• Teacher and Parental Carry on School Grounds - The reason we have so many school shootings is because criminals know they're gun-free zones. Parents and teachers should be allowed to carry concealed weapons for their own protection and the protection of the children.

It’s time to stop infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens, and start holding criminals accountable for violent crime. If you get right down to it, you can kill someone with a rock (or a fork). Wanna start regulating rocks? Good luck with that.

Issue Spotlight: Job Creation

Any discussion on job creation must start from the premise that politicians don’t create jobs, businesses do. Government should maintain an environment where businesses can grow and thrive. Here is how we can do that in South Carolina.

Let businesses keep more of their own money

It takes revenue to grow and expand a business. Every dollar we take from a business is a dollar that could be used to hire someone. Here are some practical ways to relieve the oppressive financial burden on businesses:

• Reduce or eliminate the property tax, and instead rely on a flat retail sales tax. We might not even have to raise the sales tax rate - 6% is probably enough if we just flatten it out and eliminate all the special exemptions that have been carved into it.
• Cut the income tax, and flatten it rather than rely on antiquated tax brackets that haven’t been adjusted for inflation in decades.

Cut regulations and red tape

It should be simple and easy for businesses to operate. Let’s stop putting the proverbial lemonade stand out of business with excessive DHEC permits and fees.

Where government does have to be involved, it should function in a professional and effective way. There should be clear checks and balances on state agencies, and a clear line of recourse for the business if that agency isn't doing their job or is abusing their power.

Businesses also need the ability to hire new workers without fear of financial consequences coming down from the government in the form of higher unemployment insurance. They should be able to hire and train underprivileged and uneducated people without worrying about what happens if they don’t work out. Self-employed entrepreneurs should be allowed to opt-out of the state unemployment insurance. And we need to quit punishing businesses for firing people they can't use!

Stop making businesses pay for their own competition

Finally, business owners need to know that their tax dollars aren't going to pay for their competition's new factory or their utility bills.

Certainly no relocating business will choose South Carolina’s 10% manufacturing tax rate over Georgia’s 6%, but the problem that our politicians (including our Governor) have so far ignored is that our high tax rates are the problem. South Carolina has the highest manufacturing property tax in the nation. Instead of fixing this, they would rather play investment banker with your money and go after the big companies that make nice headlines, while leaving the little guys out to dry.

Not only are tax incentives unfair, they are unsustainable. Trying to run an economy on tax incentives is like trying to run a car on starter fluid. It may work at first, but it’s going to tear your engine up eventually because it was never designed to be run that way. If we do this long enough, we will become a state where you have to have a politician in your back pocket to get ahead in business.

At the end of the day, government just needs to get out of the way and let the free market do its thing. When the Pilgrims landed, they didn't have government assistance, and yet through hard work, perseverance, and courage, they pressed on and built not just a community, but a nation.

South Carolina is full of those kinds of heroes. All we need is a government that will get out of the way and let us operate.

Statement on Judge Manning's Ruling on the Harrell Investigation

Yesterday I participated in a press conference calling on my opponent to take a stand regarding the current Speaker of the House who is under investigation for some very serious charges of corruption. A state judge recently decided that the Attorney General does not have the authority to prosecute Harrell (here's the scoop), or even to investigate using a State Grand Jury. A transcript of my comments is below. Folks, it’s a great day to be a legislator in South Carolina!

According to Judge Casey Manning, they now have bulletproof armor that protects them from criminal prosecution!

As unprecedented as it is, Manning’s decision is just a symptom of a larger problem: the Speaker of the House has too much power.

This power extends over all areas of our state government, including who gets to be a judge, thanks to South Carolina’s Jim Crow-era 1895 Constitution and over an hundred years of lawmakers who prefer to keep this good-old-boy system intact.

We've seen Speaker Harrell abuse his power in four ways:

• We saw how the Speaker uses his power when he retaliated against then-Representative Nikki Haley by stripping her of committee assignments because she believed that lawmakers should vote on-the-record.
• We saw how the Speaker uses his power when he made state history by passing budgets with unprecedented levels of spending in a down economy.
• We saw how the Speaker used his “Drive for 75” to elect a veto-proof majority of House members who would be loyal to him and enable him to foil any line-item-veto Governor Haley makes at will.
• Finally, we saw how the Speaker uses his power when he led the campaign to re-elect Jean Toal as the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court - the very court who will now rule on who may investigate the Speaker for corruption.

We’ve needed a new Speaker for a long time. At an October 2010 forum hosted by the Anderson TEA Party, Rep. Don Bowen (who I am running against today) was asked if he would vote for a change in House leadership. His response was, and I quote:

Let me tell you how it works down there. I’m going to be perfectly honest with you. The commitments for Speaker of the House were taken probably in March. Everybody in there committed to him... Ralph [Norman] was not even running when that took place, and at that time I committed to Bobby.

Why would Rep. Bowen commit to the Speaker of the House months before the election, long before any potential challengers would enter the race? Was it because he stood to gain something from this Speaker, like his appointment to the House Judiciary committee?

There is significant evidence that Speaker Harrell is guilty of corruption. This evidence has been reviewed by Attorney General Wilson, the Chief of SLED, and a judge, and all three agreed that it should be sent to a Grand Jury.

Make no mistake: Judge Manning’s decision on Monday to send the case to the House Ethics Committee is a decision to let Speaker Harrell pick his own jury.

It’s past time for new leadership in Columbia. I will vote for a new Speaker of the House, I will vote to change the way we elect judges in South Carolina, and I call on my opponent, Rep. Don Bowen, to call for Speaker Harrell’s resignation immediately and to take a public stand in support of Attorney General Wilson’s Grand Jury investigation.

Failure to disavow this corrupt Speaker will reveal where Rep. Don Bowen's true loyalties lie.

Jonathon Hill

Rick Green Posts About Our Campaign

We are thrilled and grateful that Rick Green of Wallbuilders and founder of Patriot Academy has just posted about our campaign! Rick is a highly-respected and loved mentor, and through Patriot Academy has been a tremendous influence on who Jonathon is today. We are so grateful to have his help and support in this race! Here's an excerpt of the article:

Jonathon Hill, 29, announced this week that he will be running for State Representative in the June 10, 2014 South Carolina Republican Primary.

I could not be more excited, or more proud.

I say “proud” because Jonathon is a graduate of Patriot Academy and has been a volunteer staffer for the last few years. When Jonathon first attended Patriot Academy years ago, his grasp of the issues and depth of understanding in conservative principles was impressive.

Read the full article »

Note: if you look at the above picture closely, you'll notice a golf ball tied to Jonathon's collar. Golf balls were distributed to all the Patriot Academy students and represented their character and integrity. He had to hold on to that ball and carry it with him wherever he wanted to maintain his character. It was a powerful and never-to-be-forgotten object lesson!

Jonathon Hill signs The Liberty Compact

Today Jonathon Hill signed The Liberty Compact, a pledge committing to restoring liberty, lowering taxes, reducing the size of government, and observing the enumerated powers of the Constitution. The Liberty Compact is from The Republican Liberty Caucus, a Republican group that describes itself as "the conscience of the Republican Party."

Press release: Jonathon Hill to Enter House District 8 Republican Primary

TOWNVILLE, SC -- On Monday, March 17th, Jonathon Hill will file to seek the Republican nomination for Representative of SC House District 8.

“The people of District 8 need a representative who will look after their best interests in Columbia instead of the best interests of their own political career,” said Hill. “Politicians love to talk about how they are ‘creating jobs,’ but in reality small businesses are being forced to prop up their competition with their tax dollars in corporate welfare schemes. We need to lower taxes and make South Carolina business-friendly for everyone.”

Jonathon Hill is a 29-year-old computer programmer from Townville, SC. In 2009, he organized the Anderson TEA Party out of frustration with the Bush and Obama stimulus measures. Jonathon is actively involved in the Anderson County Republican Party and has served as delegate to the last two SCGOP conventions.

“I’m running because things have grown steadily worse in South Carolina since the incumbent took office. After eight years, we spend more money and are deeper in debt than ever before--adding nearly a billion dollars of debt just last year.

“We’ve learned that this state is run by a handful of good-old-boy legislators and a cornucopia of unelected boards. Rather than commit to a proper, accountable balance of power, the incumbent seems quite content to take his cues from the establishment and enjoy the status quo. I’m running because the people of District 8 need someone who will fight for their tax dollars.”

Jonathon Hill may be reached at 864-245-5885 or on the internet at votehill.com.

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