Government Can Promote Economic Freedom
Government can’t create jobs, but government can promote economic freedom by getting out of the way.
As your Representative, I’ve pushed pro-growth legislation that helps create jobs by limiting government. That’s why I’ve been endorsed by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the unified voice of business. Click here to read the endorsement.
In just a few years in Columbia, I’ve pushed bills that…
- Restructure South Carolina’s outdated government structure to increase efficiency, reduce waste and save you tax money.
- Makes the Attorney General fight for your rights when Washington liberals pushed a government takeover of health care
on our nation.
- Constitutionally limits the amount of money Columbia politicians can spend each year.
- Demands spending transparency by putting more votes on the record.
– Cuts taxes on Spartanburg County businesses so that they can hire new employees and create jobs in our region.
- Eliminates the frivolous lawsuits that are closing the doors of too many small businesses.
- Revamps South Carolina’s criminal laws, saving taxpayer dollars and keeping violent criminals in prison.
- Reduces the mountains of government regulation and red tape on local businesses.
I’m proud to receive the Chamber of Commerce Endorsement but I’m even more proud to help put South Carolina families back to work.
Politicians and Their Secret Spending
When I got to Columbia, I was shocked that your elected officials can spend your money in secret. That’s right… in secret.
Politicians could vote for extreme wasteful spending and insert pork barrel projects into the budget and you would never know. Not only is this irresponsible, but it breeds the kind of corruption that allows special interests to control government.
I’ve fought this sort of unethical behavior and I’ll continue to do so as your Representative.
I’m sure that you’ve heard about Senator Jim DeMint’s crusade against earmarks at the federal level. We had that same problem here in South Carolina too. Politicians could insert secret spending projects into the budget and most of us would never even know they were there. These projects were expanding our budgets and lacing them with needless projects requested by lobbyists and special interest groups. Last year I supported a historic rules change that makes any legislator who requests one of these projects put their name on the request. We can’t stop legislators from requesting these projects, but we can make it public and we can call them out for wasting your money.
Just two weeks ago I proudly voted for a roll call voting bill that puts nearly all votes “on the record.” Currently many votes can be taken on a voice vote where we all just yell Yea or Ney. It is virtually impossible to know how your legislator voted. We passed a rules change demanding more on the record votes and now we have passed a law making us to do the same.
Folks, we can’t create jobs and grow our economy until we can lower taxes and produce an environment adequate for economic success. And we can’t do that until we clean up government, hold down spending and make the politicians accountable.
I’ll continue fighting for transparency and accountability as long as I’m in Columbia.
Your Representative,
Keith Kelly
My View on Term Limits
Hello everyone. I hope you are having a great week. I’ve been extremely busy the last few weeks knocking on doors, working for you in Columbia, running my business and trying to spend a little time with the family. Finding time to sleep has become difficult, but that’s okay. I truly love serving you in the State House.
Last week I got a questionnaire from the Upstate Tea Party folks asking me my view on term limits. Like them, I believe whole-heartedly in transparency, so I want to tell you exactly how I feel about the subject.
I believe that part of the problem with both Washington and Columbia is the seniority system. Basing leadership on the number of years in a legislative body is a recipe for disaster. Special interests dominate the system and that breeds corruption, good ole boy politics and a tax-and-spend mentality.
I support term limits legislation because it will clean up the system.
However, I will not term limit myself without every other legislator doing so also. Here’s why: right now the upstate is at a massive disadvantage. Besides Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler in Gaffney, the upstate has virtually no leadership. All the big decision makers are from Charleston, the Pee Dee, and the Midlands. We have lost all our leadership positions and now the upstate is being terribly ignored when it comes to the economic development projects that create jobs.
I supported the Boeing project because it will help many upstate suppliers, but we have to start recruiting those type industries here in Spartanburg County, too. That won’t happen if we term limit ourselves and let Charleston soak up more and more power. They already have the three most powerful men in South Carolina – the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
Until we fix this broken seniority system, upstate residents must band together and elect leaders who can bring jobs to our area. As your Representative, my top priority will remain economic growth in the upstate.
Your Representative,
Keith Kelly
I will fight for the rights of our unborn children
I have always been pro-life. But my beliefs were confirmed the first time I saw my daughter’s eyes. Now a father of three girls, I know that life begins at conception. And I can’t imagine why anyone would ever want to abort or harm an unborn child.
Every child should have the chance to live. As your State Representative, I have made it a top priority to stop abortions in South Carolina and increase penalties for criminals who harm unborn victims in violent crime. Just this year I supported a new law that makes women wait 24 hours before having an abortion. Our current law states that a woman has to wait just 1 hour before having an abortion. Believe it or not, that’s the lowest waiting period in the entire country. Our new law will require women to go home and come back the next day, giving them more time to think about the life they are about to end. I also strongly supported a push this year to end taxpayer funded abortions in South Carolina.
I’ve been a strong advocate for unborn children and that’s why South Carolina Citizens for Life has endorsed my re-election candidacy. I hope you will too.
Click here to read the endorsement letter from SC Citizens for Life.
Sincerely,
Keith Kelly
PS – I would appreciate your support in the June 8th primary.
