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S.C. Legislative Arts Caucus

South Carolina is proud to have a Legislative Arts Caucus within our General Assembly.  There is no charge for membership and any legislator may join. The Arts Caucus is a great conduit for information and education about the arts and arts education issues and programs -- another way we can keep your lawmakers informed about the impact of the arts in our classrooms and in our communities. With strong bi-partisan leadership, the Arts Caucus can serve as an important supportive block of votes. And you can strengthen this Caucus by encouraging your legislator or delegation to join!

Co-chairing the Arts Caucus in the House are: Rep. Jim Harrison (R-Richland County), and Rep. Vida Miller (D-Charleston, Dorchester Counties). Co-chairs in the Senate are Senator John Land (D-Lee, Calhoun, Clarendon, Sumter, Florence counties), and Senator Wes Hayes (R-York). These are key legislators and powerful leaders. They have very busy schedules and full agendas. They will need our help in getting other legislators to join this important Caucus. Our thanks to these super arts advocates and to past Arts Caucus Co-chairs: Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg,) the current Speaker of the House, Bobby Harrell (R-Charleston), and former House Majority Leader Rick Quinn for their leadership and service!

These leaders say that some important issues for the Arts Caucus are:

·   Educating all legislators about the value and importance of the arts and arts education so they can be “ambassadors” in support of increases for arts funding

·   Arts education in our schools and the impact of education reforms bills such as the S.C. Education & Economic Development Act, the Student Health and Fitness Act, and the Education Accountability Act on the arts and arts educators

·   The economic impact of the arts through cultural tourism, how the arts and commerce can work together as a recruitment tool, quality of life factor, impact job growth, and leverage revenue for the state

It is important to keep the line of communication on going with your policymakers throughout the year, not just when the Legislature is in session. Make legislators a part of your constituency. Invite them to the Arts Advocacy Day Legislative Appreciation Luncheon – the annual meeting for the Arts Caucus!

Legislators can join the Arts Caucus by filling out the House or Senate form in our Advocacy Handbook and sending it to the Arts Alliance. You can also take the initiative and get your legislator’s confirmation that they will join, and then call the Arts Alliance and we will fill out the form and get it to the appropriate staff.

SC Arts Caucus | Senate Members

Senate Arts Caucus Co-Chairs:
John Land (Lee, Clarendon, Florence, Sumter, Calhoun Counties)
Wes Hayes (York County)

SC Senate Caucus Members
Tom Alexander (Oconee, Pickens)
Ralph Anderson (Greenville)
Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer (Lexington, Saluda,
     Newberry, Union)
Paul Campbell (Berkeley Co.)
Catherine C. Ceips (Beaufort)
Ray Cleary (Charleston, Georgetown, Horry)
John Courson (Richland)
Ronnie Cromer (Lexington, Newberry)
John Drummond (Greenwood, Abbeville)
Dick Elliott (Williamsburg, Marion, Dillon,
     Florence, Horry, Marlboro)
Mike Fair (Greenville)
Greg Gregory (York, Lancaster, Fairfield)
Larry Grooms (Berkeley, Charleston,
     Dorchester)
John Hawkins (Spartanburg)
Jake Knotts (Lexington)
Hugh Leatherman (Florence, Darlington,
     Marlboro, Chesterfield)
Phil Leventis (Sumter, Lee)
Joel Lourie (Richland)
Gerald Malloy (Darlington, Florence, Lee)
Larry Martin (Pickens)
John W. Matthews, Jr. (Colleton, Hampton,
     Bamberg, Dorchester Orangeburg)
Glenn McConnel (Charleston, Dorchester)
Yancy McGill (Florence, Horry,
     Georgetown,Williamsburg)
Billy O'Dell (Abbeville, Anderson)
Kay Patterson (Richland)
Harvey S. Peeler (York, Cherokee, Union)
Clementa Pinckney (Colleton, Allendale,
     Jasper, Beaufort, Charleston, Hampton)
Luke Rankin (Horry)
Glenn Reese (Spartanburg)
Jim Ritchie (Spartanburg)
Greg Ryberg (Aiken, Lexington )
Nikki Setzler (Lexington)
Vincent Sheheen (Kershaw)
Linda Short (York, Union, Fairfield,
     Chester)
David Thomas (Greenville)
Louis Vaughn (Greenville)
Danny Verdin (Laurens. Greenville)
Kent Williams (Dillon, Florence, Marion, Marlboro)

SC Arts Caucus | House Members

House Arts Caucus Co-chairs:
Jim Harrison (Richland)
Vida Miller (Georgetown, Charleston)

SC House Caucus Members
Paul L. Agnew (Abbeville, Anderson)
Terry Alexander (Florence, Marion)
Karl Allen (Greenville)
Carl Anderson (Georgetown, Williamsburg)
Jimmy Bales (Richland)
Liston Barfield (Horry)
Jim Battle (Marion)
Kenny Bingham (Lexington)
Don Bowen (Anderson/Oconee)
Bill Bowers (Hampton, Jasper, Colleton)
Joan Brady (Richland)
Floyd Breeland (Charleston)
Joe Brown (Richland)
Robert Brown (Charleston, Colleton)
Richard E. Chalk, Jr. (Beaufort)
Gilda Cobb-Hunter (Orangeburg)
Creighton Coleman (Chester, Fairfield)
Dan Cooper (Anderson)
Bill Cotty (Richland, Kershaw)
“Kris” Crawford (Florence)
Ralph Davenport (Spartanburg)
Greg Delleney (Chester, York)
Jeff Duncan (Laurens, Newbery)
Shannon Erickson (Beaufort)
Marion Frye (Lexington, Saluda)
Laurie Slade Funderburk (Kershaw)
Jerry Govan (Orangeburg)
Carl Gullick (York)
Ben Hagood (Charleston)
Bobby Harrell (Charleston & Dorchester)
Cathy B. Harvin (Clarendon, Williamsburg)
Gloria Haskins (Greenville)
Jackie Hayes (Dillon, Horry)
William Herbkersman (Beaufort)
David Hiott (Pickens)
Kenneth Hodges (Beaufort, Colleton)
Lonnie Hosey (Allendale, Barnwell)
Chip Huggins (Lexington)
Heyward Hutson (Charleston & Dorchester)
Joe Jefferson (Berkeley)
Doug Jennings (Marlboro, Chester)
Patsy G. Knight (Dorchester)
Lanny Littlejohn (Spartanburg, Cherokee)
James H. Lucas (Chesterfield,
     Dorchester, Kershaw, Lancaster)
David Mack (Charleston)
Joe Mahaffey (Spartanburg)
Walton McLeod (Lexington, Newberry)
Bessie Moody-Lawrence (York)
Dennis Moss (Cherokee, Chester & York)
“Mick” Mulvaney (Lancaster, York)
Jimmy Neal (Lancaster)
Joe Neal (Richland, Sumter)
Denny Neilson (Chesterfield, Darlington)
Harry Ott (Calhoun, Orangeburg,
     Lexington)
Phillip Owens (Pickens)
Ann Parks (Greenwood, McCormick)
Skipper Perry (Aiken)
Gene Pinson (Greenwood)
Ted Pitts (Lexington)
Todd Rutherford (Richland)
Wallace Scarborough (Charleston)
John Scott (Richland)
Gary Simrill (York)
B.R. Skelton (Pickens)
Doug Smith (Spartanburg)
Gary Smith (Clarendon & Sumter)
Jim Smith (Richland)
Murrell Smith (Sumter, Clarendon)
Roland Smith (Aiken)
Kit Spires (Aiken & Lexington)
Jim Stewart, Jr. (Aiken)
Scott Talley (Spartanburg)
Adam Taylor (Greenville, Laurens)
Michael Thompson (Anderson)
Mac Toole (Lexington)
Ted Vick (Chesterfield)
Tad Viers (Horry)
David Weeks (Sumter)
Seth Whipper (Charleston)
Brian White (Anderson)
Bill Whitmire (Oconee)
Annette Young (Charleston,
     Dorchester)

Don’t see your legislator on the list? Ask them to join!
There is no charge for membership. The Caucus can be a great conduit for information and education about the arts and arts education issues- another way we can keep lawmakers informed about the impact of the arts and arts education. As leaders concerned with arts issues, this Caucus could serve as an important supportive block of votes.

Call the SC Arts Alliance at 803-325-2435 or Betty.Plumb@scartsalliance.net and tell us they said “yes!”. We’ll take care of filling out the form and returning it to the appropriate House/Senate office.

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