McMaster pushes against labor unions in SC. What other issues top his 2024 agenda?

Gov. Henry McMaster vows to fight against labor unions, curb access to illegal guns and improve the efficacy of health care agencies in South Carolina.

McMaster launched an onslaught against labor unions in his seventh State of the State address Wednesday, calling out an effort by the International Longshoremen’s Association to urge the Port of Charleston to convert traditional state jobs to union labor.

“One thing we do not need is more labor unions,” McMaster said. “We have gotten where we are without them, and we do not need them now. We are a right to work state. We have the lowest union membership in the country.

“We will not allow the Biden administration’s pro-union policies to chip away at South Carolina’s sovereign interests,” McMaster said. “We will fight. All the way to the gates of hell. And we will win.”

But one Democrat categorized McMaster’s comments on labor unions as “an insult.”

“Labor is the backbone of this state,” said state Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston. McMaster “had to drive a car that was union made, clothes that were union made and probably live in a mansion that was union made. For him to take a stand and a hard swing at union workers, which are hard working people, that’s an insult and he owes all the union workers in the state of South Carolina an apology.”

Last year, a battle ensued between the International Longshoremen’s Association and South Carolina Ports Authority, after the National Labor Relations Board ruled that union workers could fill Charleston’s Hugh Leatherman Terminal’s workforce.

Following a decision in favor of the ILA and NLB by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the case is now sitting before the U.S. Supreme Court.

“We have taken the fight all the way to the United States Supreme Court, which I believe will understand the dire implications of this conduct, uphold the law and rule in our favor,” McMaster said.

The governor also wants to assist law enforcement by blocking criminals from accessing illegal guns.

“Our law enforcement officers know who the repeat criminals are,” McMaster said. “They commit over 80 percent of the crimes. Unfortunately, this is happening every day. How long are we going to let this happen?

“Law enforcement needs our help. They need stronger laws to keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals and juveniles, and they need new laws to ‘close the revolving door’ and keep career criminals behind bars and not out on bond.”

It’s a sentiment that House Majority Leader Davie Hiott agrees with.

“I think the number one thing he mentioned was getting those illegal guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them,” Hiott said. “We’ve got to protect law enforcement and our citizens, and whatever we have to do, we have to follow his lead on that one.”

While some Democrats, like Gilliard, strongly opposed McMaster’s remarks, others were more amenable.

“Our governor loves this state more than anybody that’s ever been governor and that was apparent in his remarks as he’s finishing the end of his term,” said state Sen. Mike Fanning, D-Fairfield.

Still, Fanning said there were key issues the governor failed to mentioned, including a recent decision to not accept federal dollars to help in feeding needy children during the summer.

“We do have some things that weren’t mentioned that we wish he would have, and that is the feeding of our children, the massive teacher shortage we have, of which the $2,500 raise proposed would be the least raise in any state of the country. So, we’ve got some things that he didn’t mention, but we appreciate his love and passion for who we are and what we want to be in South Carolina.”

McMaster also said he’s pushing to restructure the state’s health care agencies, including the departments of mental health, health and human services and health and environmental control.

“The restructuring of these agencies is and will continue to be a complicated legal and financial endeavor, involving billions of dollars in federal funding that flow through these agencies for a myriad of services and programs such as Medicaid,” McMaster said.