State Rep. Jay Kilmartin

Today, the House passed my legislation 100-9 to allow ivermectin to be sold over the counter.

For many across South Carolina, this is about something simple: the ability to make informed decisions about your own health.

Ivermectin is a decades-old medication with a long track record of use, and this issue has been a priority for many who believe in expanding access and medical choice.

Several states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, and Texas, have already taken this step.

South Carolina should be next.

Thank you to Rep. Heath Sessions for his work to move this forward in the House.

With only a few days left in session, I’m asking you to contact your Senator and urge them to pass H.4042.

Let’s get this done.

Happy May the 4th!

May the Force be with you as we continue the long campaign.

Tomorrow I return to the Statehouse for these final critical weeks. The dark side is strong—entrenched interests, procedural maneuvers, and those who serve power rather than the people continue to block good legislation. Efforts to end Clyburn’s racist district through fair redistricting, the Ivermectin bill, the DOT bill is headed to a joint committee after the senate non concurred, and other commonsense reforms face relentless resistance.

Yet we are not weary. This is the fight that matters. The Rebellion was never won in a single battle, and neither will restoring government that serves its constituents.

Stay vigilant. Keep contacting your representatives. Keep showing up. Keep speaking truth to the establishment that has grown deaf to the will of the people.

The light still shines brightest when we refuse to surrender.

Together, we press on.

May the Force be with us all.

This week at the State House…

As of today, we’ve got just six legislative days left. You can feel things picking up fast—bills coming over from the Senate and a lot to get done in a short window.

Let me start with the big one everyone’s been watching—the DOT bill.

I’ll give credit where it’s due: the grassroots showed up.

Because of that pressure, leadership went back and replaced the original bill—which had a lot in it that didn’t do much to actually fix roads.

That changed.

The focus shifted to accountability, and there were some real wins:

* Governor will appoint the DOT Secretary directly
* Any toll road construction must be approved by the Legislature
* Counties are no longer forced to spend 33% of their funds on state roads
* Property tax hikes and sales tax increases were removed

Also worth noting—my desk mate Joe White filed 108 amendments. After a lot of work and negotiation, several key ones made it into the final version.

Those are big wins.

Now, here’s where things stand:

The Senate has already voted not to concur with our changes, so this heads to a conference committee—a small group that will work out the final version.

With only six days left, time is tight.

A couple other updates—

• A bill passed allowing eviction records to be expunged after five years. I understand the intent, but I believe this could hurt small landlords who rely on rental income.

• We also passed a bill preventing foreign adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran from owning farmland in South Carolina. That’s just common sense.

• I’m still pushing to get ivermectin over the counter. It’s been on the calendar for two weeks but keeps getting delayed. With the clock running down, we’ll see if it makes it.

And finally…

The biggest news at my house this week?

It rained.

Not much—but I’ll take it. I was running out of moves on my daily rain dance.

Appreciate y’all staying engaged. These last few days matter.

I often get asked: “Who is in the SC Freedom Caucus?”

These ratings by the Club for Growth has the answer.

clubforgrowthfoundation.org

I know what it takes to run a business and make a payroll.

That’s why I’m proud to have a 100% Economic Growth Score, because I fight for lower taxes, less red tape, and policies that actually help businesses grow.

South Carolina works best when government stays out of the way.