A senate RESOLUTION

 

to recognize and commend the honorable bill taylor of aiken county for his dedicated service in the south carolina house of representatives on behalf of his constituents and the citizens of south carolina and to wish him success and happiness in all his future endeavors.

 

Whereas, Representative Bill Taylor will depart from the South Carolina House of Representatives at the conclusion of his current term; and

 

Whereas, a native of Aurora, Illinois, Representative Taylor was born on July 16, 1946, to parents Harold and Pearl Taylor. He studied journalism at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois; and

 

Whereas, Representative Taylor had an accomplished career in broadcasting and journalism, during which he worked as a news director, news anchor, reporter, and a television news consultant. In 1974, he served as president of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association; and

 

Whereas, since 2011, Representative Taylor has served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing the citizens of Aiken and Lexington counties in District 86; and

 

Whereas, Representative Taylor is a member of both the House Regulations, Administrative Procedures, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybersecurity Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, the latter in which he serves on the Higher Education Subcommittee and the Tax Subcommittee. For a decade, he served on the House Education Committee and was chairman of the Higher Education Subcommittee. Representative Taylor also served on the House Legislative Oversight Committee from 2014 to 2020, where he was charged with inspecting and investigating state government agencies. He has chaired and served on numerous ad hoc committees, including the Tax Review Committee; and

 

Whereas, Representative Taylor has achieved many accomplishments as a legislator, including efforts to strengthen South Carolina's Freedom of Information laws by proposing measures that would bar public agencies, governments, and school districts from charging excessive fees for public records; and

 

Whereas, Representative Taylor played a crucial role in the passage of the South Carolina Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act to reduce the number of preventable accidents caused by distracted driving and to keep South Carolinians safe on the road; and

 

Whereas, Representative Taylor has championed limiting federal government authority by advocating for South Carolina to apply to Congress for the Article V Convention of States, acting as the primary sponsor of legislation enacted in 2022; and

 

Whereas, Representative Taylor has shown devoted involvement in the greater Aiken community, acting as a valuable citizen and public servant by serving on the advisory board of the Salvation Army in Aiken and serving as past chairman of the Aiken chapter of the American Red Cross. A devout Christian, he is a member of Millbrook Baptist Church; and

 

Whereas, Representative Taylor and his wife, Donna, have been married for over fifty-five years; and together they raised two children, Kasey Taylor Lenz (Bill) and William Ryan Taylor (Jackie); and four grandchildren, Avery, Laurel, Lydia, and Heath; and

 

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina Senate honor the service that Representative Taylor has provided to the General Assembly and to the State of South Carolina and hope that he will enjoy deep fulfillment in the years to come.  Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the Senate:

 

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, recognize and commend the Honorable Bill Taylor of Aiken County for his dedicated service in the South Carolina House of Representatives on behalf of his constituents and the citizens of South Carolina and wish him much success and happiness in all his future endeavors.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the Honorable Bill Taylor.

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