Committee Report

May 6, 2025

S. 625

Introduced by Senators Chaplin and Williams

S. Printed 5/6/25--H.

Read the first time May 1, 2025

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The committee on House Invitations and Memorial Resolutions

To whom was referred a Concurrent Resolution (S. 625) to request that the Department of Transportation name the intersection of SC 340 and I-20 in Darlington County "Governor David M. Beasley Intersection" and erect, etc., respectfully

Report:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:

DENNIS MOSS for Committee.

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A concurrent RESOLUTION

TO REQUEST THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME the intersection of SC 340 and I-20 IN Darlington COUNTY "Governor David M. Beasley INtersection" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS OR SIGNS AT THIS LOCATION CONTAINING THE DESIGNATION.

Whereas, a native of Lamar, former Governor David M. Beasley earned his bachelor's degree from Clemson University and his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of South Carolina; and

Whereas, Governor Beasley entered public service when, at age twenty-one, he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. During his years of service at the State House, he became chair of key committees, House Majority Leader, and Speaker Pro Tempore; and

Whereas, in 1994, he was elected Governor of South Carolina, becoming one of the youngest governors in State history. Governor Beasley initiated an aggressive reform agenda, focused on education improvement, tax cuts, welfare reform, economic development, infrastructure development, criminal justice reform, and promoting timeless values of equality and freedom. His four years in office made history as some of South Carolina's most successful years in economic development; and

Whereas, under Governor Beasley's leadership, South Carolina created an education accountability system to standardize and improve the education of the State's students. South Carolina also became the first state in the nation to connect every school to the internet; and

Whereas, Governor Beasley continued to serve the State, nation, and worldwide community even after leaving office. In 1999, he was a fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard. In 2003, he received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his courage and political sacrifice in working to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from the State Capital in Columbia; and

Whereas, seeking to make peace around the globe, Governor Beasley visited over visited over seventy-five war-torn countries and invited many of their leaders back to his family farm in Society Hill. In 2017, upon the nomination of American presidents from both parties, he became Executive Director of the U.N. World Food Programme. During his tenure, he raised funding levels from six billion dollars a year to over fourteen billion dollars a year, enabling the organization to feed one hundred sixty million people. In 2020, WFP received the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger and conflict around the world and make peace. Governor Beasley gave the Nobel lecture in Oslo on behalf of the organization; and

Whereas, it would be only fitting and proper to pay tribute to this son of South Carolina by naming a portion of road in the State in his honor. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, request that the Department of Transportation name the intersection of SC 340 and I-20 in Darlington County "Governor David M. Beasley" and erect appropriate markers or signs at this location containing the designation.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Department of Transportation and presented to former Governor David M. Beasley.

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