The Friday Five 1.18.2019

1. Governor McMaster puts his money where his mouth is. On Tuesday, Governor McMaster unveiled his 2019-2020 executive budget and among the priorities listed in his spending plan, two to note include increasing teacher pay by 5 percent and returning $200 million of the budget’s surplus back to the taxpayer. The Governor’s budget also includes millions of dollars allocated towards improving the environment for prospective technical school students, infrastructure in prisons, first responders, and even new voting machines.
2. Earlier this week, Senator Lindsey Graham oversaw his first hearing as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee to hear from President Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, William Barr. William Barr appeared before the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday in hopes of being confirmed for this position in the President’s administration. If confirmed, Barr will have served as Attorney General on two republican President’s administration – the first being President George H. W. Bush’s.
3. SC officials worried – Get your new driver’s license now to avoid hours-long lines next year. By September 30, 2020, all South Carolinians planning to fly domestically and/or enter a federal building or military base will be required to provide South Carolina’s new driver’s license. The state’s new identification card, known as a “Real ID” will be available February 2018 and will be $25.
4.  Potential 2020 presidential candidates expected to visit the Palmetto State the week of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) & Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) will speak at the annual “King Day at the Dome” on Monday, January 21st to honor MLK and Senator Kamela Harris (D-California) will speak at the Pink Ice Gala  Friday, January 25th at the South Carolina Fairgrounds. 
5. Greenville County, District 6: Don’t forget to get and vote on Tuesday! Four candidates are seeking Congressman William Timmons’ Senate seat in a special election, which will be held this Tuesday, January 22. Click here to find your polling place.

Bonus:  56 years ago this week, President Kennedy spoke about Rudolph Anderson during his State of the Union Address. Anderson is the Greenville pilot who was shot down over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The plane in Cleveland Park memorializes Major Anderson.