By Representative Nathan Ballentine
2025 Week 8 – Delivering on My Promise to Promote Business-Friendly Policies
This week, my colleagues and I took major steps to deliver on the promises we made to you—reducing burdensome regulations, providing relief to small businesses, cracking down on crime, and ensuring property owners have the rights they deserve.
We passed legislation that touches every part of our Republican Caucus “Pillars for Progress” agenda under our commitment to promoting business-friendly policies. Whether it’s tackling government overreach, protecting businesses from skyrocketing insurance costs, or ensuring property owners aren’t left defenseless, we are taking bold action to get results.
Cutting Red Tape and Ending Overregulation
Government overreach hurts small businesses, limits job creation, and slows down our economy. That’s why we took a major step forward this week by passing the Regulatory Freedom Act (H.3021)—a bill that puts citizens and businesses, not unelected bureaucrats, back in charge.
• Ends outdated and unnecessary regulations unless re-approved.
• Stops unelected agencies from creating new rules without legislative oversight.
• Requires a regulatory budget — ensuring that for every new regulation, two outdated ones are repealed.
• Strengthens transparency and accountability to protect small businesses.
South Carolina should be a national leader in business-friendly policies, not a state where excessive regulations stifle growth. The House Republican Caucus promised to tackle red tape, and this week, we delivered.
Providing Insurance Relief for Small Businesses
Skyrocketing insurance costs are crippling South Carolina’s bars, restaurants, and VFW posts—and we can’t afford to wait any longer. The Senate has spent weeks debating a bill they think will help; but that bill has many items that I’m hearing you do not want and hearing that our state does not need. That’s why the House passed the Liquor Liability Bill (H.3497) to deliver real relief while maintaining accountability in alcohol service. By the way, we passed similar legislation last session but the Senate took no action on that bill. I hope the Senate will take up our bill this time because it:
• Ends the unfair “joint and several” liability exception for bars and restaurants, which has led to out-of-control lawsuits that punish responsible businesses.
• Expands insurance options to increase competition and lower costs.
• Creates a Liquor Liability Risk Mitigation Program, offering incentives for safety measures that reduce premiums.
• Requires alcohol server training to ensure responsible service and protect businesses, employees, and customers.
This legislation is a direct response to what we’ve heard from business owners across South Carolina—that something must be done. House members are delivering real solutions to protect small businesses and ensure they can continue serving their communities.
Protecting Property Owners from Squatters
Property owners should never have to jump through legal hoops just to remove someone who is illegally occupying their home. That’s why H.3387 was passed out of the Judiciary Committee this week, setting up a House floor debate soon.
This bill creates a clear and fair process to remove squatters, giving homeowners the ability to take action quickly instead of being forced into lengthy legal battles. It also allows law enforcement to assist property owners in securing their homes.
The House Republican Caucus is fighting to protect the rights of property owners, ensuring they have the legal tools to defend what’s theirs. I will continue to support this bill as it moves through the legislative process.
Fighting for a Responsible Budget
Next week, the South Carolina House will begin debating the 2025-2026 State Budget. As we move forward, I am committed to keeping my promises and fighting for a budget that reflects our conservative values—one that invests in the priorities that matter while ensuring your tax dollars are spent wisely.
• A balanced, conservative budget that funds law enforcement, safer schools, better roads, and tax relief for hardworking families.
• No wasteful spending—the House Republican Caucus isn’t in the business of throwing away your money.
• A strong financial foundation for South Carolina—protecting against economic slowdowns while keeping our state a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
I’ll be fighting to pass a responsible, fiscally conservative budget that puts taxpayers first. Stay tuned next week as we take this important step forward.
Delivering on Our Pillars for Progress
This week, we proved once again that House Republican Caucus members are keeping our promises. Every bill passed aligns directly with our commitment to promoting business-friendly policies that cut red tape, lower costs for small businesses, and strengthen South Carolina’s economy.
• H.3021 – Cutting regulations to create a business-friendly environment.
• H.3497 – Providing real relief for small businesses by fixing our broken liquor liability laws.
• H.3523 – Cracking down on organized crime and protecting retailers from theft rings.
• H.3387 – Standing up for property owners and putting an end to squatter abuses.
These aren’t just empty promises—they are real results. The House Republican Caucus is proving once again that we are getting things done and putting South Carolina on the right track.
Staying Informed:
As the session progresses, I will continue to share updates like this one to keep you informed about the work being done in Columbia. These weekly columns are designed to provide insight into legislative priorities, progress, and key developments. If you ever have questions, concerns, or ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Your input is invaluable to me and helps ensure that I am representing your needs effectively.
