Skipping around the internet, I see that Rep. Shirley Hinson will be leaving her seat in the SC Legislature. I met Shirley a few times during my Congress-running days, and I found her to be nice and very supportive, which is more than I got from others. She recently lost a Primary runoff for the late Bill Mescher's seat, and that put up signs that her seat would be in play. I don't know if that has anything to do with her leaving or not. I'll just post the article from The State, and let you guys give me your opinions. Earl?
COLUMBIA, S.C. --State Rep. Shirley Hinson, the first woman to serve as the Republican chief majority whip in the South Carolina House, is resigning from her House seat at the end of the month.
Hinson said Friday she has accepted a full-time job at a Lowcountry center that helps people earn graduate degrees from different South Carolina colleges. She has worked part-time at the center, which is affiliated with the College of Charleston.
In her new role at Lowcountry Graduate Center, which begins Dec. 1, Hinson will help raise scholarship money and will coordinate with business leaders to create graduate programs that benefit the local economy.
"It's time to move on and give other people the opportunity to serve," said Hinson, vice-chairwoman of the Ethics Committee and former chairwoman of the General Assembly Women's Caucus.
"I'm probably maxed out on the House level and need a new challenge. It's just that simple," she said. "District 92 has a wealth of people who are more than qualified to serve in this position."
Hinson, 58, has represented Goose Creek in the House for a decade. Her departure will leave just four Republican women in the House and just five in the entire Legislature.
"I'm going to miss her. The caucus is going to miss her and the state is going to miss her," said Rep. Annette Young, a Summerville Republican and former majority leader.
Hinson said her desire for a change prompted her to run for the Senate seat vacated by the April death of longtime Sen. Bill Mescher. She lost the primary to retired business executive Paul Campbell, who went on to win the special election.
Winning the Senate seat would have allowed her to serve a larger number of people, she said.
"When that didn't happen, my inner feeling of knowing I needed to do something different didn't change. I've got to go another direction. It's time," Hinson said. "In no way did the results of that Senate race make me want to leave the House."
House Majority Leader Jim Merrill said his caucus is losing one of its best conservatives. He also regrets losing a female leader.
"We have enough middle-class white males in the General Assembly. It's nice to have a female voice and opinion," he said. "At the same time, I respect her desire to move on to new challenges."
Hinson said she will miss the Legislature, which she called her extended family, but couldn't pass up the financial and career opportunity.
Hinson, who served eight years on the Berkeley County school board before her election to the House, has run unopposed since 2000, when she defeated her ex-husband in the primary.
Hinson married former state Rep. James Law in 2004. She has one son from her first marriage.
Hinson said Friday she has accepted a full-time job at a Lowcountry center that helps people earn graduate degrees from different South Carolina colleges. She has worked part-time at the center, which is affiliated with the College of Charleston.
In her new role at Lowcountry Graduate Center, which begins Dec. 1, Hinson will help raise scholarship money and will coordinate with business leaders to create graduate programs that benefit the local economy.
"It's time to move on and give other people the opportunity to serve," said Hinson, vice-chairwoman of the Ethics Committee and former chairwoman of the General Assembly Women's Caucus.
"I'm probably maxed out on the House level and need a new challenge. It's just that simple," she said. "District 92 has a wealth of people who are more than qualified to serve in this position."
Hinson, 58, has represented Goose Creek in the House for a decade. Her departure will leave just four Republican women in the House and just five in the entire Legislature.
"I'm going to miss her. The caucus is going to miss her and the state is going to miss her," said Rep. Annette Young, a Summerville Republican and former majority leader.
Hinson said her desire for a change prompted her to run for the Senate seat vacated by the April death of longtime Sen. Bill Mescher. She lost the primary to retired business executive Paul Campbell, who went on to win the special election.
Winning the Senate seat would have allowed her to serve a larger number of people, she said.
"When that didn't happen, my inner feeling of knowing I needed to do something different didn't change. I've got to go another direction. It's time," Hinson said. "In no way did the results of that Senate race make me want to leave the House."
House Majority Leader Jim Merrill said his caucus is losing one of its best conservatives. He also regrets losing a female leader.
"We have enough middle-class white males in the General Assembly. It's nice to have a female voice and opinion," he said. "At the same time, I respect her desire to move on to new challenges."
Hinson said she will miss the Legislature, which she called her extended family, but couldn't pass up the financial and career opportunity.
Hinson, who served eight years on the Berkeley County school board before her election to the House, has run unopposed since 2000, when she defeated her ex-husband in the primary.
Hinson married former state Rep. James Law in 2004. She has one son from her first marriage.
4 comments:
g-milf
you're a sick puppy, Bob..
not a surprise hard for honest folks to make a living in the house or senate
i'm sorry she had to leave, but i can understand why.
i am the vice-chair of my department's alumni council at my college. my department has the only complete undergrad major and MA program entirely at the cofc north campus/LGC, and in this, i've worked with her quite a bit.
i will miss having her in the house, but she's also an asset to my department and the college as a whole. while serving in the senate would have been a great new avenue for her, so will this new opportunity, and i wish her well.
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