South Carolina

Governor McMaster celebrated raising the minimum teacher starting salary to $50,500 — a 68% increase since 2017 — and seven consecutive years of frozen college tuition. He championed full-day 4K expansion (30% enrollment increase), universal Education Scholarship Trust Fund expansion, and the achievement of an SRO in virtually every public school (up from 406 of 1,283 in 2018). He urged moving toward universal 4K regardless of income and called for a comprehensive review of the state's 33 public higher education institutions.

Governor McMaster described the most significant government restructuring in over 30 years, dissolving the commission-run departments of Health, Mental Health, and Disabilities and reconstituting them as gubernatorial cabinet agencies. He highlighted the creation of the new Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and reported these new agencies are now 'collaborating, communicating and cooperating' to modernize healthcare access.

Governor McMaster announced over $9.1 billion in new capital investment and 8,100 new jobs in 2025, with $53.7 billion total since 2017. He highlighted specific companies including Hampton Lumber, Isuzu North America, and Woodward Inc. investing hundreds of millions. He emphasized seven consecutive years of frozen college tuition, workforce training through technical colleges, and nuclear energy leadership with plans to restart V.C. Summer Nuclear Station construction.

Governor McMaster called for $1.1 billion in additional surplus funds for road and bridge construction, noting almost $7 billion in active transportation projects underway — up from $2.7 billion in 2017. He emphasized water and sewer infrastructure, completion of the State Water Plan, and nuclear energy infrastructure, stating South Carolina will lead the nation's nuclear renaissance with the restart of V.C. Summer reactors.

Governor McMaster emphasized funding police, closing the revolving door for career criminals, and keeping guns out of criminal hands. He highlighted that every public school now has funding for a school resource officer — up from 406 of 1,283 schools in 2018. He told the dramatic story of an SRO-funded officer stopping a child abduction at Chester Park Elementary School. He also touted the state's lowest recidivism rate in the nation and reported substantial law enforcement pay raises of up to 52% in three years.

Governor McMaster declared South Carolina will lead the nation's nuclear renaissance, noting over half the state's electricity is safely generated by nuclear energy with seven operating reactors. He highlighted Santee Cooper's decision to restart construction of two unfinished reactors at V.C. Summer and the creation of the PowerSC working group and SC Nexus consortium for energy planning. He also emphasized the new State Water Plan completed last month.

Governor McMaster addressed housing indirectly by raising concerns about whether infrastructure and government services can keep pace with unrestrained out-of-state population growth, noting South Carolina was ranked number one by U-Haul for destination moves.

Governor McMaster highlighted five consecutive years of income tax cuts totaling $1.275 billion in taxpayer savings and proposed cutting the personal income tax rate further, stating he would sign an elimination bill 'the second it arrives on my desk.' He called for an additional $1.1 billion in surplus money for infrastructure projects and noted the state has had large budget surpluses year after year, enabling seven consecutive tuition freezes for in-state college students.

Governor McMaster emphasized South Carolina's role in leading a national nuclear energy renaissance, noting the state generates over half its electricity from nuclear energy with seven operating reactors. He highlighted the Santee Cooper decision to restart construction of two nuclear reactors at V.C. Summer and the SC Nexus consortium designated as one of 12 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs, focused on power technology.

Governor McMaster emphasized South Carolina's agricultural heritage and the importance of conserving working farms and forests. He noted that the state has preserved almost 400,000 acres of historically or environmentally significant lands in less than 10 years, including working farms.

Governor McMaster opened by honoring four service members lost in the line of duty in 2025 and extensively discussed South Carolina's military heritage in the context of the nation's 250th anniversary. He highlighted the state's role in the American Revolution with more than 200 battles and skirmishes fought on South Carolina soil, and emphasized the state's nuclear energy leadership as critical to national security.

Governor McMaster highlighted the most significant government restructuring in over 30 years, dissolving commission-run agencies (Health and Environmental Control, Mental Health, Disabilities and Special Needs) and reconstituting them as gubernatorial cabinet agencies for better accountability. He also proposed reforming the Summary Court system to require magistrate judges to be attorneys, with state-funded compensation and centralized oversight by the Chief Justice.

Governor McMaster highlighted the statewide expansion of full-day 4K education, with enrollment increasing 30% to 18,411 students since expansion, and urged moving toward universal 4K regardless of household income. He detailed the Education Scholarship Trust Fund providing K-12 scholarships for low-income parents and noted the state's mental health system restructuring, consolidating multiple agencies into a new Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

Governor McMaster emphasized continued income tax cuts, noting South Carolina's rate was once the highest in the Southeast and 12th highest nationally. He reported $1.275 billion in savings from tax cuts over five years and proposed further reductions, saying "if the General Assembly can find a way to eliminate it altogether, I will sign it the second it arrives on my desk." He also highlighted seven consecutive years of frozen college tuition for in-state students.