District 8 - Meet your Candidates for South Carolina Senate

Meet Democrat Taylor Culliver and Republican Ross Turner, South Carolina Senate District 8 candidates in the November general election. District 8 generally covers the neighborhoods of Augusta Street, Gower, Hollingsworth, the west end of Pelham Road, and much of the Golden Strip of Mauldin, Simpsonville and Fountain Inn. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the voters. Your vote is so important! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors.

Links:

Taylor Culliver

Ross Turner

Sample Ballot

Transcript

Katy Smith:
Hey, Simple Civics listeners. Thanks so much for listening week after week. We are so glad to be a resource for you civically engaged citizens. If you would like to be a resource for us, I have three invitations for you. First, share this podcast with a friend who you know cares about our community. Second, rate and review us on Apple or Spotify, which helps more people find us. And third, feel free to make a donation to help us share this content. We are a nonprofit and and your support really makes a difference. You can click donate in the descriptions or show notes for today's episode, or you can go to simplecivicsgreenvillecounty.org and click on the big green donate button. But just being a listener is the greatest gift you can give. So thank you, and here's today's show.

Katy Smith:
When you go to the polls on November 5th or in early voting, you have the chance to vote not just for the president. South Carolina voters will also choose their state, house, and senate Senate members. These members of our legislature make important decisions about things such as the state budget, policies on education, health care, public safety, the judicial system, and much more. I'm Katie Smith with Greater Good Greenville, and on this episode of Simple Civics Greenville County, we feature interviews with your candidates for Senate District 8, Democrat Taylor Culliver and incumbent Republican Ross Turner. District 8 generally covers the neighborhoods of Augusta Street, Gower, Hollingsworth, the West End of Pelham Road, and much of the Golden Strip of Malden, Simpsonville, and Fountain Inn. Here's how the interviews worked. All candidates received the same question at the time of their invitation to join us, and they were given 10 minutes for their interview. Candidates were allowed to bring along a companion, such as a campaign manager, family member, or friend, and to record our session themselves. There were no edits made to the interview. We've put links to the participating candidates' preferred internet presence on the episode, First up is Taylor Culliver. I'm pleased to be joined today by Taylor Culliver, who is a Democratic candidate for South Carolina Senate District 8. Taylor, thanks so much for being here.

Taylor Culliver:
Yeah, thanks so much for having me. It's quite an honor.

Katy Smith:
Great. Well, tell us about yourself and why you're running for office.

Taylor Culliver:
Yeah, my name is Taylor Culliver. You know, I am so proud to be a part of this community. I love Greenville County and believe that we have so much potential, so much potential to do so much many great things for our community. I grew up in South Alabama, went to college at the University of Pennsylvania and got my fancy-spancy little Ivy League degree. But the gift that Penn gave me was my wife, who I've been married to for six years.

Taylor Culliver:
When we got married, we moved down to Greenville. She got a job at Michelin. And from a month or two in, I said, this can be the place that we kind of buckle in and raise our family and, you know, grow our careers. And it's been incredible ever since. And, you know, we had our daughter two years ago, which has been such a blessing. And when she was born, everything that I thought about was just how do I keep her happy, healthy, and safe? Those are kind of my guiding principles for the way that I'm trying to raise her and my guiding principles for how I approach community and the things that I want for all of us. And so, when I look at the state of politics in South Carolina, the ways in which I feel our leaders are not doing us a great service in listening to their constituents and making sure that they're prioritizing the issues that matter most, I look at it through a lens of happiness, healthy, healthiness, and safety. And it's just very clear to me that we could be doing so much more to ensure that everyone is empowered with the resources and freedom to live a good life. And that's why I'm doing this. It's been 12 years since my opponent, Ross Turner, has had an opponent or a challenger on the ballot.

Taylor Culliver:
I got so tired of showing up at the ballot box, you know, every election cycle and not seeing another option on the ballot for so many races. It's just kind of like you win the primary and then you're in. And I can't stand for that either, right? And so I'm here doing all that I can, busting my butt every day to be out in the community, listening to people, trying to respond to their concerns, and making sure that I'm showing up in ways that represent their interests, right? And doing all that I can to make sure that they feel like someone's listening and someone's there to fight for them. Because I think that we need a lot more of that kind of energy in Columbia.

Katy Smith:
Thank you. What do you believe are the biggest issues facing your constituents? And what would you do about them if elected?

Taylor Culliver:
Yeah, that's a really Really good question. The big one that I think transcends party lines, regardless of whether you're a Republican or Democrat or somewhere in between, is the growth, right? There are going to be 200,000 more people that move to Greenville County by 2040. People are concerned. Rightfully so, I think. And when we look at the infrastructure, right, and the lack of investment that's been made in how we grow our community and how we, ensure that everyone can have a piece of the pie when it comes to that growth and that we're preserving what makes Greenville County special, I think that's an incredible challenge and a concern that I hear across the spectrum. And I know that we could be doing more to invest in the infrastructure here in Greenville County to accommodate that growth. Because the one thing that's true is that the growth is not going to stop. And we have to be very clear about that. There are ways in which we could be building more affordable housing. There are ways in which we could be investing in public transportation, right? There are ways in which we could be fixing our roads and strengthening our bridges, making sure that we're protecting our natural resources. All of those things are going to continue to build the kind of community that's livable for everyone, right? That becomes more comfortable for everyone, that allows people to go throughout their lives and thrive. And so if we don't hold that up as a priority, I'm really concerned about the kind of stress that the community is going to be under as more and more people continue to flood into Greenville County. Reproductive freedom.

Taylor Culliver:
I can't say enough about what I'm hearing from women across the district and throughout the county. What the legislature did in stripping women of their reproductive freedom, banning abortion has immense consequences and ramifications, not only for women, but for all of us. I think it's really critical, right? You have legislators down in Columbia, like my opponent Ross Turner, telling people what they can do with their bodies, right? Making healthcare decisions on their behalf. That's no way, in my opinion, to go through life and to lead. And I think it's incredibly dangerous, right? And I think there are larger questions about if they can tell me what to do with my body, then what else can they do? What other freedoms can they strip away?" And so, on day one, I'll be working hard to restore reproductive freedom, making sure that women have the right to do what they want with their own bodies, making sure that everyone has access to the healthcare that they need and when they need it.

Taylor Culliver:
Housing, healthcare, childcare, right? We have to make all three of those more affordable, right? People are struggling. Wages aren't growing as quickly as they should be. The cost of living is increasing. I have a two-year-old. I know how expensive childcare is. We don't have enough affordable housing in Greenville County. Healthcare continues to, those rates continue to skyrocket and put a burden and a stress on people who need care. When we look at expanding Medicaid, for example, we know if we took the time to expand Medicaid in our state, which we're one of 10, we're one of 10 left in the country who hasn't expanded Medicaid. When we look at that issue, that would allow 200,000 to 300,000 more people to access healthcare in South Carolina, which would be a boon to our economy. Some folks think within the billions, right? If we look at the study, there's no reason why we shouldn't be accepting federal dollars. Our federal taxes are going towards paying for these benefits that we should be bringing back to our communities. And we've got folks in the legislature and our governor who are not willing to look at the issue for what it is and do the research and look around at the rest of the country and say, you know, this would actually be incredible for our state and our community. It would lead to people being healthier. It would lead to a stronger workforce. It would funnel back into the community by way of taxes. And so, the fact that we haven't expanded Medicaid is a really missed opportunity to me.

Taylor Culliver:
Public education, I can't say enough about how deeply I feel that we should be investing everything that we can into every child's future and every child's opportunities.

Taylor Culliver:
Right now, there's a concerted effort in our state to dismantle public education. The folks down in Columbia are doing all that they can to make sure that public tax dollars are being funneled to private institutions, to make sure that the few of us who have the privileges and the resources can actually access a good education and everybody else kind of gets left in the dust. And so one of my priorities is making sure that we're doing all that we can to invest in public education throughout the state, making sure that we're paying our teachers fair wages and an incredible salary that allows them to show up fully in those roles, but not only the salaries, but the support and the resources that they need. When I talk to the experts around the state and within Greenville County, they say, if we can invest more in our teachers, it would be a night and day difference for kids in public education systems. That money that's being funneled from our tax dollars into private schools and institutions should all be funneled into paying teachers more and supporting them with the resources that they need. And the last concern that I hear so much about is gun safety and gun violence. I live in fear, quite frankly, most days about the potential for gun violence.

Taylor Culliver:
We have a legislature who created more access to guns by passing an open carry law that allows for anyone 18 and older to carry a gun without any training openly. And we know, as sixth in the nation in gun violence, we know that this will make our communities less safe. There are folks down at the legislature who heard from law enforcement officers who said this was not the way to go. They chose to do it anyway, not even under the guise of safety, under the guise of Second Amendment rights. And I'm all for freedom. I'm all for gun ownership. But we've got to do it responsibly. And we've got to have laws that are common sense and make our community safer. So those are the priorities that I care about. Those are the things that I'm hearing from my constituents. I want to show up to put people first and create the thriving communities that we all deserve.

Katy Smith:
Thank you. What would you do in the first 30 days after being sworn in?

Taylor Culliver:
Yeah, I would be brand new to this, right? So I think for me, it's all about learning the operations of the legislature. In order for me to be the most effective representative for my constituents, I need to form relationships. I need to start building trust. I need to get a good sense of how this is all working, right? While advocating for those issues that I just talked about and doing what I can to put myself in a great position to be influential. I think it's also important that I'm coming back to Greenville County, right? And saying, okay, we're in now. What are our our priorities? What do we do? Who are the organizations that I need to be meeting with? The thing about having someone in office for 12 years and then getting someone new is that it's kind of a blank slate. You get to reform relationships, kind of rebuild priority or rebuild trust and relationships with folks who maybe have been out of the game for a while. So those are all the ways in which I think those first 30 days are critical. It's a reset to say, I am now here for you, right? I'm here to listen. I'm here to take those issues down to Columbia and fight for you. Help me do that by sharing with me what's important. And I'll go down there and be a champion for you every day.

Katy Smith:
Well, thank you so much for joining us. And thank you so much for your willingness to serve.

Taylor Culliver:
Yeah, thank you.

Katy Smith:
Next up is Ross Turner. Well, I'm so pleased to be here with Ross Turner, who is running for re-election for South Carolina Senate District 8. Ross, thanks so much for being here today.

Ross Turner:
Thank you for having me.

Katy Smith:
Well, tell us about yourself and why you're running for re-election.

Ross Turner:
Sure. I was born and raised in Greenville. Married, been married for 34 years, if that tells you how old I am, kind of. And then I have three children. They went to the same schools I grew up going to, Sarah Collins Elementary, Beck Middle, and J.O. Mann High School. They actually all went to Clemson, too. But that was their choice, I will say, was their choice. but happy you have two grandkids now so my world has changed totally and for the good and you know those.

Ross Turner:
The kids, my grandkids, those were all part of the reason I ran in the first place. Even though I never had grandkids at that point, I knew at some point I wanted South Carolina to be somewhat the South Carolina I knew it was growing up. And I wanted that for my kids and grandkids. And that was part of it. Part of it was coming out of the recession in 2009. 2009, and I'm in the insurance business, have an insurance agency, 28 great employees that allow me to go to Columbia, and I think they prefer me in Columbia, so that's a good thing.

Ross Turner:
But they, in coming out, we insure a lot of businesses, and I saw businesses going under. I saw businesses shutting the doors, letting employees go, and it was one of those things, and the answer to it coming out of the state legislature at that time was, all right, The state legislature had messed up the unemployment fund. It basically went bankrupt, and their whole decision was to put it back on businesses. And on top of that, if anybody remembers, especially if you're in small business, they added what was called the business personal property tax. So now I've got to pay tax on a desk that I'm sitting somebody behind paying all those taxes on. And I thought, who is down there making decisions? Nobody with a small business background, obviously, or nobody that understands the effects this is going to have on business. I didn't think so. And unfortunately, I think I spoke too loud and too soon and had enough people encourage me to run for office and had never run for office. That's the first time I'd ever done it. Didn't announce until February before the June primary. And luckily, I don't know how we did it, but we came out of that.

Ross Turner:
So been there for 12 years. Enjoy it. And I really am running again because as much as I think we've done in 12 years, and especially the last six years, I think there's that much more for us to do for the future of South Carolina.

Katy Smith:
Thank you. you, what do you believe are the biggest issues facing your constituents and what would you do about them if reelected?

Ross Turner:
You know, there, there's several different issues out there. One may affect some constituent more than the other. Um, overall, I think the biggest issue we've got in our state is still workforce development, which I say goes hand in hand with education. Um, they're, they're one in the same. So it's a good thing that.

Ross Turner:
To me, I think we've done a lot on the education side the last four years, especially this past year that I think is going to have some huge, huge effects on us. We kind of did what Mississippi did. They did it in 2013, and they went from 50 to being 21st in the country now. It was reading phonics and things like that. We even invested, put $30 million back in that because we've got a lot of jobs, a lot of companies that want to locate in South Carolina. But I want South Carolinians getting the jobs. And so that's a huge push. Obviously, we've still got public safety. We've done a lot with putting more highway patrolmen on the road, raising their salaries to where people actually want to be and can afford to be a highway patrolman. The trickle-down effect for that is good because that means that people that are in sheriff's departments, police departments, all of a sudden can get a job making more money. So the counties and the cities have to respond. And increase that pay as well. So, and when I talk about that and just highway patrolmen, it's not just that, it's public safety, it's the opioid crisis. We tried, we sponsored a bill that we're going to get through this next session.

Ross Turner:
Basically that you can be sentenced as the drug trafficker, just as though you were the person pulling a trigger. When we get that passed, I think that'll help us go a long way. The other big thing is obviously infrastructure and infrastructure isn't just roads in as obviously the crowded roads and everything are the, are a huge issue, but it's also energy.

Ross Turner:
Because right now, you've got people coming on the grid that are eating up a lot of energy. Supposedly, I was in a meeting two years ago with the head of the co-ops, and they expected that we were going to have to increase our power grid 30-fold over the next 20 years to handle the new need coming into the state. And so how we go about that and how we address that obviously affects every constituent that pays a power bill. And so and and what we're looking at they've got an off um they have a committee that started meeting last week that'll be meeting through this off session to go back in january hopefully with a plan on how we address south carolina's energy needs down the road so i think those are a few of the biggest overlying topics for south carolina but um there's obviously a lot of individual topics. I've got a bill on Alzheimer's care and making sure there's differential in the care they're actually given versus what they're being charged for and making sure there's proper supervision, even in an Alzheimer's unit. So there's a lot of bills that matter that will go on that we'll never get the highlights, but a lot of good things.

Katy Smith:
Thank you. What would you do in the first 30 days after being sworn in?

Ross Turner:
First 30 days right now, the first 30 days for me is biggest issue is tort reform because I think it makes the most immediate impact of anything we can do. We tried to bring it up in the Senate last year. We didn't have the votes to pass it out. And all we're trying to do is 2005 legislature passed tort reform bill. In 2017, there was a the Supreme Court ruling, and Judge Kittredge, now Chief Justice, wrote the opinion that said what was wrong and needed to fix it back to what the original intention was. And that's all we've been trying to pass, is what Judge Kittredge said needed to be fixed, to take it back to where somebody that's 1% at fault doesn't pay 100% of the damages. And that's what it is right now because of the court ruling in 2017 is you can be 1% at fault and pay 100% of the damages. And voters said overwhelmingly when that was a question on one of the ballots that that was an issue that should be fixed. And so amazingly, it is going to take a little more time to fix it than an overwhelming vote should suggest it should. But I think it's not just the bars that are being hit. It's every business. It's every homeowner, everybody that pays a personal auto insurance premium.

Ross Turner:
So it affects everybody, and hopefully we can get that fixed because the judiciary system is a balance of scales, and right now they're out of balance.

Katy Smith:
We have a little bit more time. Is there anything else you'd like to share with listeners?

Ross Turner:
No, I think I'm excited, hoping I get to serve again for District 8. I think South Carolina has a long way to go. I think we're on a good track to get there as far as trying to control development and be smart about development. Because I don't want to lose a lot of the natural resources we have in this state that I grew up with and I hope my grandkids will grow up with. So controlling that growth and making sure we have smart growth we're not the biggest guy and we can't we compare ourselves to georgia and north carolina all the time but we got about a third of the budget they do so it's hard when we try to compare ourselves to guys because we're we we carry a big bat for the little bit of weight we swing i think in south carolina but but it's going to be great to see us even position ourselves a little better over the next 10 years well.

Katy Smith:
Thank Thank you so much for joining us today. And thank you so much for your willingness to continue to serve the people of our state.

Ross Turner:
Thank you so much for having me.

Catherine Puckett:
Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville. Greater Good Greenville was catalyzed by the merger of the Nonprofit Alliance and the Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy. You can learn more on our website at greatergoodgreenville.org.