Dick Harpootlian sworn into SC Senate

COLUMBIA,SC (WOLO)- Democrat Dick Harpootlian was sworn into the South Carolina Senate on Wednesday taking over for district 20, a seat that hasn’t be held by a democrat for decades.

District 20 represents parts of Lexington and Richland County.

“I’m going to focus on local issues,” Harpootlian said. “That’s what your local representative ought to do.”

The Columbia attorney coming back to politics, noting the civil rights period as a time when he first realized he had to make a difference.
“I had that same feeling about what’s going on in this country right now, and what’s happening in this State right now,” Harpootlian said.  “That I need to step up, so I did.”

At the top of Harpootlian’s list is pushing a bill introduced by fellow Democrat Brad Hutto,  which would turn I-95 into a toll road.

“The 40% of the people from out of state that use it, the 20% that are trucks that use it they need to fray the cost of doing that,” Harpootlian said. “It would free up about $100 million a year to work on other roads around the state.That’s just a common sense approach.”

Harpootlianhas been very vocal about the ongoing corruption probe at the state house.  His election win gave Dems their 19th seat in the Senate, however Republicans still have control with 26 seats.

Governor Henry McMaster, who was chairman of the repbulican party when Harpootlian was chairman of the democratic party, showed his support at the ceremony.

“He and I both have a common goal of improving education, fixing the roads,” Harpootlian said about McMaster. “We have those goals.

Harpootlian says their common goals should push the state forward.

“Lets find a common ground,” Harpootlian said. “Let’s not argue about who gets credit for it. We should be arguing about what’s the most effective way to get it done. Not who gets the brownie points for it. I don’t care about that. I care about getting the job done.”