On February 15th, our church said goodbye to a group of 4 as they left on a mission trip to Sierra Leon. Larry Reeves, Kent McGahey, Nancy & Greg Vieau will be there until March 3. I just got an e-mail from Larry with the message below:

Yesterday we were at Kondi Farm, Sierra Leone, West Africa, where the Muslim Chief Kondi told us that he has accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior, but that he had been afraid to tell anyone until yesterday. We were overjoyed and introduced him to one of the elders at the new Kondi Farm Church who along with Samuel Menyongar, will begin to meet with him each week in a discipling program. They will also encourage him to be baptised as a first step in becoming a growing disciple. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for the Chief. Larry

I was honored today to receive the “Friend of the Taxpayer” award at the annual luncheon of the South Carolina Association of Taxpayers. As revenues have increased, the General Assembly has continued to insist that this money is to be spent instead of returned to the taxpayers. Last year SC took in $1.1 billion of new money. I offered an amendment to return $250 million (less than a 1/4th). This amendment only got a handful of votes in a Republican controlled Senate! It is my pleasure to keep a keen eye on wasteful and unnecessary spending. We’ll keep pressing on!

Congratulations to Dan & Christine Sharp on their new baby girl, Elizabeth Kennedy. She was 6lbs, 19″ and born at 2:13am on February 21st.

Tonight at the Anderson County Republican Party my wife, Ann, presented me with a stack of contributions that she raised for my birthday. Below is the text from her letter sent to my donor list.

As you may know, Kevin turns the big 4-0 on February 19th. I wanted to include you in this special occasion. As we approach Kevin’s 40th birthday, I have been reflecting on how blessed we are to have your support as we serve you in the SC Senate. I’ve stood with my husband continually while he is your voice for fiscal responsibility and family values in Columbia. He has continued to remain passionate about the issues that you and I are committed to.

In Columbia, the more popular road is that of the same-ol’, same-ol’, but you and I know Kevin; he will not go in that direction (believe me, he can be stubborn). I’ve witnessed growing resistance to the ideas of change, but his persistence is moving our state forward. Because of his efforts, the hostile opposition is mounting to unseat us next year. For this reason, I am asking you to help me with an early birthday present. Would you consider a contribution toward our re-election efforts?

If you can help, please send your contributions to our home address. Kevin will be so surprised!

Again, thank you for your prayers and support. Thank you for joining us in this tremendous yet honorable journey.

Sincerely,
Ann

If Rick Adkins’ leadership in thwarting the backdoor increase wasn’t enough for his debut on the State Board of Education, he also helped a majority of board members overturn the denial of an application by a charter school in Greenville County. Greenville County School District denied the application of Greenville Science Charter School on the grounds that it didn’t have enough community support and that its financial plan was unsound. Never mind that it’s director, Ali Ozer, is not only a former Clemson physics professor but also has started two successful charter schools in the Atlanta area, one of which has won national awards.

According to Rick and other state board members, the Greenville board simply argued that this charter school didn’t plan to do things the way Greenville County does, so therefore it couldn’t work. For instance, Greenville School District argued that since they couldn’t find science teachers for $42,000 a year then the charter surely couldn’t find them for $30,000. This merely reflects the institutional arrogance that plagues our schools today.

What Greenville School District failed to mention, but what other board members have confirmed, is that the district plans to open a couple of science magnet schools on its own. While this is admirable on the district’s part, it also likely reflects the major concern the district had about this charter, competition.

The vote on this charter application was really a test vote for the fate of charters statewide. The fact that the board sided with choice and innovation bodes well not just for the folks of Greenville County but across South Carolina. I’m proud Rick Adkins stood up for choice against the defenders of the status quo.