State House challenger Mike Covert on the issues: education, taxes and abortion
Age: 52
Political party: Republican Party
Office seeking: S.C. House of Representatives, District 118
Number of years living in the district you seek to represent: 15
Family: Wife, Theresa. Four children and eight grandchildren.
Education: Spotsylvania Career and Technical Center
Current occupation/employer: Beaufort County Council member (District 7)
Employment, military and volunteer history: Former president of Bluffton Rotary Club, Vocational Industrial Clubs of America and SkillsUSA member, former School Improvement Council president at H. E. McCracken Middle School, former president of two homeowners associations, former Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce member.
Unsuccessful bids for public office: None (dropped out of U.S. Congressional race).
Other prior political and government experience: Beaufort County Council (District 7)
Key endorsements you’ve received: Beaufort County Council members Chris Hervochon and Brian Flewelling; Beaufort County School Board member Rachel Wisnefski; Hardeeville Mayor Harry Williams; former Bluffton Mayor Pro Tempore Ted Huffman; former Beaufort County Council member Cynthia Bensch; Bluffton Township Fire District Board Chair Mike Raymond; former Greater Bluffton Republican Club President Paul Runko; former Greater Bluffton Republican Club President Joe Iaco; South Carolina Commission on National & Community Service Commissioner Randy Potts; Daufuskie Island Council co-chair John Schartner; FCA pastor Rob Jacobs; BNI Regional Director Ron Kirby; Hilton Head Island High School Head Football Coach and retired WWE wrestler B.J. Payne; Beaufort County Council candidate Logan Cunningham; Beaufort County Deputy Coroner David Ott.
Campaign contributions: Approx. $15,000 from U.S. Congressional campaign. $4,250 from himself.
Campaign expenditures: Approx. $10,000, according to Covert.
Biggest contributor: Tom Curry, Al Urbano and Tom Zinn.
Questions from the League of Women Voters.
What are your top three legislative priorities?
In no particular order, Taxes: We need to eliminate the state income tax and reform our tax code in general to a “flatter tax” based on consumption with a “prebate” based on household size...not income. Teachers: Our teachers continually get the “short end of the stick”. They should be paid properly and be given the planning period uncompromised. I have a plan that will create an Education Housing Trust to give incentives to teachers that will reward them by living in high-cost places like HHI or Bluffton through these trusts. This will be one of many steps to make our educational system the envy of the nation, not the Achilles heel of it. Abortion: I will work to pass the Heartbeat Bill and completely defund any abortion center from public monies.
What steps should the state legislature take to provide equitable, quality public education for all South Carolina children pre-K through grade 12?
In no particular order: (1) Begin the conversation with federal officials to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. The state and the localities (counties and municipalities) ALONG WITH the parents know far better of the education needs of our children...than the federal govt. (2) Elimination of multiple school districts inside the same county (single county school districts) which would save millions of dollars in excessive taxation. (3) Families should have the choice to send THEIR child to THEIR choice of school, be it public school, private school, parochial school, home school etc. (4) The General Assembly MUST take on the feat of Amending ACT 388 which is financially “killing” public school funding, especially along the coast. I doubt we will see it repealed, but it can be made more equitable across the state. (5) PROPERLY fund the LGF, as well as make teacher pay the envy of the country, not the tail end of the country.
Do you support regulation of business to ensure that our environment is not degraded? if not, who should bear the cost of remediation when damage is done to our air, soils and water?
I do not support government overreach or overregulation of any kind. I do support the Constitution and the notion of the free and open marketplace. The environment can be protected by local and state government oversight, without intrusion into business. The federal government has very, very little to do with this subject aside from the basic Constitutional principles. Our state has the means of protecting our environment without the need of the EPA or other federal oversight on state matters.
What criteria do you think should be used to determine voting district lines for SC State (House & Senate) and US Congressional Districts for SC? Do you support the use of incumbent and/or party affiliation protections as criteria? Lastly, should there be transparency and public input as part of the redistricting process? Please explain your answers.
Population and continuity have to work hand-in-hand without gerrymandering. I believe that House and Senate Conference Committees made up of conferees with the governor holding a veto ability and then the members of the House and Senate holding override votes is how districts should be measured and counted. I believe that there should be equitable private citizen oversight, but not necessarily citizen appointments. That would provide the ability of high dollar donors influencing appointments.
Are you in favor of ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment?
As it is written now and currently tabled in the U.S. Senate, I believe it is unconstitutional. The current form would have the effect of changing the Constitution without having properly gone through the Constitutional measures, and, as women are already protected under the Constitution, the ERA would open the door for rollbacks of anti-abortion policies. Furthermore, across the country many conservatives warn that ratification of the ERA would lead to more abortions, arguing that because abortions are exclusive to women, any restrictions on the procedure could be deemed unconstitutional under the ERA.
Vouchers and scholarships are being discussed by members of the General Assembly. All taxpayers in SC will be impacted by passing such vouchers and scholarships. What is your position on voucher bills which divert taxpayers’ money to private, independent, home, and/or parochial schools?
As I mentioned above, I believe that educational decisions begin at home. Parents should have the ability to send their child to whatever type of educational teaching they believe in, as long as the base requirements are met as set by the S.C. Department of Education. School vouchers are a good thing. These vouchers can keep base requirement learning fair and equitable. If someone has the ability and means to go over and above the base requirements from the state, that is their prerogative.
The coronavirus has pointed out the inequities in our national and state health care system, as well as how unprepared we were for such an epidemic to protect the health of all residents of the state no matter where they live and/or their racial or ethnic group or education or income. What will you do to significantly improve the health care delivery system in our state? Will you support providing Medicaid dollars from the federal government for South Carolinians who need it?
The government should NOT be in the healthcare business. Yes, “we all” found ourselves not prepared enough for the COVID-19 event. How could we have been? It is not prudent to think the healthcare system could have been prepared when it didn’t know what to be prepared for. We need to get the federal govt out of the healthcare business and let the free and open markets thrive. That will lower costs and speed response. You don’t lower costs by hampering private business. I DO NOT believe in government-run healthcare. Medicaid began in 1965 with a $1.1B budget. It is now well over $400B. It is too large and gone beyond what LBJ envisioned 50+ years ago. I could only support this if we legislate back to the original plan — impoverished children, single parents, disabled workers, impoverished older workers not old enough for Medicare. As an entitlement program, it is well known Medicaid is countercyclical.
This story was originally published May 24, 2020 at 5:20 AM.
