Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Named one of 15 'Women of the Year' in politics.
UPDATE: Since taking office, Katrina Shealy has quickly emerged as a forceful voice on a number of issues. She's emerged as a staunch supporter of the expansion of Second Amendment rights, even offering CWP classes to educators in her district. She's also worked to prevent a repeat of the ballot confusion that detoured her election bid. And during Gov. Haley's State of the State speech, Shealy was given a special mention. Original story: The last two weeks have been quite the whirlwind for Katrina Shealy, Senator-elect of District 23. First, she pulled off the upset of the election season by defeating incumbent Jake Knotts while running as a petition candidate. In doing so, she became the only woman to serve in the South Carolina Senate. …
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Both approved easily and are expected to pass in the Senate.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved two key measures on its docket in a Tuesday afternoon session, moving them both to a full senate vote. The first item was S.308, which would allow persons with a Concealed Weapons Permit to possess a firearm in establishments that sell alcohol, specifically bars and restaurants. See the full bill here. It passed 15-7. Sen. Shane Massey (R - Edgefield), one of the sponsors of the bill, said the biggest stumbling block was the gray area between what is considered a bar and what is considered a restaurant. Establishments such as Applebee's or Wild Wing Cafe were not cut and dry as either bars or restaurants. "The bill needs to have language that makes it clear to everyone," Massey said during the …
Monday, January 28, 2013
Shealy said educators should be "well-instructed in the legal carrying and use of firearms."
Sen. Katrina Shealy (R-Lexington) is offering free Concealed Weapon Permit classes for South Carolina teachers and school administrators. “In light of the tremendous tragedy at Sandy Hook, it is imperative we do all we can to keep our children safe and our schools secure,” Shealy wrote in a press release. “These CWP classes will go a long way in ensuring good, law-abiding educators are competent, safe, and well-instructed in the legal carrying and use of firearms.” The classroom and written instruction will take place in February at Shealy & Sons Electric, located at 517 Spring Street in West Columbia. The shooting proficiency test will be scheduled at Mid Carolina Rifle Club in Gaston. Shealy, who supports legislation to allow concealed …
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Geography appears to less of a barrier in getting things done.
In any state legislature there are competing factions. Often, those factions are based on party or ideology. Just as often, the factions are based on geography. This is especially true in large states like California, Pennsylvania and Texas. Even though South Carolina is one of the smaller states in the union, with its clearly defined regions, it has always had tensions in the legislature based on location. It wasn’t always the case that what’s good for the Lowcountry is good for the Upstate and vice versa. But that may be changing. Technology has made it easier to communicate with someone on the other side of the world, making communication within a state a comparative breeze. And improved highways have made it easier to transport goods …
Monday, January 14, 2013
Measure gets out of committee by 19-1 margin.
While 2012 was chock full of electoral intrigue in South Carolina, _the longest-running story was undoubtedly the controversy that led to hundreds of candidates being thrown off of ballots_. Lawsuits were filed throughout the year, from just after the Supreme Court’s ruling in May up to just weeks before Election Day in November_. Many of the candidates initially thrown off eventually made it back on to ballots via petition, but not after expending significant time and money. It’s believed that only two of the petition candidates ended up victorious. The controversy was another blow to South Carolina’s national reputation as a place where in politics “anything goes.” The magazine The Nation named the ballot mess one of the most …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The defeats of Rep. Joan Brady and Sen. Jake Knotts had a lot in common.
While headlines from last week’s election persist, both locally and nationally, it might have been easy to forget two races in the Midlands that resulted in two longtime members of the General Assembly being ousted from their seats. In Senate 23, Katrina Shealy easily defeated longtime Lexington County fixture Jake Knotts. In House 78, Beth Bernstein bested the popular Joan Brady. Shealy Leaves Knotts Shellshocked Shealy’s victory can only be described as historic. With her win, she becomes the only female in the Senate and she also replaces a lawmaker in Knotts who was both famous and infamous, with a knack for finding headlines in the worst possible way. But most notably, her victory came as a petition candidate. After being bounced from…
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The petition candidate for Senate Seat 23 scored a big upset in Tuesday's election by taking precincts in Lexington and Oak Grove.
The race for SC Senate Seat 23 was a tight one between embattled Sen. Jake Knotts and petition candidate Katrina Shealy. But Shealy was able to pull out a victory, 51 percent to 43 percent, over Knotts by winning most of the Lexington and Oak Grove precincts and holding her own in Knotts' home turf of West Columbia and Gaston. Check out precinct map to see how the votes were cast in each of the 33 precincts that make up Senate Seat 23. If you can't see the map above, or you're on a mobile device, click here to see the map.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Boisterous, controversial senator beaten by petition candidate.
Defeating an incumbent is hard. Defeating an incumbent as entrenched as Sen. Jake Knotts is harder. Defeating an incumbent like Knotts while running as petition candidate is a special kind of challenge. But that is precisely what Katrina Shealy was on the verge of doing Tuesday night, holding a 51-44 lead over Knotts with just absentee and fail-safe votes left to count. Click here to see the most-updated voting results. And in doing so she removed Knotts from the District 23 Senate seat that he had held since 2002. Shealy challenged Knotts for the Senate 23 seat in 2008, but was defeated in the primary. This year, a lawsuit filed by Knotts go her thrown off the ballot along with hundreds of other candidates before a single primary vote was…
The choices facing voters in and around Lexington.
Updated results: If you don't see election results above, click this link. Update: The results are in. Here are links to stories about who won the races in Lexington. And at the state and federal level: Original story: Today is Election Day. Lexington voters face a slew of choices. Here’s a look at what to expect: Note sure where to vote? Find your polling place. Be sure to like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter at @LexingtnSCPatch for updates throughout the day. When you’re done voting, stay right here, as Patch will provide minute-by-minute updates for the races that matter to you. Track State and Federal races HERE. "Do you want us to keep you posted on today's election results? No problem! Click here to sign up for Lexington…
Monday, November 5, 2012
A Lexington resident explains why Katrina Shealy has his vote for the S.C. Senate District 23 seat.
When Katrina Shealy came through our neighborhood knocking on doors, we indeed, were blessed with both her presence, listening to her political competence and her community commitments. A day which we will always remember. After a very interesting conversation, we engaged in prayer for all the blessings we enjoy in this land, and we wished her well in her admirable political quest for service in her Lexington community and the S.C. Legislature. My wife and I are convinced that she is a lady of true grit. She demonstrated great courage in fighting back with a petition vote. In her words and messages, she conveys hope, vision, and clarity of purpose, and an ability to bring out the best in the legislature and community. She has a keen …
Laura
10:41 am on Tuesday, November 20, 2012
She's as a wonderful person and will represent our state well. We are proud to have her in this position. Thank you Katrina for paving the way for future leaders in our state. more ›