As part of our continuing effort to bring local news that’s impactful to our readers, we’ve proactively reached out to the candidates running for the South Carolina House of Representatives.
We will not manipulate their answers in any way, we’ll simply provide to you, our readers. This will allow you to make an informed choice.
This week, we’ll introduce Jackie Terribile.
Two years ago, I asked the people of Fort Mill and Tega Cay to trust me to represent them in the South Carolina State House.
I made some straightforward promises: I would speak truth, ask tough questions, read the fine print and remember who I work for. I have worked hard to keep those promises, and I’m running for re-election because there is still more work to do.
I never planned on going into politics. I’m a wife, a mom and a small-business professional who got involved because I was concerned about what was happening in our schools and our government. That involvement eventually led me to the State Board of Education and then to the State House.
Serving District 66 has reinforced something I believed before I was elected: Government works best when elected officials remember that the money they spend belongs to taxpayers and the authority they exercise was entrusted to them by the people. That principle has guided my first term.
Affordability and responsible spending are among my top priorities. South Carolina is growing, but state government cannot continue growing and simply expect taxpayers to pick up the bill. I opposed an income-tax restructuring proposal when its own analysis showed many South Carolinians would pay more. I support lower taxes and ultimately eliminating South Carolina’s income tax, but I will not call something a tax cut when it raises taxes on the people I represent.
I also voted against the final state budget. There were good things in it, but I could not support the overall spending, earmarks and misplaced priorities. Government should fund its core responsibilities—education, public safety and infrastructure—while respecting the people who earned the money in the first place.
Education also remains one of my top priorities. As a mom, former Fort Mill substitute teacher, former State Board of Education member and now a member of the House Education and Public Works Committee, I have seen education from several perspectives.
I supported legislation strengthening parental rights and protecting children, including the Student Physical Privacy Act to protect privacy in school bathrooms, locker rooms and changing facilities. I also supported legislation eliminating grade-floor policies that undermine teachers’ professional judgment.
Next session, I want to continue strengthening parental rights, improving classroom safety, supporting teachers and ensuring our schools remain focused on strong academics.
Some of the most important work I have done has been right here at home. The Silfab facility near Flint Hill schools remains one of the most significant issues facing our district. I co-sponsored legislation to strengthen zoning transparency and accountability and have worked with residents, community advocates, local officials, the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Environmental Services to push for answers and accountability.
I have also supported our law enforcement officers and first responders and worked for greater accountability in South Carolina’s judicial system. Public safety requires every part of that system to work, and I will continue supporting the men and women who protect our communities.
I am grateful to have earned the support of leaders who have worked alongside me and seen how I approach this job, including Attorney General Alan Wilson, Congressman Ralph Norman, Senator Michael Johnson, Sheriff Tony Breeden, Solicitor Kevin Brackett, local elected officials and community leaders.
Those endorsements mean a great deal to me, but ultimately, the endorsement that matters most is the trust of the people I represent. One of the best parts of this job happens far from the State House. It happens at school events, community meetings, local businesses, churches, ballfields and front doors. Those conversations with the people of Fort Mill and Tega Cay shape the work I do in Columbia.
There is still more work to do. In my next term, I’ll continue working to make South Carolina more affordable, lower taxes, rein in government spending, strengthen our schools, protect parental rights, support teachers and law enforcement, defend individual liberty and hold government accountable.
I’ll also keep doing what I promised from the beginning: showing up, asking questions, reading the fine print and remembering who I work for.
The people of Fort Mill and Tega Cay.
Website: https://jackieforsc.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackieterribileforstatehouse66
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackieforsc/
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
