Senator Tom Young has released his latest District 24 Legislative Update, covering a wide range of state and local issues affecting Aiken County and South Carolina.
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Remembering September 11: Senator Young reflects on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and honors the victims, first responders, members of the military, and others who served in the aftermath.
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South Carolina State Budget: The newly enacted FY 2026–27 budget includes $309 million in income-tax relief, an increased homestead exemption for qualifying homeowners age 65 and older, $380 million in new road and bridge funding, increased teacher salaries, school-safety funding, law-enforcement pay increases, disaster recovery funding, and assistance for South Carolina farmers.
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V.C. Summer Nuclear Project: Brookfield Asset Management has completed the initial milestones associated with evaluating completion of the two unfinished V.C. Summer nuclear units. The proposed project could add more than 2,000 megawatts of electricity generation, with a final investment decision targeted for early 2028.
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Dominion Energy–NextEra Merger: The Public Service Commission is reviewing the proposed combination of Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy. An Aiken County public hearing is scheduled for November 5 at 6:00 p.m. at the Aiken County Government Center.
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Windsor/New Ellenton Transmission Line: Central Electric Cooperative continues work on its planned 115-kV transmission line between the Windsor and New Ellenton areas. Senator Young provides information on the selected route, the purpose of the project, and resources for affected property owners.
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Aiken County Road and Bridge Projects: Updates include the Powderhouse Road Connector, Whiskey Road drainage improvements, Storm Branch Bridge, Sand Bar Ferry Bridge, Georgia Avenue improvements in North Augusta, Belvedere-Clearwater Road, local resurfacing projects, and other SCDOT work around the county.
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Education: The newsletter highlights Aiken Scholars Academy’s recognition as South Carolina’s highest-ranked high school, Aiken County educator Dr. Christie Palladino being named South Carolina Teacher of the Year, upcoming Area Five school facilities planning meetings, and information about tax credits for eligible teachers’ classroom expenses.
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Economic Development and Jobs: Savannah River Nuclear Solutions was named South Carolina’s 2026 Workforce Champion. Senator Young also highlights Aiken’s Innovation Corridor, entrepreneurship programs, employment opportunities at the Savannah River Site, and continued growth in South Carolina’s economy and life-sciences industry.
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Veterans: The update includes information on the CSRA Honor Flight, veterans’ employment opportunities, Aiken County Veterans Affairs, state and federal veterans’ benefits, the planned CSRA Veterans Cemetery, and numerous other resources available to veterans and their families.
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Foster Children and Families: South Carolina is ending the practice of using foster children's Social Security survivor benefits to offset state foster-care costs. The newsletter also provides information about the S.C. Heart Gallery, foster-parent recruitment efforts, and South Carolina’s Safe Haven law.
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Consumer Protection: Senator Young provides resources for protecting against identity theft, freezing credit, safeguarding Social Security numbers, avoiding scams, protecting home titles, and stopping unwanted telephone calls and text messages.
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Local Community Information: Additional updates include Aiken’s Makin, Project Lifesaver, Meals on Wheels, USC Aiken’s Center for Lifelong Learning, the Aiken County Golden Circle program for residents age 60 and older, SC250 activities commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, and other community resources.
The complete newsletter contains considerably more information, including additional state government news, veterans’ resources, consumer information, road projects, community programs, and constituent-service resources.
