Dear Miss Wegrzyn,

Thank you for your correspondence regarding domestic violence.  No one can doubt that South Carolina has a culture of domestic violence, evidenced by our state’s ranking of first highest in the nation for the rate of women murdered by men, which follows previous top ten rankings each year for the past ten years.  As governor, and more importantly as a wife and mother, this ranking is troubling and sad on so many levels. 

I know that other state leaders are tackling domestic violence in their own ways, but I am mindful that no piece of legislation and no amount of funding can fix the culture in South Carolina that is breeding catastrophic numbers of violence in our homes.  We all must do our part, and as the leader of our state, I saw an opportunity in bringing together state and community leaders of all labors to comprehensively address the cultural issues surrounding domestic violence. 

Acting on that mindset, on January 28, 2015, I issued Executive Order 2015-02, establishing the South Carolina Domestic Violence Task Force for the purpose of identifying and addressing systemic problems within our criminal justice system, the services we provide to victims and offenders, and the education, awareness, and outreach we bring to our communities.  County by county, the Task Force will analyze the quality and quantity of training, services, and resources to ensure that every part of South Carolina is lifted up through this effort. 

Last August, the Task Force issued 50 Recommendations that address specific problems and proposed specific solutions to cultural issues surrounding domestic violence in South Carolina.  This year, I have already announced that 10 of those recommendations have been implemented.  Information about the recommendations and their implementation can be viewed on my office’s website, www.governor.sc.gov. 

The Task Force and I will continue making domestic violence a priority in South Carolina.  I believe that if we tackle domestic violence together, as Team South Carolina, then we can make every home in our state a safer home for our men, women, and children.  Once again, thank you for contacting me.  God bless.
 
My very best,

Nikki R. Haley

NRH/rs