A budget is like a road map for our state. It allows us to choose a destination, and then set the best course to reach it. We've crafted a legislative agenda that meets the needs of South Carolinians in education, health care and tax relief.

We need to strengthen our commitment to education. Our budget provides an additional $10 million to expand our preschool initiative, First Steps to School Readiness. These funds will expand First Steps and provide grants for all 46 counties in South Carolina. We're also funding the Excellence in Middle Schools initiative. These funds will give middle schools the flexibility to hire additional school resource officers, guidance counselors or nurses.

We are also working together to provide better health care for South Carolina children and seniors. We've proposed a new initiative to provide affordable prescription drugs for seniors who are most in need. Many of our seniors are forced to choose between prescription drugs that keep them healthy and basic essentials such as rent, groceries and transportation. Our additional health care priorities include home health care, smoking cessation programs and health screenings for infants.

As a parent, I know that the purchase of required school supplies, uniforms and band instruments represent some of the hidden costs of public education. That's why we proposed the creation of a sales tax holiday on all purchases of clothes and back-to-school items during the first weekend in August.

I am proud to work with the legislature to craft a budget that addresses the future needs of South Carolina. We can fund initiatives that help our children learn and our seniors remain independent. We can provide sales tax relief for South Carolinians.