State House of Representatives Speaker David Wilkins told a group of local Republicans on Friday that it's a great time to be a member of their party, especially in South Carolina.

He noted Republicans' success from the top to the bottom of the ballot in last November's elections, emphasizing President Bush's re-election victory.

"History will record George W. Bush as one of the finest, bravest leaders this country has ever seen," Wilkins, R-Greenville, told the Hilton Head Island Republican Club at Port Royal Clubhouse.

House Republicans' top priorities for this year include reducing income taxes for the state's highest tax bracket, restricting personal injury lawsuits and amending the state constitution so that some elected officers become governor's appointees, Wilkins said.

Gov. Mark Sanford has proposed gradually reducing income taxes for the state's highest tax bracket from 7 percent to 4.75 percent. Republicans throughout the country have led a charge to cut down on personal injury lawsuits, capping jury awards and ending frivolous lawsuits. And there's a push to amend the state constitution so that several positions, including superintendent of education, agriculture commissioner and secretary of state, would be appointed by the governor instead of elected.

Wilkins said House Republicans generally are supporting all of those initiatives.

Attendees told Wilkins they were upset about Beaufort County's recent property reassessment. The General Assembly approved legislation last year that would have capped increases in a property's taxable value at 20 percent, but Sanford vetoed it.

Wilkins said even though Beaufort County lawmakers are pushing the issue, there is no guarantee that the legislature would take action this year.

Several bills have been introduced that attempt to tackle the issue in different ways. One bill would replace parts of the property tax with a sales tax, another would end the requirement that properties be reassessed every five years and instead only reassess property when it is sold, and Rep. Bill Herbkersman of Bluffton is sponsoring legislation that would allow Beaufort County to delay last year's reassessment until 2006.

Wilkins told the Republican club to be happy with their recent election victories but warned them against becoming complacent.

"2004 was a great year for the Republican Party of South Carolina," he said, "and 2005, 2006 can be even better."