South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was the guest speaker at the Greater Cayce-West Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Business Breakfast Meeting, Tuesday. The packed event was held at the Stone River event center in West Columbia.

McMaster was introduced by state Sen. Nikki Setzler. He lauded McMaster for being easy to work with and for being a strong advocate for conservation of public lands, and education.

Setzler also said McMaster is especially effective at driving economic development in the state, crediting McMaster for the $10.7 billion in investment and 83,000 new jobs created in South Carolina last year.

McMaster, when he spoke, recounted South Carolina history, saying that the state was known as the most-beautiful to the English leaders who first colonized it. He also spoke of the beauty of the Congaree River that flows next to West Columbia’s Riverwalk, in the shadow of Stone River.

McMaster said that people are now coming from all over to South Carolina and it’s important to “teach the children well” and maintain the state’s attractiveness into the future as national leaders are “taking them in the wrong direction.”

McMaster said the $10.7 billion in investment last years was a record and the jobs created are important because it will allow for the raising of families, because welfare is not the answer.

McMaster said the people in South Carolina are courteous and nice. “It’s always about the people,” he said. He also said the state has the “best technical college system in the world” and it is the best at training potential employees for specific jobs.

McMaster said one of the challenges is the fighting criminals. West Columbia and Cayce Police Chiefs Marion Boyce and Chris Cowan were in attendance, along with Lexington and Richland County Sheriffs Jay Koon and Leon Lott. McMaster said South Carolina has great law enforcement, but too many criminals are let out of jail too easily. Penalties need to be more serious, he said.

McMaster drew applause from the crowd when he said that the state’s magistrate system needs to be reformed.

McMaster also said the state has had to fight the Biden Administration and defend the state’s citizens against an infringing federal government. He mentioned a proposed disinformation agency and the FBI calling on social media to control content.

McMaster said the US Constitution guarantees power for individual states and we must use “common sense” as we move into the future.