Members of Prosperity Town Council discuss Representative Walt McLeod’s speech prior to the Newberry County Governmental Association meeting Monday night in Whitmire.

WHITMIRE — Good things have come out of this year’s legislative session, according to Rep. Walt McLeod.

McLeod shared his thoughts on this year’s session with the community Monday at the Newberry County Governmental Association meeting, hosted by the town of Whitmire.

“It’s a pleasure representing you at the Statehouse,” McLeod said.

McLeod said this session brought about substantially increased penalties for domestic violence.

While there were originally three categories of domestic violence, there are now four — domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, followed by first-, second- and third-degree domestic violence.

McLeod said a person convicted of domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature or first degree domestic violence will automatically lose their gun rights for life.

If convicted of second- or third-degree domestic violence, while you do not automatically lose your weapon, McLeod said the judge hearing the case can decide if a person should lose their gun rights.

“My guess is that judges will take it very seriously and we will see many people that if convicted of domestic violence their gun rights will be impacted,” McLeod said. “It’s new for South Carolina and I’d say its a substantial improvement for what we’ve seen in previous years.”

When Walter Scott was shot and killed by a police officer in Charleston in April, video helped in the investigation, McLeod said. The officer was charged and arrested and put in jail, McLeod said, saying it was done right.

As a result of that incident, body camera legislation that was introduced in February was recognized by all Senate and House members.

In the next 180 days, McLeod said that the South Carolina law enforcement training council, which has representatives from all arms of law enforcement should be coming forward with guidelines and procedures that will be submitted to police departments and law enforcement agencies.

Those departments and agencies will have 60 days to review them and submit their own procedures and how they will handle body-cameras being worn by officers that are on duty.

“I think in probably March of 2016, we will see body-cams on many law enforcement officers,” McLeod said.

While local government will bear a lot of cost to those cameras, McLeod said state government will bear a significant portion of that cost.

“I think our state will be better off because of it,” McLeod said.

At the end of this year’s session, McLeod said there was about $450 million of revenue projected for the current year. Out of that money, $226 million has been allocated to county transportation committees.

McLeod said the formula says that Newberry County gets 1.56 percent of that amount of money, which amounts to $3.5 million that will be given in addition to what they already receive.

“You should have received right at $100,000 per month, so that’s 1.2 million dollars we have received in the past year,” McLeod said. “That’s 4.7 million dollars.”

While that is a lot of money, McLeod said it was not near enough, but significantly more than the county transportation committees have had in the past.

McLeod reminded everyone Monday that the General Assembly made a decision for local governments saying they must post their agenda for meetings 24 hours in advance and if it is changed within that time period, it must be done in front of a public body and agreed upon by a two-thirds majority.

“It will be somewhat painful, not sure what the outcome will be,” McLeod said.

Not accomplished in this year’s legislative session was a gas tax increase. McLeod said the House passed a strong infrastructure and gas tax increase bill early in the session with a 10 cent increase. The Senate, however declined to support that at any time. The Senate passed a bill of their own recommending a 12 cent increase.

“We could not get together,” McLeod said. “We tried diligently to improve roads with a gas tax bill to be successful, but it just didn’t work.”

McLeod said hopefully next year the Senate would come to their senses and recognize that this is the number one issue that we have had for two years or more.

“It’s a very important issue and hopefully the Senate will come to recognize it’s their time to step up to the plate and do something positive for the citizens of our state,” McLeod said.

Also not passed, McLeod said was that the House passed a stronger, “beefed up” ethics regulation which created a separate and distinct agency which would investigate complaints against legislators.

“Citizens are desiring and demanding there be more accountability,” McLeod said. “When all the people want something, you have to have the duty to do what they want, but that notion is an idea that has not yet come into the Senate.”

McLeod said that citizens think that all legislators and public officials need to improve their conduct and the only way to give them a buy-in was for them (officials) to be investigated to create confidence for citizens.

Other updates:

• Karen Smith presented the treasurer’s report for the Newberry County Governmental Association. The group had a beginning balance of $3,649.49. There were $100 of dues collected so far, Smith said. A $600 check was written to the American Legion Auxiliary which sent two girls to Girls State. The ending balance was $3,149.49.

• Secretary Donna Lominack reminded all local governments that annual dues for July 2015-June 2016 needed to be paid by July 15, 2015.