On the Issues
Rep. Josiah Magnuson is building a better future for our families by defending individual liberties and the Constitution, upholding our conservative values, and draining the Swamp.
Dear neighbors,
No matter how many times I walk into our beautiful State House, I am awed not only by the history, but by the responsibility that falls on legislators to influence the course of our great state. Alarmingly, government has grown so powerful over the last few decades that, almost daily, bills come forward that have a huge impact on ordinary citizens and businesses.
My motivation for serving in the House has been to protect our people from big-government politicians who want to regulate and manipulate every aspect of our lives. Recently, a longtime Democrat legislator stood up on the House floor and told us point blank his goal is a government that cares for us “cradle to grave.” But a government that cares for us cradle to grave is a government that controls us cradle to grave!
We have to stand in the gap for freedom against the growing danger of socialism and liberalism – and answer the weakness of those who won’t. To be frank, Democrats aren’t the only problem we face. It’s not just about political parties but about who is really representing the people and who is more interested in doing secret business deals, protecting their friends, and getting big contributions from special interests.
I firmly believe our country is in a conflict not merely between Right and Left but between good and evil. Now more than ever, we need to acknowledge God and His truth in our government, apply His Word to every area of life, and courageously lift the torch of America’s great Constitution and founding principles.
It has been a privilege to do so as your voice in Columbia for the past few years. Whether it’s working with SCDOT to get local roads repaved, negotiating bill language in committee, debating key issues on the House floor, or enjoying a bowl of ice cream with you, I consider representing our district a huge honor and have always done my best to truly serve you.
I’m optimistic about what we are achieving. The number of lawmakers committed to passing conservative legislation has grown. Increased public involvement is finally forcing the leadership to get serious about genuine reform (thank you!). And, the hotly-contested race for governor is opening up a great opportunity to talk about real solutions and how to lead South Carolina into the future.
For all these reasons, I believe we have a better opportunity to reform South Carolina than ever. But someone has to do the work. The victories of the future won’t win themselves. We all have to stay in the fight. I am running for another term and I aim to continue building momentum, but I need your support, involvement, and input. That is how we keep the Republic for the next generation.
Please look over my stand on the issues below. Feel free to let me know your thoughts. Do you believe I’m correctly representing you as I address these key areas for the future of South Carolina?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Your servant,
Pro-Life
The foundational purpose of state government is to provide equal protection for each innocent life created in the image of God. That life begins at conception. With this conviction, I will never cast a vote that consents to legalized murder. After the Dobbs decision, I was honored to be appointed to the ad hoc committee that wrote a bill aimed to close all abortion facilities in the state. I also helped with the language of the Heartbeat Act that was enacted in 2023. Currently, I am fighting to end all taxpayer funding for abortion, or for providers of abortion such as Planned Parenthood. Ultimately, it is my goal to make any intentional killing of an unborn child illegal in South Carolina - just as it is for anyone else.
Family
The family is under an enormous attack today. The socialist Left seeks to destroy the institution of the family because it stands in their way as a God-given protection against total government control. I believe we must be bold in our defense of traditional values, refusing to cower to those who seek to undermine science and reality. I stand unashamedly for natural marriage between one man and one woman. To protect women's sports for biological women, I strongly supported Rep. Ashley Trantham's bill that passed the House in 2022. I have also been leading the charge to pass a Parents’ Bill of Rights that ensures parents are able to direct the upbringing of their children, which just passed the House in February 2026.
Gun Rights
The Founders wanted the American people to be responsible for defending our homes and our liberties. My goal is to make it easier rather than harder for law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. I've been active to ensure South Carolina does not implement red flag laws which allow punishment before a crime is committed. As I promised you, I successfully advocated in the House for open carry, working with Rep. Bobby Cox to pass that bill into law in 2021. I also was a key voice for Constitutional Carry to empower you to keep your family and your neighbors safe without having to ask the government for permission, which was signed into law in March 2024.
Spending
We need to cut wasteful bureaucracy and reduce the state income tax until it is ultimately eliminated. I joined other Upstate conservatives to successfully advocate for a tax cut of 1%, but more is needed and possible. I am fighting to ensure core government functions like roads, education, and law enforcement are prioritized rather than wasting your money on pet projects for politicians. Our budget has grown over 45% in the past ten years - that’s not conservative, and I’ve been voting against it. State law already requires zero-based budgeting, meaning state agencies are supposed to report how every dollar is used every year, but this rarely happens. We need to hold the bureaucracy accountable to follow the law.
Roads
We have made progress toward getting our roads fixed but much more work is needed. I voted against the 2017 gas tax increase because I was not confident that the money would go where it was promised. Since then, I have worked hard to change the priorities in SCDOT funding so that we can repair our local roads rather than just doing interstate reconstruction or poor-quality pothole fills year after year. Ultimately, structural changes to agency leadership are needed, and I will continue to fight for accountability and real reform. For example, I offered a bill to eliminate the Secretary of Transportation and devolve its powers to the Lieutenant Governor so that the people have a vote and a voice - a proposal now endorsed by the SC Policy Council and advanced by Ralph Norman in his candidacy for Governor.
Education
I vigorously defend teachers, students, and parents in every education context. I will always seek to give parents more opportunity to make the educational decisions that are best for their children. I am an advocate for teacher pay raises, so we can drill education funding down to the classroom where it is intended, and am proud that the legislature has raised starting teacher salaries from $30,000/yr. to $47,000/yr. I believe local control rather than state and Federal control is the best way to preserve our values. I am working for better transparency and choice in order to stop any attempts to sexualize children or indoctrinate them with CRT and disrespect for America. I am also fighting to defund DEI discrimination in our state universities; this legislation has now passed the House twice but needs to gain support in the Senate.
Heritage
I honor our American heritage and I defend our state’s historical monuments because I believe those who forget the past cannot rightly chart the future. We need to remember those who died to defend our state and our country and learn the lessons with which they provided us. I have been on the front lines to ensure state universities comply with state law and teach our U.S. Constitution and Founding documents, resulting in the REACH Act being signed into law. Our heritage also includes our natural resources such as beaches, rivers, wildlife, and farmland, which I will always do my best to conserve. The farms of South Carolina bear a special place in my heart and I believe, like Thomas Jefferson, that the agricultural tradition is a vital source for liberty.
Judicial Reform
South Carolina is one of only two states where the legislature elects judges (the other is Virginia). But most of the time there's not even an actual vote. Decisions are typically made in back rooms, and candidates without enough "commitments" are pressured to drop out of the race beforehand so there's only one favored candidate left to "elect." I believe this system at best creates conflicts of interests. For example, legislators often put their spouse or law partner on the bench. Arguably this is a major root of South Carolina's ethics turmoil in recent years. I am successfully working with other conservatives in the House and Senate to bring more transparency to the process of choosing judges. In the long term, I support appointment of judges by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Healthcare
I believe greater liberty provides greater quality and availability of care. My goal is to empower doctors to create local community solutions rather than feeding bloated government programs. I worked for years to build support for repeal of Certificates of Need and we were successful in 2023 (this law will take effect in 2027). One of the biggest issues in healthcare today is the ongoing carnage from the Covid-19 vaccine mandate. We need to ensure that type of situation never happens again, standing up against proposals like the WHO “pandemic treaty” and enshrining better protections for medical freedom into law. Another major threat we face in healthcare is the fentanyl epidemic and I am working alongside my colleagues in the House to build solutions that help remedy this devastating situation. My perspective is that we should treat addicts like patients rather than like criminals, and provide the needed local resources, while ensuring strong penalties for drug traffickers.
Accountability
We need to drain the swamp. From what I've observed, major decisions in Columbia are usually made by evaluating where special interests, big donors, and lobbyists stand, rather than listening to the will of the people and evaluating what is actually right. Part of the problem is that we have a "legislative state" without clear lines of responsibility where a handful of well-connected politicians are drunk with power. My pledge to you is to always shine a light and tell you the truth about what’s going on. One key change for more light in Columbia would be to require all committee meetings to be live-streamed. Another important goal is to institute term limits on committee chairmen. And another is to make the online voting record of each legislator more clear and more accessible to the public. Most importantly, I personally pledge to keep in touch, so that you - the people of District 38 - are always able to hold me accountable to stand for your values.
Law Enforcement
We need to stand with our men and women in blue and remain committed to helping them keep South Carolina safe. I have helped pass several key measures for law enforcement such as reform of litter control on our roads. I was the initial sponsor of the 2018 budget section to fund school resource officers across the state, which is now set at $10 million per year. Instead of sending your money to crazy pork projects, we need to make sure law enforcement is fully funded. I have offered budget amendments to provide needed radio equipment and give bonuses to sheriff’s deputies for example, and I helped build support to get an additional $50 million for a forensic lab for SLED. Another thing we can do for law enforcement is to lift the retirement cap so experienced officers can return to work without being financially penalized - a proposal passed by the House but has not yet passed the Senate.
Business
I seek to protect our local businesses, allowing them to grow and prosper as they choose, without the controlling hand of big government. I do not support using the state to pick winners and losers - for example I voted against the Carolina Panthers project and the $1.3 million for Scout Motors. I know state intervention is one of the biggest hurdles the business community faces. I vote against proposals that add new licensing requirements or regulatory mandates. I do not support crony deals that give one industry or company an advantage over another. Instead, I support lowering the overall tax rates, closing special loopholes, reducing tort liability for companies who are not at fault, and building good roads and infrastructure. When we provide equal opportunity for all on a level playing field, I believe business owners are smart enough to meet the needs they see in the market, which will result in more prosperity for everyone!
