This week we paid a visit to General Electric's factory in Greenville, the largest gas turbine manufacturing plant in the world. 

GE employs over 3,000 South Carolinians at the factory, and is increasingly drawing new employees from our own colleges and universities including Clemson University's outstanding engineering program. 

The Greenville facility is over 40 years old, but is constantly adapting as technology changes and innovations emerge. In addition to the gas turbines, the factory is also producing wind turbines.

This facility is a prime example of the kind of industry South Carolina needs to attract to, and keep in our state, and as your Lt. Governor I'll be applying the lessons learned from GE to attract more forward-looking industry to South Carolina.

(Charleston, SC) The Conservation Voters of South Carolina have endorsed Ashley Cooper as their choice for Lt. Governor of South Carolina. 

"The Lt. Governor's office under Ashley Cooper can be an influential voice for conservation efforts in South Carolina,” said CVSC Executive Director Ann Timberlake. “Ashley grew up hunting and fishing in South Carolina and is passionately concerned about protecting the ability of future generations to enjoy the natural resources of our state."

Memorial Day is much more than a long holiday weekend, it's a solemn reminder of the hundreds of thousands of American men and women who have given their lives to preserve the freedom we hold so dear.

I hope you will be joining me on Monday in giving thanks to all of those who have served before and praying for the safe return of those who are still in combat overseas.

We need to do everything we can to ensure that, when those soldiers are safely back at home and their service is done, they have every opportunity to enjoy the American dream they have been fighting to protect.

Today, Democratic Lt. Gubernatorial candidate Ashley Cooper called for an immediate moratorium on new offshore oil drilling and exploration. Cooper’s position is in sharp contrast to his opponents currently competing in a Republican primary who favor drilling despite the risk.

“What the disaster in The Gulf has shown us is that we simply don’t have the redundant safety measures to prevent these types of accidents. We just can’t afford to keep drilling with the risk of this happening again,” Cooper said. “I want a moratorium on new platforms until we can implement the additional safety measures to prevent future accidents.”