My priorities as your elected representative will be:

Health Care Access - Improving health care access for all individuals, especially seniors, has long been one of my priorities. As a legislator I have fought for medical malpractice reform which should have a positive influence on making health insurance more affordable to more people.

Taxes & Fiscal Policy - I have been correctly described as a fiscal conservative. As such, I am a steadfast advocate for retirement security and completely opposed to any taxes that will be harmful to retirees and those citizens on fixed incomes.

Home Rule and Maintain Our Quality Environment - I endorse properly managed "home rule" as the ideal, especially for an area as ecologically fragile as ours. We must be vigilant with regard to critical issues like clean water, drainage and protection of our beaches and marshlands. However, at the same time, the preservation of personal property rights is a constitutional protection I take very seriously. I believe individual citizens should be appropriately compensated.

Right to Life - Life is a gift from God that begins at conception. I believe we must preserve and protect the unborn.

Roadways Improvements - I continue to vigilant in the pursuit of increased funding to invest in our area's transportation infrastructure. I have advocated the construction of a major new westbound highway from the vicinity of the future Jasper Port to help Beaufort County hurricane evacuation as well as to stimulate the economy of some of the most poverty stricken counties in South Carolina.

Quality Education - Public high school dropout rates are cause for alarm. This endangers our community. I espouse the enforcement of "character education" in our classrooms, where young people can be taught the difference between right and wrong and the importance of good citizenship.

Illegal Immigration - I believe in the rule of law. It is a core fundamental principle of our country. A nation that cannot -- or will not -- enforce its laws, including immigration law is inviting abuse of its law. In this vein, I believe the state should require employers with state contracts to verify the legality of their employees and help local law enforcement agencies maintain existing immigration laws.

Small Business Support - As a legislator I have long been an advocate of the small businessman. I believe small businesses are the backbone of our economy. I have received the "Guardian of Small Business Commendation" from The National Federation of Independent Businesses.

Richard Chalk has the Respect of Our Legislative Leadership and His Fellow Representatives