James Smith

2025-2026 Bill 5149: James Smith - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5149
STATUS INFORMATION
House Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Whitmire, Duncan, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Edgerton, Erickson, Ford, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J.E. Johnson, J.L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lastinger, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, C. Mitchell, D. Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Scott, Sessions, G.M. Smith, M.M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Waters, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow
Document Path: LC-0488CM-GM26.docx
Introduced in the House on February 11, 2026
Adopted by the House on February 11, 2026
Summary: James Smith
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/11/2026

House

Introduced and adopted (
House Journal-page 37
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
02/11/2026

A
house
RESOLUTION

to recognize and honor James B. Smith, A community
leader in Oconee County, and to express deep appreciation to him for his
dedicated support in reopening the Chauga River bridge after its destruction
during Hurricane Helene, part of which spans over his property.

W
hereas, when Hurricane
Helene ravaged the Southeast in 2024, residents were left without a means to
travel U.S. Highway 76 in Oconee County, a major thoroughfare, because of the
destruction of the bridge that crosses the Chauga River. Part of the bridge
crosses over property belonging to James Smith; and

W
hereas, the bridge
connected the City of Westminster to the mountains and served as a vital route
in the Upstate, connecting South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. For
nearly nine months, its detour was twenty-four miles one way for the three
thousand travelers who used that route every day. For trucks hauling supplies
into the mountains, it was a detour of seventy-five miles; and

W
hereas, Mr. Smith's
wood yard is on one side of the washed out bridge, and his home is just a few
miles on the other side. He has lived his entire life between Westminster and
Long Creek, and he believes that the bridge outage may have been the biggest
disruption the small town has ever seen; and

W
hereas, born on
February 28, 1940, Mr. Smith, a native and well-known community member, allowed
the Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and the company reconstructing the
bridge to do so from his property below, making the repair time so much
shorter; and

W
hereas, every morning,
he would see to it that the crew working on the bridge had breakfast and
anything else he could provide for them, rain or shine; and

W
hereas, with unwavering
commitment to his community for decades, Mr. Smith has held key leadership
roles as a faithful member of Holly Springs Baptist Church, leadership that
shaped local policies and improved the quality of many lives; and

W
hereas, Mr. Smith is a
symbol of local history and resilience in the community. Like the bridge which
connects neighborhoods and the people in them, he connects people through his
inclusive spirit and tireless work across all community groups. Everyone in a
community may not know everyone else, but if people know James Smith, that is
their bridge to connection and resolution; and

W
hereas, because of his
willingness and eagerness to make sure the bridge was completed, he allowed the
plot of land he owned under the bridge to be used to repair it for community
use. The rapid replacement process allowed the newly completed bridge to be
fully opened just shy of nine months after Hurricane Helene; and

W
hereas, the bridge now stands
as an example of the perseverance of South Carolinians in the wake of Hurricane
Helene, in that the project was completed in a fast and efficient manner in the
face of natural disasters with the help of dedicated neighbors like James
Smith; and

W
hereas, the South
Carolina House of Representatives values the dedication and selfless service of
citizens like James Smith, and the members applaud his help in restoring the
bridge to the community. Now, therefore,

B
e it resolved by the
House of Representatives
:

T
hat the members of the
South Carolina
House of Representatives
,
by this resolution, recognize and honor James B. Smith, community leader in
Oconee County, and express deep appreciation to him for his dedicated support
in reopening the Chauga River bridge after its destruction during Hurricane
Helene, part of which spans over his property.

B
e it further resolved
that a copy of this resolution be presented to James B. Smith.

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This web page was last updated on February 11, 2026 at 1:29 PM