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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Mark N. Willis (b. September 1, 1963) is a Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 16. He was first elected to the chamber in 2008.

Willis was a district-level delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from South Carolina. He was one of 50 delegates from South Carolina bound to support Donald Trump on the first ballot. As of July 13, 2016, Trump had approximately 1,542 delegates. The winner of the Republican nomination needed the support of 1,237 delegates. Trump formally won the nomination on July 19, 2016.

Willis earned his B.A. from Erskine College in 1986. He is a Long Term Care Administrator.

Willis was a candidate for the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2006, but was not elected.

Education

  • BA, Psychology, Erksine College, 1984-1986
  • Attended, Anderson College, 1981-1983

Professional Experience

  • BA, Psychology, Erksine College, 1984-1986
  • Attended, Anderson College, 1981-1983
  • Administrator, Long Term Care, The Maples Assisted Living, 1995-present

Political Experience

  • BA, Psychology, Erksine College, 1984-1986
  • Attended, Anderson College, 1981-1983
  • Administrator, Long Term Care, The Maples Assisted Living, 1995-present
  • Representative, South Carolina State House of Representatives, District 16, 2008-present
  • Candidate, South Carolina State House of Representatives, District 16, 2006, 2018, 2020

Former Committees/Caucuses

Former Member, Education and Public Works Committee, South Carolina State House of Representatives

Former Chair, Subcommittee on Motor Vehicles, South Carolina State House of Representatives

Current Legislative Committees

Chair, Interstate Cooperation Committee

Member, Labor, Commerce, and Industry Commerce

Member, Subcommittee on Administration and Regulations

Member, Subcommittee on Banking and Consumer Affairs

Member, Subcommittee on Business and Commerce

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • BA, Psychology, Erksine College, 1984-1986
  • Attended, Anderson College, 1981-1983
  • Administrator, Long Term Care, The Maples Assisted Living, 1995-present
  • Representative, South Carolina State House of Representatives, District 16, 2008-present
  • Candidate, South Carolina State House of Representatives, District 16, 2006, 2018, 2020
  • Member, Amlkids Piedmont Wilderness Institute Board, present
  • Member, Chamber of Commerce Board, Fountain Inn, present
  • Member, Golden Strip Relief Agency Board, present
  • Member, Fountain Inn First Baptist Church
  • Member, Lander University Board of Visitors

Other Info

  • Jack

  • Gerry

Policy Positions

South Carolina State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life

2. Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy?
- Yes

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

4. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

7. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures?
- Yes

8. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- Yes

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget, Spending, & Tax

State Spending:

Using the key, indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.

1. Education (higher)
- Slightly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase

3. Environment
- Maintain Status

4. Health care
- Eliminate

5. Law enforcement/corrections
- Slightly Increase

6. Transportation/infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

7. Welfare
- Slightly Decrease

8. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

State Taxes:

Using the key,indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Corporate taxes
- Eliminate

4. Gas/Oil taxes
- Slightly Decrease

5. Property taxes
- Eliminate

6. Sales taxes
- No Answer

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- No Answer

8. Income taxes (mid-income families)
- No Answer

9. Income taxes (high-income families)
- No Answer

10. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

Budget Stabilization:

Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing South Carolina's budget.

1. Tapping into South Carolina's "rainy day" fund
- No Answer

2. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- No Answer

3. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees
- No Answer

4. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Public Pensions:

To mitigate South Carolina's public pension shortfall, do you support:

1. Reducing benefits of current state employees?
- No

2. Ending the Teacher and Employee Retention Incentive (TERI) program for future employees?
- Yes

3. Reducing cost-of-living adjustments for current and future employees?
- Yes

4. Requiring state employees to work longer before retiring?
- Yes

5. Increasing employee contributions by current and future employees?
- Yes

6. Preventing employees from factoring unused sick and vacation days into benefit calculations?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?

1. Individual
- Yes

2. Political Action Committee
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Party
- Yes

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

7. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

8. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- Yes

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders,such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

3. Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- No

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- Yes

5. Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
- Yes

6. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Economic

1. Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

2. Do you support efforts to increase limits on unions in South Carolina?
- Yes

3. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes

4. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- No

5. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- No

6. Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

7. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- No

2. Do you support a merit pay system for teachers?
- Yes

3. Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers?
- Yes

4. Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school?
- Yes

5. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- Yes

6. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- Yes

7. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from South Carolina high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy?
- Yes

2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- Yes

3. Do you support opening South Carolina's waters to offshore drilling?
- Yes

4. Do you support state funding for improvements to South Carolina's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

5. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- Yes

6. Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

1. Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- No

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No

3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

4. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- No

2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- Yes

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- Yes

4. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No

5. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- Yes

6. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

1. Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?
- Yes

2. Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
- No

3. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in South Carolina's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

4. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in South Carolina's anti-discrimination laws?
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, on an attached page, or via e-mail, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- No Answer

State Bills