COLUMBIA, S.C. — Trains. Quiet zones. Renewable energy. Revitalization. City of Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin is looking to continually grow and improve Columbia.
In his State of the City Address, Benjamin began by praising his parents who he said taught him to listen and respect others' views.
"Together we've laid a foundation to move this city forward," he said while showing slides of the progress made in Columbia over the past ten years. Highlights included the Curtiss-Wright Hangar, Cathy Novinger Girl Scouts Center, BullStreet, and buildings along Main Street.
"Since 2010, we've been thoughtful in our approach, we've applied pressure in the right areas, molding us into the city that we've now become."
He directly addressed South Carolina State Attorney General Alan Wilson's lawsuit filed against the city for Columbia's recently adopted gun-related ordinances.
Benjamin said, "We will not stop, Mr. Attorney General, from working to take illegal guns off the streets of Columbia, South Carolina. We will take guns off our streets, out of our neighborhoods, out of our schools so our children can learn and grow from their peers free from fear, free from harm."
"The reality is as we debate politics, our children are debating survival."
Read the text of the speech below or watch the full speech here.
