Investing In Education and South Carolina's Future

Hakim believes that a strong state begins with strong education. Instead of cutting funding, South Carolina must invest deeply in its schools and students.

He proposes the creation of “South Carolina College Investment Grants” for students pursuing critical careers; such as nursing, medicine, engineering, education, social work, and therapy. Rather than burdening graduates with debilitating student loans, this plan allows them to repay the state through service. Every graduate who accepts a grant would commit to living and working in South Carolina for 10–20 years; as taxpayers, homeowners, consumers, and parents. Their contributions to the state’s economy and communities would serve as repayment for their education. This initiative would ensure that the most educated and capable workforce in the world lives right here in South Carolina, making its citizens highly sought after in every field imaginable.

Reshaping the School System

Nutritious Meals for Every Student: Every school in South Carolina would provide healthy breakfast and lunch to all students, ensuring no child goes hungry during the school day.

Statewide Childcare Integration: Childcare would be incorporated into the state school system, giving working parents reliable and affordable early education options.

Year-Round Schooling: Schools would transition to a year-round schedule. This program would not add any days to the school calendar. It would eliminate the need for student review at the beginning of every school year, allowing the students to transition to the next year without a long summer break. This would result in students graduating by the completion of the 10th grade.

Career and College Readiness: Grades 11 and 12 would be transformed into trade school or associate degree programs, giving students a head start on their careers or higher education.

Protecting Schools, Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline

As Governor, he would reduce the reliance on school resource officers and redirect that funding toward safety improvements.

Every classroom in South Carolina would be equipped with spring safety locking, bullet-resistant doors. These upgrades would protect students and teachers without criminalizing young people or perpetuating the school-to-prison pipeline. The discipline of students should be managed by the school administration and staff, unless law enforcement is requested. We do not need law enforcement inserting themselves when these situation can be resolved by school staff. Through smarter investment in infrastructure, education, and opportunity, Hakim envisions a South Carolina where schools are safe, nurturing, and built for every child’s success.

Protecting Children

Hakim is the only candidate for governor that is in favor of raising the age of consent from 16 to 18 for all South Carolinians. If politicians were truly sincere about about protecting our children, it should be all of them, not just Hakim. Hakim's challenge to all of his fellow candidates, to plagiarize or steal this platform policy to benefit our state.

Affordable Healthcare for Every South Carolinian

With health insurance rates expected to double or triple next year, Hakim proposes creating the Carolina Insurance Company: a state-owned insurer, offering full coverage to every resident. For $100 a month per individual or $200 per family, South Carolinians would receive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no deductibles, no co-pays, and assistance for seniors, disabled, veterans, and low-income families.

All licensed medical professionals would be required to accept the plan as in-network, and new procedures would never be denied. Every child born in South Carolina would be automatically enrolled for life. By keeping healthcare affordable and accessible, the Carolina Insurance Company would save families money, support businesses, and build a healthier South Carolina.

Affordable Auto Insurance for Every South Carolinian

With insurance rates rising and not covering the entire expense of repairs, many South Carolinans are forced to make touch decisions. With the creation of the Carolina Insurance Company, you can purchase auto insurance that will cover all incidents and injuries.

Homeowners & Renters Insurance for Every South Carolinian

We will offer policies to every South Carolinian. This policy will protect South Carolinians from all disasters or loss of property, regardless of the source.

Limiting Property Hoarding

To keep housing affordable and communities strong, Hakim would limit property ownership to twelve residential properties per corporation or individual, excluding apartment complexes.This policy ensures that homes remain in the hands of residents, not investors, preventing mass buyouts that drive up housing costs and displace families. By curbing speculative ownership, South Carolina can stabilize neighborhoods, lower rents, and make homeownership attainable again for working people across the state.

Modern Transit and Smart Infrastructure

To quote the Mayor of Bogota, Columbia: “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transport.”

Hakim believes this vision captures the future South Carolina deserves; a state where public transportation is fast, clean, and free for all. As Governor of South Carolina, Hakim would contract the development of a high-speed rail systems connecting the state’s major cities, creating a seamless network from Charleston, to Columbia, Atlanta, and many more.

Complementing this effort, the state would introduce a fleet of solar powered, no cost public buses to transport citizens to and from work. This program would be designed to benefit both employers and employees; reducing parking needs, cutting road congestion, and saving South Carolina hundreds of millions of dollars every year in infrastructure and maintenance costs. Through these innovations, Hakim envisions a South Carolina that leads the South in sustainable growth, smart design, and efficient mobility. We need a state built for the people, not for traffic.

Protecting South Carolina's Green Spaces

As Governor of South Carolina, Hakim would audit all treaties, agreements, and promises made by the State of South Carolina and the USA to bring our state into full compliance with all Native American tribes in our state. Futhermore, Hakim would invite the leadership of the tribes to help us manage and preserve all publicly owned green spaces, preserving them for future generations. Hakim would also strive to be more inclusive in state government while acknowledging the sovereignty of all tribes in South Carolina.

Support For Police That Support Our Citizens

As governor of South Carolina, Hakim would take many steps to restructure law enforcement. We have created an unnecessary burden on law enforcement by envisioning the “do it all cop.” Law enforcement, traffic enforcement, first responder to car crashes, first responder to attempted suicide, first responder to mental health emergencies, first responder to animal attacks, and the list goes on. Police were not trained to respond to every situation, yet they are expected to. This creates a dangerous situation for both law enforcement and the general public when we send people to do jobs they were not trained to do. By mandating the hiring, (academy) training, and employment of SLED social workers deployed with local law enforcement, we can allow police to get back to doing what they were hired to do: enforce laws. Social workers would respond to nonviolent mental health situations and work as a victims' advocate for domestic violence, child abuse/endangerment, mental health emergencies and rape. The social worker would complete paperwork related to these events and act as the victims advocate, which would allow police to get back to what they were trained to do more quickly: enforce the laws they were sworn to uphold.

Cooperating With Ice

When asked about cooperating with ICE or any related agency, Hakim's response is the “The New Colossus”, it is a sonnet by American poet Emma Lazarus (1849–1887) the very poem written on the Statue of Liberty:

“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give ME your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"”

……..Fuck ICE!

Smart and Safe Firearm Policy

As governor of South Carolina, Hakim would offer grants for qualified citizens to purchase rifles for hunting or home protection. Each person would be required to take a gun safety course, submit to a background check, and evaluation to qualify for this voluntary grant. Military veterans and law enforcement would be excempt from the grant process, but can still apply. As a candidate, Hakim wants to make clear he has no intention of confiscating guns or implementing any additional restrictions that are in place.

2015 The State Article: Walid Hakim Sues City of Columbia Over Its Temporary Weapon Ban Around State House

Hakim's 100 Year Plan for South Carolina

While we cannot predict the future, we can prepare for it. And while we prepare, we must build safeguards creating a South Carolina that’s worth saving, one that is safe for our grandchildren and does not sacrifice the tomorrows of the future for the indulgences of today.

Hakim’s vision is to develop a 100 Year Plan for South Carolina: a roadmap for a sustainable, prosperous, and resilient state. This plan will invest in sustainable infrastructure that becomes the lifeline of commerce, trade, preserving South Carolina’s remaining forests as sanctuaries for native wildlife. We will evolve our state education so every student can graduate debt-free making South Carolina a national model for higher learning.

With planning, we have hope. With hope, we have a chance. With this last chance, we, the Green Party, will accomplish our goal of saving the future for generations.