SC’s Haley: ‘Goodbye this is, for now’

Excerpts from Gov. Nikki Haley’s final State of the State address, as prepared for delivery Wednesday night to a joint session of the S.C. General Assembly:

“I don’t presume to know what people will remember from my time as governor — I imagine it will be different for everyone. But I do know some of what I will take from the last six years, some of what I will remember.

“I will remember that we brought a level of accountability to state government that never existed before, and that legislators now show their votes on the record, disclose who pays them, and no longer police themselves.

“I will remember that we changed the structure of a state government that was antiquated and broken. ...

“I will remember the willingness of the people in this room to step into someone else’s shoes, find genuine understanding, remove a divisive symbol of an oppressive past and move South Carolina forward. ...

“I will remember the devastating fire in Georgetown, the two winter storms, the shooting of an unarmed man by a North Charleston police officer, the hate-filled atrocity committed against 12 faithful men and women in the most sacred of places, the 1,000-year flood, the loss of a precious child to a school shooting, and Hurricane Matthew.

“But above all, I will remember how the good people of South Carolina responded to those tragedies, with love and generosity and compassion, and what that has meant for our state.

“I spoke earlier of my dear desire to see the image of South Carolina changed for the better. Standing here tonight, I can say with every confidence that it has happened, that that desire has been fulfilled.

“But not because of me. The people of South Carolina accomplished the highest aspiration I had for our state all on their own.

“They did it by showing the entire world what love and acceptance looks like. They did it by displaying for all to see the power of faith, of kindness and of forgiveness. They did it by stepping up to every challenge, through every tragedy, every time. ...

“What a blessing to serve such people. What a profound blessing. Thank you for giving our family this opportunity. ...

“It is a bittersweet thing ... moving on from this state that I so love. ...

“When the bitter gets a little too strong for the sweet, I try to think of the children’s author, A.A. Milne, whose loveable character Winnie-the-Pooh so put it like this: ‘How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.’

“And goodbye this is, for now.”

This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 7:10 PM with the headline "SC’s Haley: ‘Goodbye this is, for now’."