Speaker Lucas Statement on Senator Clementa Pinckney

COLUMBIA, SC – SC House Speaker Jay Lucas issued the following statement regarding the death of Senator Clementa Pinckney.

“As a loving father, husband and dedicated public servant, Clementa Pinckney was a man of honor and sought to make a difference in the lives of others. Having served with him for a short time in the South Carolina House and continuing our friendship after his move to the Senate, Clementa held firm to his convictions and his integrity was a direct reflection of the love he shared for Christ.  Senator Pinckney’s calming presence will be missed in Columbia and across South Carolina, but I am certain his legacy will live on. Tracy and I extend our thoughts and heartfelt prayers to Clementa’s family, the victims and their families of this act of violence, the Emanuel AME congregation and the Charleston community as we begin to heal from this senseless tragedy.”