Peeler has also dedicated a great deal of time and effort as Lt. Governor toward cutting South Carolina s car taxes the second highest in the entire country. And in November 2000, voters overwhelmingly supported two car tax relief referendums that would cut or potentially eliminate taxes on cars and trucks in South Carolina. The South Carolina Federation of Older Americans also named Peeler Legislator of the Year in 1997 for his involvement with older South Carolinians and his willingness to create open doors of communication. The South Carolina Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving named him Highway Safety Hero for the year 2000 for his work promoting stronger drunk driving legislation.
Peeler places a high premium on constituent service and personal accessibility.
He believes one of the keys to both is traveling throughout the state to hear from citizens within their own communities and seeing things up-close and firsthand. Peeler has served his local community as President of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Cherokee County Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors. He is a former president of the South Carolina Dairy Association. As a member in the Gaffney Rotary Club, Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Shriners, the Masons and as a life member of Sertoma International, Peeler is a strong advocate of volunteerism and civic involvement. He believes personal responsibility and community service, not government intervention, can solve most of the problems facing our state.