Palmetto Promise Institute Internship Program

Our program is designed to provide young individuals with the opportunity to learn about state policy development and to gain hands-on experience working on policy research, legislative analysis, and communications.

2023-2024 Palmetto Freedom Agenda

Education Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) Signed Into Law

Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, five thousand scholarships will be awarded to children from low and moderate income families (<$60,000 for a family of 4). Scholarships may be used not just for private school tuition but for a host of education providers. It is the ultimate customizable education. There are other restrictions. Children must have previously attended public school or be entering kindergarten. The portal for applying for these scholarships will open in March 2024. Schools are holding Open House events now. Get the ESA details here!

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Latest News

December 11, 2025

Put Unused Pension Plan Dollars to Work for South Carolina Employees

This column by Palmetto Promise board member Barry Wynn was originally published in FitsNews. For more than three decades, I’ve worked at the intersection of investment management, retirement planning, and sound public policy — helping families plan for their futures and advising institutions on how to safeguard the assets entrusted to them. As former Chairman

December 11, 2025

We’re Hiring: Policy Research and Communications Associate

About Palmetto Promise Institute Founded in 2013 by Senator Jim DeMint, Palmetto Promise Institute champions free-market policies that advance freedom, innovation, and opportunity in South Carolina. We focus on five key areas: Education, Fiscal Policy, Healthcare, Energy, and Quality of Life. Our mission is to empower the people of South Carolina by promoting policies that

December 9, 2025

Education a National Security Issue: Instill Freedom In Youth

This column by Palmetto Promise board member Van Hipp was originally published in Newsmax. Education is a national security issue. America’s upcoming 250th anniversary is a time to ensure our youth understand what it means to be an American. In recent years we haven’t emphasized American history and civics in our schools like we have

December 8, 2025

A New Frontier for Public School Choice in South Carolina

With the signing of S.62 during the 2025 legislative session came a revamped Education Scholarship Trust Fund program designed to withstand any further constitutional challenges that may come its way. The bill also included a requirement that the South Carolina Department of Education develop model guidelines that traditional public schools must use to create an

December 4, 2025

Taxing Times for South Carolina Renters, Investors, Vacationers

South Carolina residents hardly need an introduction to one of the most significant sources of tax revenue in the Palmetto State: property taxes. The property tax is one of the Palmetto State’s oldest forms of taxation and is a staple for state and local government revenue all across the country. According to the Tax Foundation,

December 4, 2025

The Hidden Advantages of the ESTF Program

The school choice environment in South Carolina is evolving rapidly. Just a few short years ago, families were forced to attend their residentially zoned traditional public school, drive their children to a local public charter school (if they were able), or pay for private school tuition out of their own pocket – effectively trapping lower

December 3, 2025

Letter in Support of the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act

Palmetto Promise Institute was proud to join the coalition letter below in support of the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act, which we have previously written about here and here. We, the undersigned organizations, urge South Carolina legislators to advance and enact the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act (H. 3021) – a commonsense REINS-style reform that

December 3, 2025

Understanding Inflation in South Carolina

Put simply, inflation is the rising price of goods and services. However, inflation is not just about price tags; it is about how price changes ripple through the economic system, impacting consumer behavior, business decisions, and overall economic activity. When inflation makes the news, we usually hear about one of three common indicators: the Consumer

December 1, 2025

Palmetto Promise Joins Amicus to Defend Nonprofits from IRS Overreach

State Policy Network filed an amicus brief with more than 30 organizations (including Palmetto Promise Institute) in support of The Buckeye Institute v. Internal Revenue Service—a case challenging a decades-old federal law that forces nonprofits to hand over the names and addresses of their largest donors to the IRS each year. The brief argues that

November 24, 2025

Palmetto Promise Stands for the First and Second Amendments, Joins Amicus Brief

Palmetto Promise Institute is a co-amici in the following brief, filed in NRA v. Vullo. Advancing American Freedom, leading a coalition of 52 amici, filed an amicus brief in NRA v. Vullo, urging the Supreme Court to hear the case. In this case, the New York government pressured insurance companies to drop coverage of insurance plans

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