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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June 10, 2026

Complete Statewide 2026 South Carolina Primary Election Results

South Carolina voters went to the polls on Tuesday to select hundreds of nominees for Constitutional offices as well as their Congressional and General Assembly representatives. Every single State House of Representatives seat is on the ballot in November, and many of these seats had primary contests this week. We’ve compiled a complete list of

June 8, 2026

University presidential searches are growing more secretive despite disclosure laws

In this article originally posted in the Post and Courier, Dr. Oran Smith comments on legislation concerning the transparency of University president headhunting. By Anna B. Mitchell amitchell@postandcourier.com CLEMSON — After decades of giving the public a chance to vet candidates for some of the state’s top positions in academia, South Carolina’s leading universities

June 8, 2026

Two Debates, a Broadcast and a Forum!

Over the next several weeks, Palmetto Promise Institute will have a part in four key public events all over the state of South Carolina. On Tuesday night June 9, Senior Fellow Dr. Oran Smith will serve as political analyst for election night team coverage on WORD radio in the Upstate. You can stream the show

June 4, 2026

How Jasper County could lead SC charter school funding change

In this op-ed, originally published in The Post and Courier, I discuss the potential for groundbreaking statewide public charter school funding reform that hinges on a decision resting with the Jasper County Council. They are currently considering giving some local funding to some of their charter schools, which could serve as an important test case

June 4, 2026

Small Modular Reactors: One Solution to South Carolina’s Big Power Problem

Energy demand in South Carolina is rising. Both families and prospective businesses are poised to draw more from South Carolina’s power infrastructure. The estimated air conditioning costs this summer are already projected to be roughly $100 higher than last year, especially concerning given that South Carolina consistently ranks among the states with the highest household

May 29, 2026

New South Carolina law bans grade floors to boost transparency in student performance

I recently joined Stephen Biddix from WIS10 to discuss the passage of H.5073, which bans grade floors in traditional and public charter schools and reforms credit and content recovery programs. Check out the story below, or head to the original story to watch my video interview! Columbia, S.C. (WIS10) – Parents across South Carolina could

May 28, 2026

Public Charter School Reform Comes to South Carolina

Governor Henry McMaster recently signed S.454 into law, enacting a plethora of reforms to the public charter school sector. Originally conceived to address the (then-impending) closure of Limestone University and the affiliated Limestone Charter Association, S.454 has been hotly debated and heavily amended during its journey through the legislative process. Now that the dust has

May 21, 2026

The Legislative Session is (Mostly) Over. What Got Done?

For the 126th South Carolina General Assembly, Palmetto Promise tracked nearly 200 pieces of legislation. Our interest in these bills was guided primarily by the 20 items on our Palmetto Freedom Agenda. During the session, we tracked bills that aligned with the Agenda’s core principles, presented research about those policy issues on our blog, and,

May 20, 2026

Lowcountry education leaders weigh opinions of proposed grade floor ban

I was fortunate enough to join ABC 4 News (Charleston) to offer some commentary on H.5073, Rep. Fawn Pedalino’s (R – Clarendon) ban on grade floors in public schools. The bill has since been signed by Governor McMaster and will be in effect for the 2026-27 school year. COLUMBIA, S.C (WCIV) — South Carolina lawmakers have

May 18, 2026

South Carolina Should Grow…without Californification.

In recent years, there has been a plethora of stories about the great migration of Americans from high-cost-of-living states, namely California and New York, to cheaper, freer states such as Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. So, what about South Carolina? It is actually the Palmetto State that is leading the nation in in-migration. According to Tax

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