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,
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
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
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
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
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
This op-ed was originally published in FitsNews. Recently, an article published in FITSNews argued that the creation of what is essentially an “Option 4” method of homeschooling in South Carolina through the passage of S.62, is a Trojan Horse that opens the door to increased state regulation of all existing homeschooling in the Palmetto State. But I am pleased
After months of uncertainty and determined advocacy from families across the state, South Carolina’s restored and expanded ESA program, the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, is back—and rising stronger than ever for 2025–26. When parents spoke up, lawmakers listened and passed S.62, which Governor McMaster signed into law May 7, 2025. Just a week later, ESTF
This past week, I was fortunate enough to attend the National Summit on Education, hosted by the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd). This conference is the preeminent collection of education policy experts in the country, with nearly every state represented by some number of policymakers, advocates, and education vendors. This year, about 1,500 people
In South Carolina, where patients often drive far and wait weeks to see a doctor, the answer to faster, cheaper care may be standing behind the pharmacy counter. The United Health Foundation found that, in 2023, 31.8% of people in South Carolina live in rural areas, which is higher than the national average of 20.4%.
