On August 25, 2026, the United States House Committee on Education & Workforce held a hearing on protecting servicemembers in schools, citing concerns where teachers or school board members were discriminated against because they took a leave of absence for military service. Of the three testifiers at this hearing, two were from South Carolina: Chris
The United States Department of Treasury recently released the long-awaited rules for the upcoming federal Education Freedom Tax Credit. This program has the potential to revolutionize school choice funding across the United States by allowing taxpayers to redirect some of their federal tax liability to a scholarship granting organization (SGO) rather than the Internal Revenue
Last Monday, the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC) released a report titled “Education Scholarship Trust Fund, Year One (School Year 2024-25): A Formative Review of Data Quality and Transparency.” What followed was a barrage of criticisms looking to cast a shadow on the program, much of which lacks context. We want to take a
I recently had the opportunity to join Stephen Biddix from WIS10 to discuss some of the work that South Carolina is doing to address teacher vacancies. To check out the video interview, you can view the original article here. COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – As South Carolina continues to work through a teacher shortage, one organization
When NextEra Energy proposed to “combine” (merge) with Dominion Energy and Dominion Energy South Carolina, for a brief moment it was what one observer called a “sleepy energy story.” Utilities merge all the time. So what? But then elected officials and policy groups from both left and right began to take a closer look at
This new report explores the ongoing development of SMRs in the United States and abroad. This technology could be important for South Carolina’s future growth as the energy grid becomes increasingly pressured. DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT. What is the current state of energy in South Carolina? Due to increased growth, in-migration and aging power plants,
New York’s Climate Superfund Act, passed in 2024, sought to require American energy producers to pay roughly $3 billion per year for 25 years based on their emissions from 2000–2024. This would result in $75 billion being paid to reverse alleged environmental damages caused by these emissions. South Carolina was part of a coalition of
On August 25th and 26th, many on the Palmetto Promise team attended the State Policy Network (SPN) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. There, policy organizations from across the United States gathered to discuss freedom, federalism, and imminent threats to each. Organizations discussed freedom wins for their states on matters including education, energy, taxation, and regulation.
Nearly two years ago, South Carolina lawmakers debated merging the state’s fragmented health care agencies. The proposal was controversial; members of the South Carolina House Freedom Caucus warned the merger would concentrate too much power in a single person, creating a “health czar”. Today, the consolidation is showing results. In 2024, Palmetto Promise Institute produced
