Most legislative observers missed it, but buried deep in S.62—the bill whose primary purpose was to reestablish South Carolina’s private school choice program (the Education Scholarship Trust Fund)— was a glimmer of hope for public school choice. The encouraging provision, which introduced the idea of interdistrict transfers for all students, can be found in Section
Have you ever felt the need to speak out against a powerful entity— such as a large corporation, government regulatory agency, or public figure— only to worry about getting sued for it? In South Carolina, that is a very legitimate concern. The Palmetto State lacks basic protections against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPPs,
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law what may be the most significant federal school choice measure in American history. This new law, which includes Section 25F of the Internal Revenue Code, creates a permanent federal tax credit for donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). And it is nothing short of a game-changer.
After long weeks of deliberation, President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) finally passed the US House on July 3, 2025, in a 217-214 vote. Just days prior, the Senate passed it with the final deciding vote cast by Vice President Vance. This tight victory for Trump marks the penultimate step toward his self-imposed July
The role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers, more commonly known as “PBMs,” has been a frequent topic of conversation in the South Carolina State House in recent months, with a new Pharmacy Benefit Managers Ad Hoc Committee established in February 2025. The Palmetto State PBM conversation mirrors national attention on the matter by Republicans and Democrats
Palmetto Promise Institute is pleased to announce that we have been named a finalist for two State Policy Network awards due to our diligent work to restore school choice for South Carolina families. In the 2024-25 school year, South Carolina’s first ESA program was finally underway, and thousands of low-income families were enrolled in their
Currently in South Carolina, an estimated 17,057 potential job opportunities have been regulated out of existence by overreaching state occupational licensing laws and regulations. Now, don’t get us wrong. Because of health, safety, and consumer protection concerns, standards are important. But our state’s licensing system is currently placing unnecessary roadblocks in front of many South
If your thermostat is currently set to “Antarctica,” utility companies have a favor to ask: maybe bump it up to something closer to “cool breeze.” As South Carolina faces a brutal heatwave this week—with heat indexes hitting triple digits across much of the state—the pressure on our power grid is hitting new highs. On Monday,
This op ed was originally published in FitsNews. At Palmetto Promise Institute, we believe the best solutions don’t come from Washington — they come from communities. That’s why we were alarmed to see the U.S. House propose a steep tax hike on private foundations, raising the current 1.39% excise tax on investment income to as
At Palmetto Promise Institute, we are big on ratings and rankings. If done properly, a grade or score in a policy area can help a state know where it stands on freedom issues and how efficiently and effectively that state spends taxpayer dollars. Comparisons to neighboring states can be particularly useful. Trusted national organizations produce
