ESAs Win the Big Dance – Now Make Them Universal!
Honoring a Champion of Free Enterprise
Palmetto Promise has been a stalwart defender of free enterprise here in South Carolina, and this week, we had the privilege of recognizing a dedicated public servant and Champion of Free Enterprise at the South Carolina Governor’s Mansion. The Honorable Terry Branstad served as Ambassador to China in the Trump Administration from 2017-2020. Before that,
New Book Regulation Aims for Age-Appropriateness, not Book Banning
The State Department of Education (SCDE) has threaded the needle amazingly well in their recently passed new regulations for school textbooks and other curriculum materials. This is the regulation that would govern which books and other curriculum materials could be in school libraries and classrooms. Because all regulations must receive the approval of the South
School choice isn’t rare, weird, or fiscally irresponsible
A version of this commentary originally appeared in the South Carolina Daily Gazette. As the South Carolina House of Representatives was debating (and overwhelmingly passing) an expansion of the state’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) program, it became clear that some basic facts about the concept of “school choice” and how the ESTF program in
CHAMPIONSHIP: Vote on Our Greatest Policy Win!
We are back with an exciting update on our Policy Bracketology competition from the other week. In honor of March Madness, we asked you to cast your vote in the Final Four to determine which Palmetto Promise initiative deserves the distinction of being named our greatest policy win. Thank you to all who voted! Now,
Beyond the Salon: Empowering Cosmetologists to Go Mobile
The South Carolina General Assembly has the chance this year to right a wrong and take tremendous strides ramping up free market entrepreneurship in the area of hair care and cosmetology. Will they seize the opportunity? You may recall that, in 2021, the General Assembly passed, and the Governor signed into law, a bill that
VOTE NOW: Policy Bracketology
We don’t know about y’all, but March Madness has the Palmetto Promise team in a bracket-making mood. Because we’ve recently celebrated Palmetto Promise Institute’s eleventh birthday, we have been reflecting on the impact our work has had on state policy over that time and what we regard as our top accomplishments. Naturally, these rankings found
SC House to State Universities: Stop DEI, Protect Free Speech!
Earlier this week, after hours of debate and over 100 amendments proposed (but with just one adopted) the South Carolina House of Representatives passed legislation banning Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) from hiring, promotion, and admissions policies in state colleges and universities. The measure also included language protecting free speech on campus. The vote on
Alcohol Home Delivery Plan Has Needed Safeguards
The House has passed, and now the Senate Judiciary Committee is considering, H.4364, which would allow for delivery services, such as UberEats or Doordash, to bring alcohol straight to a consumer’s door, right along with their groceries.
Breaking Down 2024-25 ESTF Application Data
For the 2024-25 school year, South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) program has 5,000 slots available to students who meet the eligibility requirements: 1) have attended a public school during the 2023-24 school year OR are entering kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year and 2) have a household income at or below 200% of