Let’s Unshackle South Carolina’s Physicians by Eliminating Non-Competes

Healthcare
Blog · March 3, 2025

In the 126th General Assembly, key South Carolina legislators are working to pass S.46, a bill that signals that physician non-compete agreements both interfere with physician-patient relationships and corporatize the practice of medicine. The bill is designed to put an end to medical non-competes.  What is a noncompete agreement?  A noncompete agreement is a legal

A Free Market Solution for South Carolina’s Energy Future

Energy
Blog · March 3, 2025

South Carolina is at a turning point. With one of the fastest-growing populations in the country and a booming economy, the demand for reliable, affordable energy has never been higher. Yet, our outdated energy system—dominated by utility monopolies—is struggling to keep up. Without modernization, we risk not only higher costs but also potential energy shortages

Learn More about the ESTF Families Rescue Fund

Education
Blog · March 1, 2025

Below, you can find press releases and media coverage of Palmetto Promise Institute’s ESTF Families Rescue Fund, which helps pay the tuition of families in South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund program whose scholarships were ripped away by the SC Supreme Court. To learn more or contribute, contact Wendy Damron at wendy@palmettopromise.org or donate here

South Carolina’s Telehealth Laws Receive an F Grade

Healthcare
Blog · February 27, 2025

Our friends at the Cicero Institute annually publish an analysis of telehealth laws across the 50 states. Earlier this year, Palmetto Promise released an analysis of improvements needed in South Carolina’s telehealth laws, relying on previous editions of Cicero’s grading system that did not account for the Telehealth and Telemedicine Modernization Act, which was signed

South Carolina House passes school choice bill, moving state closer to restoring school choice

Education
Blog · February 27, 2025

This piece by Adam Whittenberg originally published in The Lion cites Palmetto Promise’s ESTF Family Rescue Fund work. South Carolina is one step closer to restoring school choice after the state House passed a school choice plan Wednesday. By a 79-38 vote, the Republican-controlled House approved a plan to fund private school scholarships from the general budget.

Cutting Red Tape for Businesses with the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act

Quality of Life
Blog · February 27, 2025

Regulatory review and consolidation have become a hot topic in the South Carolina Statehouse, particularly as they pertain to our state’s small businesses. This is welcome, because, in 2022, South Carolina was home to 463,549 small businesses, accounting for 99.4% of the state’s businesses. One effort to ensure our state’s business climate is friendly for

South Carolina’s State Retirement System: A Look Behind the Curtain

Tax & Budget
Blog · February 24, 2025

In 2015, South Carolina’s Office of the State Treasurer released a report on the health of the state employee retirement system entitled “The Pothole that you can’t see.” In this examination of our state’s pension system, the numbers were shocking. According to the report, as of 2015, the state retirement system’s unfunded liability stood at

House Education Committee Advances Universal ESA Bill

Education
Blog · February 20, 2025

This week, the House Education & Public Works Committee held a hearing on the bill that would restore school choice in South Carolina following the SC Supreme Court’s decision that left thousands of SC families with their promised scholarships ripped away. S.62 as passed by the South Carolina Senate would reinstate Education Scholarship Accounts (ESAs)

How DOGE is Reshaping Government Consolidation: A New Chapter in the Age-Old Struggle

Blog · February 20, 2025

The idea of consolidation, and even closing, of government structures has been a reoccurring topic in the news recently, with the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), run by Elon Musk, making headlines daily. Republican-led states, following suit, have turned to self-scrutiny of their own, introducing bills to create state-level “DOGE” commissions. South Carolina is one of

Lawmakers See Tort Reform, Like Tax Relief, As Way To Reduce Costs

Quality of Life
Blog · February 19, 2025
Close up photo of a wooden gavel

Palmetto Promise’s report Sandlapper Shakedown is cited in this piece originally published in Forbes. South Carolina has been among the most successful states recently in attracting individuals, families, and employers from other states. In fact, last year the Palmetto State’s population grew faster than all 49 other states. State lawmakers in South Carolina and Governor