Freedom notes USA: South Carolina goes farther with charters

Education
Blog · November 17, 2025

Palmetto Promise’s Director of Education Policy, Ryan Dellinger, was quoted in this piece by our State Policy Network colleagues at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. South Carolina charter schools overperform A new study of state education records indicates that South Carolina charter schools are substantially outperforming traditional schools in preparing students for college and

Partial Victory, Not Full Justice: What 2025 Lawsuit Reform Legislation Got Right—and What South Carolina Still Must Fix

Quality of Life
Blog · November 11, 2025

After years of false starts, heated hearings, and last-minute negotiations, South Carolina has finally passed lawsuit reform. Governor Henry McMaster signed H.3430 into law in May 2025, calling it “landmark tort reform.”  This legislation is, indeed, a milestone. For the first time in two decades, the General Assembly has tackled not just liquor liability but

Proof of Promise: Data Suggests Charter Schools Are Preparing Students for Life Beyond the Classroom

Education
Blog · November 11, 2025

Palmetto Promise Institute recently published a blog highlighting the release of the 2025 South Carolina school report cards.  Overall, the results were promising—more schools moved up the grading scale, and academic performance across the state improved.  With this in mind, PPI would like to take a deeper dive into the data and explore specifically how

A Cure for the Doctor Shortage? Welcoming International Physicians Could Cut Wait Times in South Carolina

Healthcare
Blog · November 5, 2025

How long have you spent waiting for an appointment with a physician? Prolonged wait times have become a reality for most Americans due to a nationwide doctor shortage. On average, Americans must wait 20 days to receive an appointment with a physician, even though the estimated standard wait time is 14 days. Nationwide, this shortage

Signs of Progress: 2025 Report Cards Show South Carolina Schools on the Rise

Education
Blog · November 4, 2025

Yesterday, the South Carolina Department of Education released its 2025 school report cards—offering the latest snapshot of how our public and public charter schools are performing. These annual report cards do more than just track test scores. They reveal whether students across our state are truly gaining ground—or if persistent gaps remain. For policymakers, the

South Carolina Shines in National Report Tracking Federalism Threats

Quality of Life
Blog · October 29, 2025
South Carolina Welcome Sign

Since at least the Great Depression, the federal administrative state has expanded its reach dramatically. This is a severe challenge for democracy. But fortunately, South Carolina is holding its own…for now. In the State Policy Network’s annual Federalism Scorecard, the Palmetto State ranks 5th in the nation—that means South Carolina is the fifth least vulnerable

Battleground of Freedom: Reviving Civic Spirit in the Palmetto State

Education
Blog · October 27, 2025

Civic knowledge and engagement have been in decline nationwide for decades. South Carolina is no exception.  The Palmetto Civics Project is the state’s response to this trend — asserting that South Carolina’s students should exit school not only with academic skills, but also with readiness to participate in democracy, preserve freedom, and strengthen community.   The

South Carolina’s Hidden Tax: How Manufacturing Property Taxes Could Threaten Our State’s Growth

Tax & Budget
Blog · October 22, 2025

When citizens debate the dreaded subject of taxes, the conversation nearly always revolves around individual income taxes. This was a hot topic in the 2025 South Carolina General Assembly. Yet, behind the scenes, another stealthier tax is quietly shaping the state’s economy just as powerfully: the manufacturing property tax. South Carolina has historically lived on

When ‘Consistency’ Costs Too Much: The Hidden Dangers in RFA’s Funding Recommendations

Education
Blog · October 21, 2025
People wearing backpacks

According to Proviso 1.3(X) in this year’s budget, the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office (RFA) was directed to “…review the student weightings used in the State Aid to Classrooms funding formula and examine methods to improve the alignment of State Aid to Classrooms funding with student enrollment while ensuring districts and charter authorizers

REPORT: Expanding Access, Protecting Patients – A Roadmap for Scope of Practice Reform in South Carolina

Healthcare
Blog · October 16, 2025

South Carolina legislators are, in the 2025-26 session, amidst a serious debate about expanding healthcare access and scope of practice in our state. At the most fundamental level, scope of practice (SOP) in healthcare policy is defined as “the activities and duties [tasks] that a licensed or certified healthcare professional is permitted to perform, based