South Carolina’s top education leader vows to defend ESA program after state high court strikes it down

Education
Blog · September 11, 2024

This article by Lisa Buie was originally published on the Next Steps Blog. In it, she quotes Palmetto Promise Institute President Wendy Damron.   The big story: Nearly 3,000 low-income students and their families now find themselves scrambling for education options a month into the new school year after the South Carolina Supreme Court tossed out

Release: SC Supreme Court Finds Education Scholarships Unconstitutional

Education
Blog · September 11, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SC Supreme Court Finds Education Scholarships Unconstitutional 2,880 students see their scholarships cancelled weeks into the school year COLUMBIA — In a ruling handed down today, the South Carolina Supreme Court found in favor of the plaintiffs in Eidson et al. v. SC Department of Education et al. The 3-2 decision, written

Civil Asset Forfeiture: Explanatory Stories and Essential Sources

Quality of Life
Blog · September 9, 2024

Mikee Albin was a 65-year-old Vietnam veteran. He was living in an RV in the parking lot of the restaurant he ran, hoping to build up the business and achieve the American dream of entrepreneurship and homeownership. But his dream was sidetracked…badly sidetracked. Following an undercover investigation at his restaurant, where it was determined that

Local Election Turnout is Shockingly Low. That Must Change.

Quality of Life
Blog · September 5, 2024

South Carolina localities have little to no statutory guidelines regarding when local elections are allowed, which has led to a much smaller voter turnout than the typical statewide general election. But local elections hold just as much importance, if not more, than statewide elections. There, citizens have the chance to vote for the officials that

The Spunky Intellect: Dr. Barbara Stock Nielsen

Education
Blog · September 4, 2024

I’ll never forget the first time I laid eyes on Barbara Nielsen. It was a civic club meeting in Columbia in early 1990, a statewide election year. Republican Carroll Campbell was Governor, but a Democrat held every other statewide office. There had never been a Republican State Superintendent of Education.   As Barbara was being introduced,

Commentary: How we can teach the Bible in public schools without violating 1st Amendment

Education
Blog · August 16, 2024

This op-ed by Palmetto Promise Senior Fellow Oran Smith originally appeared in the Post and Courier August 15, 2024, and a version of it appeared on the Carolinas Academic Leadership Network site in July.  Oklahoma’s state school Superintendent Scott Walters has made headlines for his new policy requiring the teaching of the Christian Bible and

A Quick Guide to Education Governance in South Carolina

Education
Blog · August 8, 2024

South Carolina’s public education system is governed by a complex, and often overlapping, set of stakeholders, from the State Superintendent of Education to the State Board of Education, local school districts and their boards, district superintendents, and of course the General Assembly. Each of these parties has some role in how education is governed and

BEYOND THE CHICAGO STATEMENT: Do Policies at South Carolina’s Public Universities Truly Protect Free Speech?

Education
Blog · August 1, 2024

This report examines policies relating to free speech and expression within South Carolina public institutions of higher education. Declarations of intent or belief like the Chicago Statement are admirable, but the proof is in the pudding—or in specific policies, rather.

July 31: That Humiliating Anniversary

Energy
Blog · July 31, 2024

It was a high honor for Virgil C. Summer when SCE&G named its new power plant for him. After all, in 1984, V.C. Summer I was an impressive engineering feat. The new nuclear reactor generated a whopping 966 MW of electricity, and its construction was so efficient that it cost far less per MW generated