The South Carolina Senate Finance Committee is currently debating this year’s budget. On Tuesday, April 7, Senator Greg Hembree (R – Horry) introduced a budget proviso that would: Prohibit “unbundlers” in the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) program; Grandfather “unbundlers” from this school year into the program, but treats them like Option 1 (district-approved and
On March 29th Dr. Oran Smith went on Joey Hudson’s podcast to discuss the REINS Act. Check out the video below. Watch this video on YouTube
Palmetto Promise Director of Education Policy Ryan Dellinger recently joined WIS10 reporter Stephen Biddix virtually to discuss a bill that would opt South Carolina in to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. To watch their video coverage, check out the original article here. Columbia, S.C. (WIS10): As school districts across South Carolina continue to grapple with
Palmetto Promise Director of Education Policy Ryan Dellinger is quoted in this article, originally published in the South Carolina Daily Gazette, discussing a bill that would opt South Carolina in to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. We submitted written testimony on this bill as well, which you can read here. Columbia, S.C. (South Carolina Daily
Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are companies that act as intermediaries between drug manufacturers, health insurers, and pharmacies. PBMs do not directly distribute medications, but they play a pivotal role in attempting to control costs, determining quantities of medication available, and altering the overall consumer experience. Most Americans have at some point in their lives been
New data indicate that telemedicine has the potential to be a “great equalizer” for maternal health. As we have written previously, the 2024 Telehealth and Telemedicine Modernization Act made strides in making telemedicine accessible to more South Carolinians. But while this legislation made progress, it did not go far enough to decrease the barriers we
Earlier today, I submitted the below written testimony on H. 5309, which would opt South Carolina in to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. The testimony was submitted in advance of the bill’s hearing before the House Education and Public Works Committee on March 31, 2026. Dear Representative Erickson, Palmetto Promise Institute appreciates the opportunity to
COLUMBIA, SC — Palmetto Promise Institute announced today that a new statewide effort, the South Carolina Universal School Choice Coalition, has officially launched. The Coalition and its individual signatories will focus on advancing a universal school choice framework—one that expands access to high-quality educational opportunities for every student across the state. “Members of this coalition
Whether your frustration with South Carolina roads is time in traffic or poor pavement quality, help could be on the way. Earlier this week, the South Carolina Senate, under the leadership of Senator Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley), passed S.831, the Department of Transportation reform bill. The 33-page legislation seems to have something for everyone, except for
In this OpEd, originally published in The Daily Signal, Jonathan Butcher discusses the ongoing battle over parental rights in South Carolina. It happened again: A parent, this one in South Carolina, has accused teachers at her child’s school of hiding information about him from his family. Fortunately, state lawmakers are considering a proposal to protect parents from educators who
