Breaking: Santee Cooper econometric analysis coming next week

Energy
Blog · March 13, 2018

On Tuesday, March 20, Palmetto Promise Institute will present its analysis of the current state and future prospects for Santee Cooper, the state-owned utility known officially as The South Carolina Public Service Authority. Palmetto Promise scholars and a specially-empaneled team of research economists will present its report “Santee Cooper’s Uncertain Future: A Historical, Policy and

The Truth about Competency-Based Education

Education
Blog · March 13, 2018

What is “competency-based education” and how would it impact South Carolina students? Issue at a Glance South Carolina lawmakers are currently considering a bill to allow schools to opt into a competency-based education model. Competency-based education – also called “personalized learning” – allows schools the option to innovate away from an old one-size-fits-all education model

The myth of low average taxes

Tax & Budget
Blog · March 9, 2018

With every new year comes a new round of rankings on every topic imaginable. Apparently tax policy is no different, and its ranking season has begun. Two new state rankings reports place South Carolina among the top finishers in states with the lowest tax rates. The first report, by 24/7 Wall Street, uses Tax Foundation

House committee receives plan to make South Carolina competitive with southeastern neighbors

Tax & Budget
Blog · February 23, 2018

Thursday, House Research staff presented a plan for statewide comprehensive income and sales tax reform to South Carolina Speaker of the House Jay Lucas and the South Carolina House Tax Policy Review Committee. The plan represents a critical step forward to create fairness for hardworking South Carolina citizens, stability to fund state promises and essential

The winning formula: How to fix South Carolina’s school funding system

Education
Blog · February 9, 2018

South Carolina’s K-12 education system suffers not despite its variety of revenue streams, but because of them. A tangled web of different revenue sources, costly mandates and new programs has pushed up administrative costs while perpetuating student underperformance. And worse, the current system diminishes transparency, insulating it from reform. Parents and taxpayers should demand better

Should South Carolina conform to federal tax law changes?

Tax & Budget
Blog · February 8, 2018

To freedom-loving South Carolinians, the only worse words than “federal” and “conformity” spoken singly are “federal conformity” spoken jointly. The most current relevance of federal conformity refers to whether South Carolina should change its tax code to match the provisions of the sweeping (and very positive) tax law passed by Congress and signed by President

Funding failure: South Carolina’s broken school-funding system

Education
Blog · February 6, 2018

South Carolina’s public schools are supported by a host of education funding sources that have seen healthy growth over the years. But are taxpayers getting their money’s worth? A new study by the Palmetto Promise Institute reveals the disconnect between revenue and results when it comes to educating South Carolina kids. South Carolina’s 81 public