The 126th session of the South Carolina General Assembly kicks off next week, on January 14. This two-year session, South Carolina has a chance like never before to expand freedom and opportunity in our state. I and the Palmetto Promise team are so proud of all the achievements of the last legislative session, and we
Senior Fellow Dr. Oran Smith was interviewed for this article, originally published in American Family News. An annual report from U-Haul suggests most Americans who moved last year settled in the South, continuing an annual trend, but a new southern state now tops the list. The line of moving trucks fleeing California and New York
In February 2024, the General Assembly passed the SC Telehealth and Telemedicine Modernization Act (“The Act”). This legislation outlined a new definition of “Telehealth” as well as enhanced access to specific controlled substances through telehealth by updating tele-prescribing regulations. The update was careful to preserve necessary safeguards. The Act was a good first step, but
I’m sure we all remember the Schoolhouse Rock videos we used to watch in school growing up….“I’m just a bill, yes, I’m only a bill, and I’m sitting here on Capitol Hill….” The South Carolina Statehouse, while unfortunately lacking a catchy song, functions similarly to Congress, but there are some unique quirks in the South
Palmetto Promise Institute’s new research report Achieving Prosperity, Stability, & Fairness: Essential South Carolina Tax Reforms lays out the tax code changes that state legislators would be wise to prioritize in the 2025-26 legislative session. INTRODUCTION Palmetto Promise Institute has produced two major reports assessing the competitiveness and fairness of the South Carolina tax code (2014;
A newly-released national poll conducted by yes. every kid. foundation. shows the steadfast support Americans have for education policies that prioritize choice and flexibility. Have you ever thought of the K-12 education system as flexible? Most Americans don’t, according to these poll results. And yet Americans (and parents in particular) crave flexibility in education, and
College students that attend school in South Carolina deserve to exchange ideas freely and to have their speech fiercely protected. South Carolina should aim to be a place where all students from all backgrounds may speak their minds without censorship. This vision may become a reality this legislation session with the FORUM Act. Representative Bill
This morning, South Carolina’s new Chief Justice John Kittredge released a new administrative order that brings long-awaited reform to South Carolina’s magistrate court system and shuts down potential for conflict of interest in magistrates’ rulings on cases involving lawyer-legislators. Palmetto Promise has written extensively over the last few years about the need for reform in
South Carolina is recognized nationwide as a state that emphasizes the importance of free enterprise. Businesses are attracted by our competitive tax incentives, the ability of our technical colleges to provide a skilled workforce, and our strong right-to-work culture. But economic development incentives used to lure businesses into the state—often tax breaks—are not open-ended. It
