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We frequently hear how the U.S. is in a “debt crisis.”   The U.S. Debt Clock presents debt data in real time.  Is this level of debt really a problem?   If so, what should South Carolinians do about it?  Productive Uses of Government Debt  Though most of us would prefer a smaller federal government without any debt, debt can serve legitimate purposes when used correctly.   Borrowing allows the government to continue operating despite revenue volatility (e.g., tax collections are

Harsher-than-normal winter weather has stressed South Carolina’s energy grid in recent years. while summer usage has earned the Palmetto State the dubious honor of the highest average residential electricity bills in the country (2016). Now, come data centers, which are huge energy consumers. What is the answer? Should we turn to monopoly utilities to save

According to the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), three simple steps, obtaining at least a high school diploma, securing full-time employment, and waiting until marriage to begin having children, can drastically lower your chances of experiencing poverty. Known as “The Success Sequence,” this proven formula was first identified by social historian Barbara

On March 18, 2026, I appeared before the Senate Education Subcommittee to testify on Senator Rex Rice’s S.708, which would create a limited regulatory sandbox and offer some much-needed regulatory and statutory flexibility to school districts who successfully applied for a waiver.  However, time constraints limited my testimony significantly – below are my full prepared

This op-ed, originally published in FITSNews, highlights the need for a shift in how we think about the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF).  Rather than debating whether we should fund 10,000 seats or 20,000, we should be looking at funding every application that came in during the priority window – supporting families who need this

In the midst of the ongoing school choice debate over “unbundlers” in the ESTF program, three school choice champions rose above the rest: Senator Jason Elliott (R-Greenville), Senator Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley), and Representative Steven Long (R-Spartanburg).  All three took the opportunity to defend the ESTF program – Senators Elliott and Grooms during a Senate Education

South Carolina taxpayers were the winners this week in a friendly game of chicken between the Senate and the House over how deeply to cut the state’s top marginal individual income tax rate. But before we get to the details of a busy money week for the legislature, here is a short tax cut history.

This article, published originally in The Daily Signal, features commentary from Palmetto Promise Visiting Fellow and Acting Director of the Center for Education Opportunity at the Heritage Foundation Jonathan Butcher.    Why do South Carolina lawmakers want to make it more difficult for families to educate their children? Lawmakers are misinterpreting the very law they

Palmetto Promise Director of Education Policy Ryan Dellinger is quoted in this article, originally posted in the Post and Courier, related to recent data on the Education Scholarship Trust Fund released by the State Department of Education. Columbia, S.C. (The Post and Courier) – Most of the students receiving South Carolina’s state-funded private school scholarships

After incredible positive momentum over the last four years in South Carolina, suddenly school choice—real parent-empowering school choice— is on the hotseat. How did this happen, and so quickly? It all started just a few weeks ago when Senate Education Chair Senator Greg Hembree filed S.692, intending to eliminate “unbundlers” from the new Education Scholarship