A version of this commentary originally appeared in the South Carolina Daily Gazette. As the South Carolina House of Representatives was debating (and overwhelmingly passing) an expansion of the state’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) program, it became clear that some basic facts about the concept of “school choice” and how the ESTF program in
We are back with an exciting update on our Policy Bracketology competition from the other week. In honor of March Madness, we asked you to cast your vote in the Final Four to determine which Palmetto Promise initiative deserves the distinction of being named our greatest policy win. Thank you to all who voted! Now,
Palmetto Promise is quoted in this piece by Patrick Gleason, originally published in Forbes. Kevin Costner’s character in Field of Dreams, winner of the Oscar for Best Picture in 1990, was inspired to turn an Iowa cornfield into a baseball diamond after hearing the words, “if you build it, they will come.” In the reality of
The South Carolina General Assembly has the chance this year to right a wrong and take tremendous strides ramping up free market entrepreneurship in the area of hair care and cosmetology. Will they seize the opportunity? You may recall that, in 2021, the General Assembly passed, and the Governor signed into law, a bill that
We don’t know about y’all, but March Madness has the Palmetto Promise team in a bracket-making mood. Because we’ve recently celebrated Palmetto Promise Institute’s eleventh birthday, we have been reflecting on the impact our work has had on state policy over that time and what we regard as our top accomplishments. Naturally, these rankings found
Earlier this week, after hours of debate and over 100 amendments proposed (but with just one adopted) the South Carolina House of Representatives passed legislation banning Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) from hiring, promotion, and admissions policies in state colleges and universities. The measure also included language protecting free speech on campus. The vote on
The House has passed, and now the Senate Judiciary Committee is considering, H.4364, which would allow for delivery services, such as UberEats or Doordash, to bring alcohol straight to a consumer’s door, right along with their groceries.
For the 2024-25 school year, South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) program has 5,000 slots available to students who meet the eligibility requirements: 1) have attended a public school during the 2023-24 school year OR are entering kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year and 2) have a household income at or below 200% of
Back in 2020, Palmetto Promise Institute published the Palmetto Playbook, a football-themed policy manual designed to “move South Carolina’s economy down the field” after the pandemic. We were in COVID lockdown, so we had plenty of time to draw on scores of policy recommendations and state rankings from across the nation. Very quickly, we were
Palmetto Promise Senior Fellow Dr. Oran Smith is quoted in this article on Certificate of Need Reform written by Patrick Gleason and originally published in Forbes. South Carolina is a red state where Republicans have long held statewide offices and majorities in the state legislature, but the Palmetto State has not been a national leader
