Impact

“Parents want and deserve the best education for their children.  But too many children do not thrive in their assigned, government-run K-12 school…  It is the policy of my Administration to support parents in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children.”  – President Donald Trump, January 29, 2025  The Educational Choice for

Energy policy has long been a balancing act between market competition and regulatory oversight. Traditionally, South Carolina’s electricity market has been dominated by vertically integrated, monopoly utilities that control all three aspects of the power system—generation, transmission, and distribution. So, the Palmetto State has leaned toward regulation. But a relatively simple and proven reform is

This op-ed by Dr. Oran Smith was originally published in the SC Daily Gazette. It is no secret that South Carolina has become a magnet for business, industry, and people. Since 2007, our population has grown by over one million, and the U-Hauls keep coming. The in-migration boom includes manufacturing and high-tech industries as well. This generational change

You’ve probably heard the saying: “Winning the battle but losing the war.” That’s exactly what the South Carolina General Assembly risks doing if it narrows its focus to fixing liquor liability problems while leaving the rest of our broken civil liability system untouched.  Let’s be clear: Liquor liability is a massive and urgent issue. Over

The lawsuit industry in South Carolina is out of control. Drive down any highway in our state, and you’ll see it lined with billboards for trial lawyers. The sheer quantity are a clear sign that something in our state is sorely wrong.   Businesses with as little as 1% of fault are paying 100% of

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;