Earlier today, I submitted the below written testimony on H. 5309, which would opt South Carolina in to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. The testimony was submitted in advance of the bill’s hearing before the House Education and Public Works Committee on March 31, 2026. Dear Representative Erickson, Palmetto Promise Institute appreciates the opportunity to
COLUMBIA, SC — Palmetto Promise Institute announced today that a new statewide effort, the South Carolina Universal School Choice Coalition, has officially launched. The Coalition and its individual signatories will focus on advancing a universal school choice framework—one that expands access to high-quality educational opportunities for every student across the state. “Members of this coalition
Whether your frustration with South Carolina roads is time in traffic or poor pavement quality, help could be on the way. Earlier this week, the South Carolina Senate, under the leadership of Senator Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley), passed S.831, the Department of Transportation reform bill. The 33-page legislation seems to have something for everyone, except for
In this OpEd, originally published in The Daily Signal, Jonathan Butcher discusses the ongoing battle over parental rights in South Carolina. It happened again: A parent, this one in South Carolina, has accused teachers at her child’s school of hiding information about him from his family. Fortunately, state lawmakers are considering a proposal to protect parents from educators who
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
