FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New Donors Push Palmetto Promise ESTF Families Rescue Fund to $2.2 million COLUMBIA — To kick off National School Choice Week, Palmetto Promise Institute President Wendy Damron announced today that new support from three (3) additional donors has pushed the Palmetto Promise ESTF Families Rescue fund to $2.2 million. The Rescue Fund goal,
COLUMBIA, South Car. (Jan. 24, 2025) – Families in South Carolina are eager to explore their school choice options, and dozens of schools in the Columbia and Lexington area are gathering to meet that need at a school fair timed to coincide with School Choice Week. No matter what type of school they’re looking for,
With the launch of a brand new 2025-26 legislative session, all bills that did not pass in 2023-24 were officially pronounced dead. Unfortunately, energy generation expansion and reform were among the key areas that saw no movement in the last General Assembly. But a conversation between Senate and House had begun. That’s progress. So, what
We are pleased to announce that Palmetto Promise Institute President & CEO Wendy Damron was awarded the Heritage Foundation’s 2025 Doer Award at the Awakening by Heritage Conference this past weekend. Heritage defines “Doers” as individuals who are making a difference in their personal lives or fields of work, advancing Heritage’s mission and values. The
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
