This op-ed originally posted in the National Review was written by Palmetto Promise Institute President Wendy Damron and Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist. ESAs pair well with income-tax elimination, while tax credit scholarships don’t. In addition to being at the forefront of a national movement to drive down, flatten, and even phase out state
On August 3rd, during the WIS NEWS 10 SCGOP U.S. Senate debate, Palmetto Promise President & CEO Wendy Damron had the opportunity to ask candidates about the SAVE Act. The candidates: Russell Fry, Darline Graham, Mark Lynch, Ralph Norman, and Mark Sanford were posed a questions covering a variety of topics that challenge South Carolina
On June 5, at a luncheon in Columbia, Palmetto Promise Senior Fellow Dr. Oran Smith was honored by Governor Henry McMaster with the presentation of The Order of the Palmetto. The Order of the Palmetto is considered the highest civilian honor in the State of South Carolina. It was first awarded in 1971 by Governor
The following article originally appeared in the Post & Courier. As the 2025 General Assembly headed out the door, emotions in the public education community were raw. A conflict over funding between traditional public school districts and statewide public charter districts led to a Band-Aid that left neither side happy. As the 2026 General Assembly
I recently joined Live 5 News to help moderate the runoff debate for Congressional District 1 between Mark Smith and Jenny Costa Honeycutt. The candidates tackled a number of tough issues facing South Carolina and the United States, including housing affordability, the future of Social Security, parental rights, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
In this article, originally published in the South Carolina Daily Gazette, I discuss how South Carolina ensures that our higher education degree programs are delivering meaningful, high-quality education through regular program review by the Commission on Higher Education and the colleges themselves. Columbia, S.C. (SC Daily Gazette) – Suddenly, one of the most pressing issues
On Tuesday, June 16th, Palmetto Promise Senior Fellow Dr. Oran Smith served as a moderator for the first (and only!) gubernatorial runoff debate between Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette. Held on the campus of Coastal Carolina University, the debate allowed candidates the opportunity to comment on a wide variety of topics,
In this article originally posted in the Post and Courier, Dr. Oran Smith comments on legislation concerning the transparency of University president headhunting. By Anna B. Mitchell amitchell@postandcourier.com CLEMSON — After decades of giving the public a chance to vet candidates for some of the state’s top positions in academia, South Carolina’s leading universities
Over the next several weeks, Palmetto Promise Institute will have a part in four key public events all over the state of South Carolina. On Tuesday night June 9, Senior Fellow Dr. Oran Smith will serve as political analyst for election night team coverage on WORD radio in the Upstate. You can stream the show
In this op-ed, originally published in The Post and Courier, I discuss the potential for groundbreaking statewide public charter school funding reform that hinges on a decision resting with the Jasper County Council. They are currently considering giving some local funding to some of their charter schools, which could serve as an important test case
