Last week, the National Education Association (The NEA/The SCEA) and others announced that they had filed suit against the State Department of Education, State Education Superintendent Ellen Weaver, State Treasurer Curtis Loftis, and the State Treasurer’s Office. Their target? The fledging Education Scholarship Account (ESA) program passed by the legislature in 2023 that would allow
Statement of Palmetto Promise Institute Eidson v. South Carolina Department of Education October 26, 2023 “The Education Scholarship Trust Fund Act (Act 8), passed by a bipartisan majority of the General Assembly and signed by the Governor, is clearly constitutional. State aid in the ESTF is directed to students, not schools (or to the wide
North Carolina has been moving the goalposts on tax reform for nearly a decade. Now, in an unexpected turn of events, the Tarheel State (with a Democrat Governor no less) has tossed down the gauntlet on school choice. On September 22, North Carolina became the tenth state in America to pass universal school choice. Universal
Members of district school boards, also known as school trustees, are under pressure like never before. That’s because in the wake of COVID-19, parents and other taxpayers are finally paying attention to their work. To bear the burden of educational leadership in the higher education space, members of college and university boards of trustees enjoy
Dr. Oran Smith is quoted in this article from The Center Square by T.A. DeFeo. (The Center Square) — While about a quarter of South Carolina schools received an excellent grade in a new analysis, officials say more work is needed to ensure students are prepared for their next moves in life. Statewide, state officials
Last week in the Statehouse, Governor Henry McMaster held a ceremonial bill signing for the legislation repealing South Carolina’s Certificate of Need (CON) statute. Palmetto Promise Institute President Wendy Damron and PPI Senior Fellow Dr. Oran Smith (far left of the photo above) were on hand for the occasion. In his remarks, Governor McMaster was
UPDATE. The CRT/Curriculum Transparency bill (H.3728) has passed the South Carolina Senate and House in different forms and a conference committee has been appointed. The Senators on the committee are Senators Jackson, Massey, and Hembree. The House members on the committee are Reps. Erickson, Adam Morgan, and Alexander. The General Assembly is currently out of
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is an innovative healthcare model being embraced by patients, providers, employers, and policymakers across the United States.
Aubrey Wursten writes for the Independent Women’s Forum about South Carolina’s Certificate of Need (CON) repeal and cites Palmetto Promise Institute research on the topic. In 1987, the federal government repealed the certificate of need (CON) mandate it had enacted 13 years before. During those 13 years, any state wishing to receive subsidies, such as
Since he was elected to the South Carolina Senate in 2012, Senator Sean Bennett has been a strong, steady voice for comprehensive tax reform. Bennett is known for taking to the well of the Senate and laying out his very specific concerns about how our current tax code is unfair, unstable and uncompetitive. Two of
