According to a new study by U.S. News and World Report, the fastest-growing metro area in the United States is…Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This is no real surprise, because when the South Carolina General Assembly was debating the future of the Certificate of Need (CON) program, we highlighted Horry County (oh-ree) as an example of

As Governor Henry McMaster and the House Ways & Means Committee were drafting their plans for the state budget year beginning on July 1, 2022, the question of the complex web of funding streams for public education was asked once again. Charter schools in particular were stuck in ad hoc line items rather than receiving

Some of the most significant conservative policy victories of recent years had a litigation element. By that I mean a legal case made its way to the Supreme Court and the side of freedom won. In the Janus case (2018), the court ruled that public employees cannot be forced to pay agency fees to a

Palmetto Promise Institute is one of three nominees that made the cut for the State Policy Network‘s “Biggest Win for Freedom Award.” The winner will be announced at SPN’s Annual Meeting in Chicago next month.  About the Awards… State Policy Network’s Bob Williams Awards for Outstanding Policy Achievement recognize state think tanks doing exceptional work

This piece originally appeared in Forbes, and was co-authored by Josh Archambault and Oran Smith, Ph.D. Senior Fellow at Palmetto Promise Institute. Long-time talk show host Joey Hudson had to wait an excruciating three weeks for a hernia operation in South Carolina. To add insult to injury, his friend in Florida who had the same

With the passage of the Education Scholarship Trust Fund program, also known as Education Scholarship Accounts, there are so many thank yous to offer. So many years of work! it is dangerous to single out individuals, but here are some of our ESA champions: South Carolina SenateSenators Larry Grooms, Greg Hembree, and Rex RiceMajority Leader

After nearly eight years of hard work by Palmetto Promise Institute and many others, South Carolina has a brand new education freedom program on the way! Education Scholarship Trust Fund scholarships will be awarded beginning with the 2024-25 school year. Here are some of the key details: *The official name of the South Carolina program

The photo you see adjacent to this post is of a group of true believers who assembled on January 21, 2020 on the first floor of the Statehouse to call for a total repeal of the state Certificate of Need program. Earlier this week, Senator Tom Davis referred to this event humorously as “a few

The Heritage Foundation's Jonathan Butcher writes about South Carolina's new ESA bill in reimaginED, citing PPI research.