This week, two students at Hidden Treasure Christian School received life-changing checks, thanks to South Carolina's new Exceptional Needs Tax Credit Scholarship. These scholarships will allow them to afford an education that meets their unique needs and equips them to reach their full God-given potential. It was an incredible experience to witness this joyful celebration!
This week Kevin Chavous, a leading voice for giving every child a chance and a choice, highlighted Greenville's own Legacy Charter School in a national oped, praising their mission to value all children and their refusal to write kids off based on their background, home life or previous school experience. Wonderful to see such a South Carolina success story in the news!
As states like Michigan and Wisconsin discover the secret sauce of right-to-work, South Carolina stands to lose that current competitive advantage. In the most recent release of the Rich States, Poor States Economic Competitiveness Index, while our current performance puts us at #20, our outlook has fallen to #32, largely based on our levels of debt and uncompetitive tax structure. Comprehensive tax reform is the single greatest next step we could take to ensure a bright outlook for South Carolina’s future. Our top marginal personal income tax rate is the highest in the Southeast. And while our corporate tax rate of 5% is one of the lowest in the nation, we exempt more corporate income than we collect, with the majority of credits accruing to larger, newer companies rather than smaller, older in-state companies. This imbalance cannot be sustained indefinitely and is not a long-term strategy for economic competitiveness. This report outlines key features of the tax system currently in place in South Carolina and is organized by key issues affecting the impact of our various forms of taxes on the economy.
This week, it felt like we were in a Washington-like bad dream as the Republican-led SC House debated a bill that would have put South Carolina $500 million in debt. Dr. Oran Smith describes how we woke up from this $500 million dollar nightmare and wound up back home.
The numbers don’t lie. If we don’t change our ways, the Palmetto State could be looking at a #1 ranking in debt and taxes. That’s great news…for North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia, our closest competitors for jobs and new investment.
Today the US Supreme Court holds the future of Obamacare in its hands as it hears King v Burwell. Not sure what the significance of this case is? Well, you're not alone. Here's what you need to know about the case that could radically alter Obamacare as we know it. When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law in early 2010, there were many things we still didn’t know about the bill and its effect on everyday Americans. Now, with several years of experience under our belts, the truth has grown increasingly clear: far from living up to its name, it has become one more one-size-fits-all Washington boondoggle with a bungled website roll-out, lingering questions about consumer data privacy, rising insurance rates and many people losing the doctor they were promised that they could keep. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Looking to pay another $417 a year on your energy costs? How about South Carolina losing over 14,000 jobs? That’s exactly what newly proposed EPA regulations could cost the Palmetto State.
Gas prices fell to an average of $1.86 per gallon last week in South Carolina according to AAA, providing us with a little extra cash in our pockets. That’s great news indeed…but we had better not get used to it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the process of implementing three rules that a new study by the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University and Palmetto Promise Institute says will substantially drive up the cost of energy in South Carolina.
I come here personally today not as an academic policy expert but as someone who loves our home state of South Carolina and believes passionately that the path of opportunity both for our people and our state starts with bold, big picture thinking about how we put together key puzzle pieces for South Carolina’s future. We focus on the issues of energy, health care, tax & budget policy…and of course, righting the injustices of our education system, which is why I am here talking with you today.
Jay Jackson liked his local public school and did well on his report cards. He even enrolled in some of the advanced classes that his school offered. However, Jay's parents, Randy and Janice, noticed something peculiar: They never saw Jay do any homework.
