Palmetto Promise Institute is pleased to announce that we have been named a finalist for two State Policy Network awards due to our diligent work to restore school choice for South Carolina families. In the 2024-25 school year, South Carolina’s first ESA program was finally underway, and thousands of low-income families were enrolled in their
Currently in South Carolina, an estimated 17,057 potential job opportunities have been regulated out of existence by overreaching state occupational licensing laws and regulations. Now, don’t get us wrong. Because of health, safety, and consumer protection concerns, standards are important. But our state’s licensing system is currently placing unnecessary roadblocks in front of many South
If your thermostat is currently set to “Antarctica,” utility companies have a favor to ask: maybe bump it up to something closer to “cool breeze.” As South Carolina faces a brutal heatwave this week—with heat indexes hitting triple digits across much of the state—the pressure on our power grid is hitting new highs. On Monday,
This op ed was originally published in FitsNews. At Palmetto Promise Institute, we believe the best solutions don’t come from Washington — they come from communities. That’s why we were alarmed to see the U.S. House propose a steep tax hike on private foundations, raising the current 1.39% excise tax on investment income to as
At Palmetto Promise Institute, we are big on ratings and rankings. If done properly, a grade or score in a policy area can help a state know where it stands on freedom issues and how efficiently and effectively that state spends taxpayer dollars. Comparisons to neighboring states can be particularly useful. Trusted national organizations produce
President Donald Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” passed the U.S. House of Representatives on May 22, but its long-term implications are far from settled. The bill ties together a wide range of policy issues: reform of SNAP benefits, Medicaid, tax-free tips, tax-free overtime pay, and notably, a raise of the State And Local Tax (SALT)
In May 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping policy package that includes the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), a $5 billion annual tax credit scholarship program that could significantly expand educational freedom for families across the country. This legislation, long championed by parents and
When most South Carolinians think about state income taxes, they imagine filing a single return. Yet, for the estimated 200,000 residents who cross a state line to earn their paycheck, and the 121,000 non-residents who work in-person in South Carolina, the reality of tax season is a little more complicated. These citizens are often caught
South Carolina took a major step toward patient-centered healthcare with the recent repeal of its outdated Certificate of Need (CON) laws. That reform opened the door for more choice, access, and affordability in our state’s healthcare system. But if we want those gains to last–and grow–we must now address another outdated barrier to competition: non-compete
MAY 27, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COLUMBIA, SC — In a very special episode of the Beyond Policy Podcast released today, Palmetto Promise Institute hosts a roundtable discussion focused on the energy landscape in South Carolina, highlighting the state’s growth, the challenges faced by the nuclear energy sector, and the importance of energy in both
