In a bold step forward, Montana has become the first state to secure the “Right to Compute,” a law that could influence the future of technology, personal freedom, and economic innovation. Senate Bill 212, signed into law in April 2025 by Montana Governor Greg Gianforte (R), affirms that individuals and businesses have a constitutional right

As the American automotive industry continues to evolve, several new manufacturers have pursued an alternative go-to-market strategy to the traditional franchised dealer model by creating their own retail operations and selling directly to customers. That list includes Tesla, now one of the world’s biggest automakers, along with growing startups like Rivian and Lucid.  It also

Have you ever stayed in an Airbnb? Perhaps you or someone you know has rented out a property—or booked someone else’s through VRBO—either to save money or bring in extra income.  Well, now in South Carolina you can do the same thing with your personal cars.  Peer-to-peer car sharing allows individual car owners to rent out

Have you ever felt the need to speak out against a powerful entity— such as a large corporation, government regulatory agency, or public figure— only to worry about getting sued for it?  In South Carolina, that is a very legitimate concern. The Palmetto State lacks basic protections against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPPs,

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

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

This commentary by Palmetto Promise board chair Phil Hughes was originally published in the Post and Courier. From stem to stern, South Carolina’s lawsuit system is broken — and anyone who’s run a small business, owned a restaurant that offered alcohol or driven a truck knows it. Sky-high insurance rates, nuclear verdicts and the chilling

After four weeks of heated debate, in the late hours of the night on March 26, the South Carolina Senate reached an agreement on S.244, the tort reform legislation that aims to make South Carolina’s civil liability system fairer, particularly in complex cases that involve multiple parties.  Senate passage of the bill was a tremendous

You’ve probably heard the saying: “Winning the battle but losing the war.” That’s exactly what the South Carolina General Assembly risks doing if it narrows its focus to fixing liquor liability problems while leaving the rest of our broken civil liability system untouched.  Let’s be clear: Liquor liability is a massive and urgent issue. Over

As South Carolina looks to curb overregulation, one major area in need of attention is occupational licensing. South Carolina is ranked 27th in the nation on occupational licensing burden with 159 licenses (You can view the full list of occupational licenses here, on South Carolina’s Department of Labor Licensing & Regulation page).  In recent years,