Businesses in South Carolina are slowly reopening, but optimism about a post-Great Suppression economic revival is being dampened by businesses afraid of being sued into bankruptcy should someone get sick and “dial all 9’s” (or some other trial lawyer of choice). Although South Carolina’s businesses have been fighting for years to reform the tort system,

On Monday, South Carolina honored those who gave their lives fighting for our country’s freedom. On Tuesday, with the signature of Governor McMaster, South Carolina acted in support of those who fight for our freedom today. S.455, now permanent law, cuts occupational licensing red tape, allowing spouses of our military to get to work as

Palmetto Promise Institute signed onto a letter, joining 15 other organizations, calling on lawmakers to support the “Getting Americans Back to Work Act”, limiting federal unemployment benefits to the applicant’s last paycheck. This bill will help restart the American economy.  May 18, 2020 United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative, We, the

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COLUMBIA, SC (May 12, 2020) – Palmetto Promise Institute, an independent public policy research foundation, released a report today outlining 12 steps to jumpstart South Carolina’s economy. “These 12 common sense ideas are the spark our state’s economic engine needs,” Palmetto Promise CEO Ellen Weaver said in releasing the list. “Each one

Palmetto Promise Institute released a report on Tuesday outlining 12 steps to jumpstart South Carolina’s economy.    “These 12 common sense ideas are the spark our state’s economic engine needs,” Palmetto Promise CEO Ellen Weaver said in releasing the list. “Each one has been tried on a temporary basis here in South Carolina or is

Palmetto Promise Institute joined the Mackinac Center along with several other State Policy Network partners calling on Congress to not bailout state or local governments for budget issues not associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read the letter below.  May 8, 2020 Dear Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, and Minority leaders Schumer and McCarthy: The

Governor McMaster clearly wants the state back open for business. He also clearly wants no sudden spike in coronavirus that could overwhelm our hospitals and cost lives. While we can’t entirely eliminate this risk, we can work together to smartly manage it. This means moving quickly away from an ambiguous “essential v. non-essential” approach and

In a matter of days, broadband connectivity went from being a luxury to a virtual necessity. Millions of adults suddenly found themselves working from home and students moved to learning online practically overnight. For many individuals, the only way to see their doctor is through telemedicine. While some communities across America have the internet infrastructure

While there are many suffering significant loss in the COVID fall-out, one of the most apparent personal inconveniences during business closures has been the lack of available barbers and hair dressers. Protests across the United States last week, while aimed at concerns about the need for a larger economic restart, revealed that Americans were also

An old fight, in a new arena…? Turf battles between the Governor and General Assembly are nothing new in the Palmetto State. Due to a relatively weak executive branch established by our state’s Ben Tillman-era constitution, more often than not, the Governor ends up with the short end of that stick. The specter of The