Even—especially—in times of crisis, public policy matters to real lives. While there are many unknowns, here at PPI we are committed to continue to be your voice for common sense in Columbia. We’ll be on the ground keeping you informed every step of the way.
Our bond as South Carolinians unites us in adversity: while we breathe, we hope. We look forward to staying in touch in coming days with stories of everyday heroes and ideas that defend sound economic principles.
Here is a list of Palmetto Promise resources and recommendations as the state of South Carolina deals with this new reality.
Please call or email us with any concerns or ideas: we are here for you. Together, we’ll weather this storm.
A bold set of over 60 innovative policy recommendations for South Carolina leaders.
“The public-school district was looking at four to six hours in front of a computer for virtual learning. Developmentally, that’s just not appropriate for a four-year-old with Down syndrome.” Janie Neeley has a four-year-old son with Down Syndrome. In late Spring, she decided to enroll her son in K4 at their local public elementary school
PPI Policy Manager Lawson Mansell’s Op-Ed was featured in The Post & Courier. Every day there’s a new headline about whether schools will reopen. For families all across our state, this is making what life will look like this fall extremely difficult to predict. You don’t know whether your kids will be in school buildings,
PPI Founding Chairman Jim Demint’s Op-Ed featured in The State. The economic and health impacts of COVID-19 have been overwhelming. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs or been forced to close businesses they have poured their lives into. Even worse, thousands of Americans have lost their lives. It is an unspeakable tragedy. There are
Palmetto Promise is represented by national school choice attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center. COLUMBIA, S.C. (July 28, 2020) — Today, Palmetto Promise Institute asked an Orangeburg, S.C. judge to allow the governor’s new Safe Access to Flexible Education (SAFE) Grants program to move forward. If the judge sides with Palmetto Promise, thousands of students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 20, 2020 Media Contact: Lawson Mansell Policy Content Manager 843-694-1540 Palmetto Promise Institute Hails New McMaster SAFE Grants Education Program Greenville, SC – In a news conference today at Hampton Park Christian School, Governor Henry McMaster unveiled a bold new education program designed to help meet the educational needs of working
As politicians and education leaders debate what education will look like in the fall, many South Carolina families who have not homeschooled in the past have taken the bold step of opting out of the public school system entirely, and choosing to educate their children at home. Palmetto Promise Institute reached out to homeschooling accountability
On Wednesday, a Senate Legislative Oversight Subcommittee met to discuss and hear from experts on reopening schools in the Fall. Of particular interest to Senators: how we can reach the over 10,000 South Carolina students that are unaccounted for since the start of the pandemic. Back in late May, Palmetto Promise examined the variables surrounding
As “stimulus” legislation flew through Congress with band-aids intended to address looming unemployment and general economic devastation, Palmetto Promise Institute along with partner organizations from across the country kept a keen eye on the details of federal legislation. PPI signed onto several joint letters, calling for the passage or blocking of various bills and initiatives.
We’re honored to have Dr. Marcelo Hochman of Charleston join Palmetto Promise Institute as a Visiting Fellow, specializing in Healthcare policy. In this first article, Dr. Hochman issues a healthcare wakeup call, demanding that the political world focus on the patient-doctor relationship, the only relationship on which we should base policy decisions. cre·do (origin: Latin,
Because of regular tracking by professional monitors of state spending, both in government and in the media, the impact of COVID-19 on public education budgets is coming into focus. It is now clear that even with federal support, states and school districts will be scrambling to meet current emergency needs while also preparing for anticipated
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,
PPI Senior Fellow Oran Smith was interviewed by WIS News 10 regarding the potential for a full repeal of CON laws in light of COVID-19 and action taken by Governor McMaster. PPI Visiting Fellow Dr. Marcelo Hochman was also interviewed. This article, and accompanying video, originally appeared on WIS News 10. Written by Jason Raven. Dr.
As South Carolina budget writers continue to warily watch COVID-19’s impact on state revenue projections, what better time to take a look at how South Carolina generates tax revenue. Tax economists generally advocate for a “3-legged” stool of taxation, a balanced combination of income, consumption (sales), and property taxes, to create revenue stability across the
As South Carolina deliberates over an array of options for how and when to get students physically back in school without further loss of academic progress, we have solid examples from other states and other countries on ways to open schools safely. South Carolina’s AccelerateEd task force has floated the possibility of opening schools as
Palmetto Promise Institute joined the Federation for Government Accountability (FGA) and other partner organizations in asking lawmakers on Capitol Hill to block the so-called “maintenance of effort” (MOE) provision in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). This provision would cause irreparable harm to state budgets. You can read the letter below. May 21, 2020 The
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
Once it became clear that COVID-19 could overwhelm our hospitals, Governor McMaster temporarily waived SC regulations that restrict hospitals and their ability to add capacity to their facilities. According to current law, SC hospitals and medical practices cannot add any beds to their facility without obtaining approval from the state. Why do we put these
We hope this message finds you safe as South Carolina slowly but surely moves towards the “next normal.” Governor McMaster has now allowed indoor restaurant dining and has set a date of next week for the opening of close-contact businesses like hair and nail salons. We’re encouraged to see folks able to get back to work
Palmetto Promise signed onto a letter to Capitol Hill calling on lawmakers to give COVID relief to private schools. Some of the requests in the letter include: “Temporary education tax credit.” Families paying private school tuition for the 2019 and 2020 tax years should get a 50 percent tax credit on that tuition. “Temporary charitable
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 surveyed South Carolina’s independent schools to learn how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them and how they have responded. You can view detailed survey results by clicking here. Here are a few of the survey’s findings: Participation Rate A total of 220 schools received the survey. 157 schools from every corner of
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
Palmetto Promise polled private schools on how their operations—instructional, financial, and otherwise—have been affected by COVID-19. We released the results, paired with projections about the range of potential impacts of declining private school enrollment and possible school closures on public school budgets in a first-of-its-kind SC-specific analysis. This survey sparked a long-overdue public conversation
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