Responding to COVID-19

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.
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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.

Students with special needs being left behind with virtual learning, SC parents say

“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

Commentary: SAFE Grants provide peace of mind for worried parents

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,

Op-Ed: Gov. McMaster deserves praise for his SAFE Grants plan to support SC students

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 Institute Hails New McMaster SAFE Grants Education Program

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

SC Homeschool Accountability Groups Report Surge in Homeschooling

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

Some Key Takeaways from SC Senate Hearing on Fall School Re-opening

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

Palmetto Promise calls on Congress to make sensible decisions amid COVID pandemic

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.

A Post-COVID Credo

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,

For a full COVID-19 recovery, South Carolina must maintain and expand education choices

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

Protect SC businesses and employees from predatory COVID lawsuits

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,

Will South Carolina Learn COVID’s Tax & Budget Lessons?

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

Learning from example: When should South Carolina’s schools re-open?

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

LETTER: Palmetto Promise joins FGA in calling for removal of MOE provision in COVID legislation

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

LETTER: PPI calls on US lawmakers to pass legislation to help restart the American economy

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

Video: COVID-19 Exposes South Carolina’s Outdated “CON” Laws

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

LETTER: PPI Joins Groups Calling for COVID-19 Relief for Private Schools

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

Palmetto Promise Institute Unveils Economic “Jumpstart” Plan

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

Research foundation outlines approach for jumpstarting SC economy

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

COVID-19 Impact Survey: SC Independent Schools

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

LETTER: PPI calls for Congress to not fund state bailouts

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

Private schools in SC apply for small business loans as coronavirus threatens enrollment

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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