Most legislative observers missed it, but buried deep in S.62—the bill whose primary purpose was to reestablish South Carolina’s private school choice program (the Education Scholarship Trust Fund)— was a glimmer of hope for public school choice. The encouraging provision, which introduced the idea of interdistrict transfers for all students, can be found in Section
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,
After long weeks of deliberation, President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) finally passed the US House on July 3, 2025, in a 217-214 vote. Just days prior, the Senate passed it with the final deciding vote cast by Vice President Vance. This tight victory for Trump marks the penultimate step toward his self-imposed July
The role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers, more commonly known as “PBMs,” has been a frequent topic of conversation in the South Carolina State House in recent months, with a new Pharmacy Benefit Managers Ad Hoc Committee established in February 2025. The Palmetto State PBM conversation mirrors national attention on the matter by Republicans and Democrats
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
South Carolina’s electricity market is at a crossroads. Composed of utilities operating under a vertically integrated model with limited competition, the state faces growing pressure to reduce costs, find new generation, and ensure long-term grid reliability. While efforts like the Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM) have introduced modest reforms among a subset of utilities in
For South Carolina schools and school districts, one of the most important goals is to do well on the SC School Report Card. This state school report card is built to evaluate schools based on their standardized test performance, teacher qualifications, safety, awards, parent involvement, and other factors. The Report Card aims to inspire schools
At Palmetto Promise, we believe in the power of ideas backed by strong policy research. That belief was put to the test and proven true when our July 2024 report, Small Modular Reactors: An Answer to South Carolina’s Energy Crisis, helped lay the groundwork for a major bipartisan breakthrough in Columbia. In recent months, both
This afternoon, the South Carolina House of Representatives unanimously passed S.2, the bill to restructure South Carolina’s fragmented health agencies. The legislation takes three siloed behavioral health agencies—the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, and the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services—into one, cohesive Department of Behavioral Health
Energy policy has long been a balancing act between market competition and regulatory oversight. Traditionally, South Carolina’s electricity market has been dominated by vertically integrated, monopoly utilities that control all three aspects of the power system—generation, transmission, and distribution. So, the Palmetto State has leaned toward regulation. But a relatively simple and proven reform is
