“Parents want and deserve the best education for their children. But too many children do not thrive in their assigned, government-run K-12 school… It is the policy of my Administration to support parents in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children.” – President Donald Trump, January 29, 2025 The Educational Choice for
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
As a CPA and tax professional with over 30 years of experience, I’ve seen firsthand how tax policy impacts people’s lives, businesses, and the broader economy. That’s why I strongly support the proposed income tax cut (H.4216) currently under consideration in South Carolina. Is it perfect? No. But it’s a strong, responsible step in the
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
This op-ed by Dr. Oran Smith was originally published in the SC Daily Gazette. It is no secret that South Carolina has become a magnet for business, industry, and people. Since 2007, our population has grown by over one million, and the U-Hauls keep coming. The in-migration boom includes manufacturing and high-tech industries as well. This generational change
Shortly after Palmetto Promise Institute was born, we were approached by former state Secretary of Commerce Joe Taylor about weighing in on tax policy. He had seen the ill effects of our broken-down tax system and wanted aggressive reform. With Taylor’s generous support, we released comprehensive studies by pre-eminent South Carolina economist Dr. Rebecca Gunnlauggsson
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
To justify its decision striking down Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) grants for low- and moderate-income K-12 students in September of last year (2024), the South Carolina Supreme Court presented a Palmetto State history lesson, but it was a perverse one. In the majority’s peculiar characterizations of South Carolina’s past, the words of arch-racist Ben
Our state’s civil justice statutes are in dire need of reform—on many levels. But specifically, it is our system of modified comparative negligence that is often so scandalously unjust. “Nuclear” outcomes have become common, especially in venues like Richland County, where eight-figure verdicts have become routine in recent years. In 2024, a jury awarded a
