Latest Updates

Statehouse Update May 7-9

The final week of South Carolina’s regular legislative session has arrived. With the exception of specific matters permitted under this year’s sine die resolution, such as the budget and bills in conference committee, bills that do not pass this week are dead for the year.  All eyes are primarily on...

Sam Aaron

Written by
May 08, 2024

  • Statehouse Update May 7-9

    The final week of South Carolina’s regular legislative session has arrived. With the exception of specific matters permitted under this year’s sine die resolution, such as the budget and bills in conference committee, bills that do not pass this week are dead for the year.  All eyes are primarily on...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    May 08, 2024

  • Getting the most tax relief out of the FY25 budget

    Update 5/8/24: The House on Wednesday passed an amended FY25 budget that makes several changes to its original version of the bill. More details forthcoming. As competing budget proposals for the new fiscal year come into focus, South Carolina finds itself with a significant opportunity for tax relief. The House FY...
    Bryce Fiedler

    Written by
    May 07, 2024

  • Statehouse Update Apr 30-May 2

    Update 5/2/24: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week. It is the second to last week of South Carolina’s regular legislative session. The big topic ahead is judicial reform, as a bill offering numerous improvements to our state’s judicial selection process is in...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    April 30, 2024

  • Poll: SCPC readers strongly favor tax and judicial reforms, expanding school choice

    Major policy reforms sit at critical junctures in the S.C. Statehouse. With less than two weeks left in the regular 2023-24 legislative session, we found that many have the strong support of South Carolinians hoping to see them cross the finish line.  The data comes from an internal survey of...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    April 30, 2024

  • Release: SC Policy Council, SC Public Interest Foundation file ethics complaint against Scout Motors

    MEDIA RELEASE April 29, 2024 The South Carolina Policy Council and South Carolina Public Interest Foundation have jointly requested that the S.C. State Ethics Commission investigate whether Scout Motors Inc. violated state ethics law in connection with the nearly $1.3 billion state appropriation last year for the company’s assembly plant...
    Bryce Fiedler

    Written by
    April 29, 2024

  • Open enrollment bill would increase student opportunity, parental choice

    It is no secret that South Carolina lags behind much of the nation in education. A recent ranking by the U.S. News & World Report put our school system at 42nd in the United States. With the influx of people moving into the Southeast from other states, work must be...
    William Morton

    Written by
    April 26, 2024

  • EVENT: School Board Candidates and Community⁠⁠ Primer

    EVENT DATE & LOCATION Saturday, June 22, 2024 8:45am – 2:30pm 1824 Barnwell St Columbia, SC 29201 JOIN US! CLICK HERE TO RSVP DESCRIPTION Join us in Columbia, SC or on Zoom for a comprehensive, one-day training complete with sessions on: Academic achievement Fundraising and branding Effective communication Open records and compliance...
    Bryce Fiedler

    Written by
    April 26, 2024

  • Statehouse Update Apr 23-25

    Update 4/26/24: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week. With just three weeks left in the regular session, the pace has picked up at the Statehouse as legislators work to turn bills into law. Of those is the proposed FY25 state budget,...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    April 23, 2024

  • Transparency efforts could illuminate SC’s budget process

    Giving citizens a clearer picture of where their tax dollars are going, and why As a research intern for the S.C. Policy Council, I attended many legislative hearings over the spring months to learn about the state’s next budget. My objectives were twofold: see firsthand how the budget is constructed...
    Ella Williams

    Written by
    April 19, 2024

  • Statehouse Update Apr 16-18

    Update 4/19/24: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week. With just four weeks left in the regular session, things are ramping up at the Statehouse to get bills over the finish line. On the calendar this week are several noteworthy proposals, including...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    April 16, 2024