The South Carolina Policy Council Archive

Before convening the 2021 legislative session (which began earlier this month) lawmakers filed roughly one thousand bills in advance of the New Year, known as “prefiles”. These bills can offer…

By Sam Aaron  Lawmakers this week passed a historic bill that largely repeals South Carolina’s Certificate of Need program – a key policy priority on SCPC’s 2023-24 Legislative Agenda and a huge…

Update 5/5/23: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week. Just two weeks remain in the regular legislative session. The state budget is back…

By Sam Aaron A proposal that would improve access to healthcare services and reduce medical costs passed a major legislative hurdle this week. The bill (S.164), advanced by the House…

A legislative proposal filed this year would reduce the borrowing options available to South Carolina consumers and could force lenders to leave the state. The Senate bill (S.518) would set…

Update 4/28/23: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week. With just three weeks left in the regular legislative session, things are in high…

Update 4/21/23: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week. The Senate this week will debate and vote on its version of the state…

By Bryce Fiedler and Vance Ginn, Ph.D. In January, the South Carolina Policy Council published The 2024 SC Sustainable Budget (SCSB) – an ambitious new project with the goal of…

Update 4/14/23: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week. The House is out this week, while the Senate has a packed calendar of…

South Carolina’s judicial selection process is unusual and rife with issues that must quickly be addressed. Not only are higher-level state judges elected by the Legislature (a method used in…

Update 4/7/23: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week. While the full Senate is not meeting this week, it’s still very busy at…

It’s an extremely busy week at the Statehouse as we are less than two weeks away from the crossover deadline (April 10). A bill that does not pass at least one…

By Sam Aaron On Monday, Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law a unanimously passed bill (S.361) that will speed up road improvement projects in South Carolina. The bill simplifies how…

The House is on recess this week after passing its version of the FY23-24 state budget in the week prior. Our review of the House budget reveals a multibillion-dollar increase…

The full House this week is working to pass its version of the FY23-24 state budget, a process we are following closely. In January, SCPC released a report urging lawmakers…

South Carolina unnecessarily regulates the relationship between title insurance agencies and their underwriters. A recently filed state House bill would embrace the free-market system and allow the two parties to…

The ESG movement threatens to impact taxpayers across the nation. How should SC respond? What is ESG? Across the country, powerful financial institutions are making investments and offering services based…

Update 3/10/23: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week. House lawmakers are seeking public input on a broad college and workforce readiness bill…

Full expensing is a tax policy that will put South Carolina at the front of the line for new capital investments as American businesses reshore their supply chains. Full expensing creates better economic…

A pair of House and Senate bills filed in February would move South Carolina’s civil liability laws in the right direction and a foster a legal environment that is fairer…

Update 3/3/23: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred this week. Important bills related to school choice, healthcare access and regulation are on the move…

Update 4/28/23: The House Thursday passed S.39 by a vote of 74-36. It now goes to Gov. Henry McMaster’s desk, who is expected to sign the bill into law. Update…

Update 2/23/23: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred this week. It’s a busy week at the Statehouse as lawmakers are considering a number of…

Update 2/17/23: Some bills listed below have been updated to indicate if they passed. A bill (S.134) requiring South Carolina school boards to livestream their meetings is on the Senate floor…

Update 2/10/23: Some bills listed below have been updated to note if they passed during their committee meeting. Additionally, some budget subcommittee hearings have been added that were not originally…

TWO LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS HAVE BIG POTENTIAL By Sam Aaron and Bryce Fiedler Despite good intentions, South Carolina’s special-needs scholarship program is failing to meet its goals, and major change is…

As President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union Address to Congress this evening, South Carolinians continue to suffer the impacts of record-high inflation, and most SC voters believe…

Several important bills made progress at the Statehouse this week, some of which we are thrilled to say are critical reforms on our legislative agenda.   Education After weeks of debate, the Senate…

This week the Senate is expected to vote on the education scholarship proposal (S.39), after which it will go to the House. The bill, which would pay for some low-income…

As Gov. Henry McMaster delivers his State of the State address Wednesday evening, a new S.C. Policy Council poll reveals voters’ opinions on key state issues involving taxes, education and…

The Senate on Tuesday is expected to once again take up the education scholarship proposal (S.39). The bill is supported by the Policy Council as well as a majority of…