Category: Limited Government

By Bryce Fiedler and Vance Ginn, Ph.D. With its vibrant cities, relatively cheap cost of living, and thriving industries like manufacturing, healthcare and hospitality, it’s obvious why South Carolina is…

WOULD THE FOUNDERS BE SATISFIED WITH JUST ‘SIMPLIFYING’ THE INCOME TAX CODE? Among the several tax-related bills we analyzed in our annual guide, The Best & Worst of the General…

FINES AND FEES GO UP WHEN TAX REVENUES ARE DOWN … AND WHEN THEY’RE UP, TOO For the last decade, the majority party in both chambers of the legislature has…

PRE-FILED LEGISLATION, ROUND 1 GOOD: Prohibiting Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying H.3152 would make it unlawful for a state entity to spend public money on a lobbyist.  Taxpayer-funded lobbying is one of the…

UNFORTUNATELY, THE LATTER State legislators eager to escape Obamacare’s restrictive mandates have united behind the interstate healthcare compact, a single piece of state legislation they expect to free them from…

Recently the Policy Council was delighted to sponsor a book signing, round table discussion, and reception featuring Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch, longtime editors of Reason Magazine and authors of…

By now, you’ve probably heard about the $16 muffins. In case you haven’t, the inspector general at the U.S. Department of Justice found that DOJ officials were paying more than…

What is the South Carolina Research Authority? That question was asked at a recent meeting of the House Ways & Means Committee – and not a single lawmaker had an…

Download the pdf Business as Usual in South Carolina The General Assembly has just completed this year’s South Carolina legislative session—one it seemed would never end. With it, some things…

  South Carolina is heavily dependent on federal funding, raising questions regarding the state’s fiscal autonomy, as well as its approach to budgeting. But who, really, is getting this money?…

Download the PDF. As the S.C. legislative session finally comes to a close this week, it’s worth asking whether lawmakers are making good use of their time – and taxpayer…

Since FY02-2003, the Other Funds category of the budget – basically, statewide fees and fines – has grown by more than $2 billion. These fees and fines are a burden…

As we review the best and worst restructuring legislation of 2009, it’s also time to begin to consider what ideas are likely to resurface during the 2010 session. “Restructuring” generally…

As we review the best and worst property rights’ legislation of 2009, it’s also time to begin to consider what ideas are likely to resurface during the 2010 session.   As our…

The Senior Center Improvement Program was created almost 20 years ago to finance improvements to 74 senior centers through South Carolina, but nearly a decade after the original projects were…

The Fiscal Survey of the States, a joint publication of the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers was released this month. The reported cited South…

Workplace safety in South Carolina is at an all time high and well above the national average. An effective Workers Compensation Commission should provide predictable and equitable settlements when accidents…

Property rights need to be comprehensive. Simply re-working existing laws and limiting eminent domain to cases of public use is not enough protection. Disagreements about the nature of use and…

Policy makers in South Carolina should question the tendency towards centralized control or direct oversight of port development and expansion. The states inability to bear the capital costs of infrastructure…

Following the Kelo decision legislatures throughout the nation have incorporated regulatory taking protection into property rights reform efforts. Bills in other states with such coverage include Wisconsin AB 675, Georgia…

The overwhelming grassroots response to the Kelo decision has lawmakers nationwide scrambling to protect property owners from government takings. Part of the comprehensive response is providing just compensation to those…