The South Carolina Policy Council Archive

Yesterday the Senate passed what many are calling the most significant restructuring plan this state has seen in decades. By a vote of 44-0, the South Carolina Senate passed H.3066…

WELL, WHICH IS IT? Despite lawmakers’ disingenuous claims that South Carolina has some of the “lowest taxes in the nation,” the truth is that South Carolina taxpayers and businesses pay far too…

  South Carolina elected officials claim to be restructuring government, but is anything changing?  Are we moving toward real separation of powers, or is the status quo being preserved?  Below are…

The South Carolina Department of Transportation has one of the largest budgets in state government, yet it can’t afford to maintain the state’s roads. Why? Because most of DoT’s money…

  The state Senate is currently debating what could turn out to be the most important piece of government restructuring legislation to come along in a quarter-century. Among other things,…

What’s wrong with the structure of South Carolina’s government? All the power is held by five-member boards, like the State Financial Affairs Authority and Budget and Control Board. Major functions…

A new amendment to the Department of Administration bill has hit the Senate floor. Although it’s a moving target, here’s an overview of what the bill would do with state…

The Senate is currently debating potentially the most important government restructuring legislation in decades (H.3066). The bill is intended to concentrate accountability by separating executive from legislative functions. But what’s…

The Senate is currently considering legislation (H 3066) that would eliminate the Budget & Control Board (BCB), devolving the BCB’s responsibilities to a cabinet-level Department of Administration and a newly…

The new legislative session has officially begun, and scores of bills are scheduled for consideration. Here are just a few we’re keeping our eyes on. TRANSPARENCY H.4432 wouldn’t kill the…

What should be done about poverty along the I-95 Corridor? Last year a handful of state lawmakers had a bright idea: What the “Corridor of Shame” really needs is another state…

The state budget process gets into full swing, according to state law, on January 10th. That’s the date by which the governor is required to submit her executive budget to…

In 2009, the Policy Council released a report highlighting issues surrounding the risks of depressing future asset growth and health care costs for the South Carolina Retirement System (SCRS). In…

A WEAK LIMIT IS WORSE THAN NO LIMIT If the last few legislative sessions prove anything, it’s that almost nothing can compel state lawmakers to exercise spending restraint. A report…

In South Carolina, 2011 turned out to be a watershed year in at least one respect. For the first time, the merits of government-driven “economic development,” and especially the use…

In recent months, some of our state lawmakers have spoken of South Carolina’s tax structure as if it’s the lowest, most business-friendly in the world. Some, indeed, have claimed we…

Part of the Obama administration’s stimulus bill established unemployment “incentive grants” to states who “modernize” (translation: expand) unemployment benefit eligibility. Any state whose law coheres with federal standards could receive…

The James E. Clyburn University Transportation Research and Conference Center at South Carolina State University is a $107 million dollar project. The complex was intended to serve as a transportation…

Thursday, November 10, 2011 – Today the South Carolina Policy Council, in conjunction with the Washington D.C.-based American Council of Trustees and Alumni, released a study concluding that the state’s public…

The Goal We want to make South Carolina the most free state in the nation. To accomplish that goal, we’ll focus on three American principles: Self-governance. Ideas and policies that…

In recent months, the South Carolina Health Planning Committee has seen presentations by industry experts, academics, lawyers, consultants, and insurance companies on the state’s health insurance market. Its charge? To…

In 2004, Jon Stewart’s Daily Show featured South Carolina in a hilarious segment about the state’s absurd regulations on hair braiding. That’s right. Regulations on hair braiding. The segment featured an…

Every year, South Carolina becomes more dependent on the federal government, and every year the state loses more control over its own affairs to Washington DC. The federal government has…

The federal government is trying to run the U.S. economy – and South Carolina is helping out by taking federal grants for “economic development.” Why? Because it’s free money from…

For decades, South Carolina lawmakers have cobbled together the state budget with little input from anyone but lobbyists and bureaucrats. Except for vetoes on the back end, the governor had…

Our taxpayer-supported colleges and universities should get back to their mission of educating young people – and leave economic development to the market.

ACTA's hope is that this report will be an urgent call to action to help the citizens and policymakers of South Carolina strengthen the state's public higher education system and…

With a $14 trillion debt and a $1.3 trillion deficit threatening to bankrupt the federal government, the nation’s attention is focused on Washington DC. But it’s vital that we understand…

The Policy Council and the American Council of Trustees and Alumni recently took a look at the state’s higher education system. What we found was bad news for taxpayers .…

In South Carolina, the law requires the governor to submit the state budget to the legislature at the beginning of each legislative session. Yet what happens in practice, as SCPC…