Update 3/16/23: After adopting the Finance Committee’s amendment and adding several other amendments on the floor, the full Senate passed S.285 by a vote of 28-9. One new amendment sets a family income limit of 400% of the federal poverty guidelines on the bill’s “general child” category. Accordingly, some of the details in this summary …
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 bills dealing with education, healthcare and regulatory matters, both at the committee level and on the House and Senate floor. Education Regulation Medical freedom Government …
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 this week and could be taken up for a vote. Livestreaming is one of the four main categories discussed in our December transparency report, which …
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 scheduled on Feb. 7. The Senate last week passed two important bills. The first (S.39) would offer publicly funded scholarships to middle- and low-income K-12 …
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 needed to ensure the state’s roughly 100,000 children with disabilities are getting the education services they need. Our state needs a better system, one that …
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 America is on the wrong track. According to our January voter poll, just 38% of likely SC voters said America is on the right track, while …
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 students to attend private schools or help cover the cost of other education expenses, is supported by a majority of likely SC voters, according to …
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 abortion. It also shows that South Carolinians continue to suffer the impacts of inflation, and that most SC voters believe America is on the wrong …
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 likely SC voters, according to our recent poll. The bill is expected to include a mix of privately-funded scholarships as well as taxpayer-supported scholarships for …
Just days ahead of Donald Trump’s first public 2024 presidential campaign event in the critical early primary state of South Carolina, a new poll from the South Carolina Policy Council (SCPC) shows Palmetto State voters are no longer sold on the former president. And in a head-to-head matchup with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trump is behind by …