Advancing South Carolina: SCPC celebrates policy wins in 2025

Historic progress was made this year in South Carolina on school choice, tax reform, civil liability reform, and deregulation. Many of the issues in our 2025-26 legislative agenda were successfully advanced.  

We also had the honor of polling South Carolinians on issues facing the state, and the chance to have those results covered in the media.  

SCPC sat down with 2026 candidates for governor and crisscrossed the state speaking about our vision for South Carolina.  

Below is an overview of how SCPC shaped policy and made an impact in 2025. 

Empowering students 

With the signage of the new ESA bill (S.62), thousands of students now have access to education choice. The original law was struck down by the S.C. Supreme Court in 2024, so lawmakers prioritized a new version with several of SCPC’s key recommendations. The bill also requires school districts to publicly post their open enrollment policies.  

S.77 was signed by the governor, which requires video livestreaming and archive access for school board meetings statewide. The Nerve reported that almost one-third of school districts were not livestreaming their official meetings. SCPC’s recommendations were included in the law. 

Two other education bills supported from our Statehouse Update series were signed into law: One allowing schools to hire noncertified teachers with real-world experience (S.79), and the other granting one teaching experience credit year for every two years of work experience (S.78). 

Cutting taxes and pork spending 

This year’s budget accelerated income tax cuts, buying down the income tax rate to 6.0% from 6.2%, per our recommendations. House leadership also began crafting legislation for deeper tax cuts that includes an SCPC amendment (H.4216); House leadership received our proposal for surplus triggers to cut the income tax well and added that policy to the legislation.  

Aligning with recommendations from our reports on earmark transparency, the governor signed an executive order requiring transparency in legislative earmark spending requests. The Senate also chose not to include earmarks in the FY26 state budget.  

We also advocated against a film industry tax incentive bill that was defeated, while advocating for a bill eliminating the boat outboard motor tax (advanced by the House, (H.3858). 

Leveling the playing field: The hospitality industry 

In our analysis of S.244, we advocated for liquor liability to be treated separately from other tort issues. SCPC also conducted a targeted media campaign to advance this reform. The governor signed H.3430, which is a single-issue bill focused specifically on liquor liability, aligning with several SCPC recommendations. 

SCPC presented 2025 Citizen Leadership Awards to individuals and organizations that were instrumental in the fight against overburdensome liquor liability laws. 

Fairness in utility rates 

SCPC released a review of the new energy legislation, and at the time lawmakers did incorporate many of our suggestions. A greater emphasis was placed on nuclear energy rather than renewables. The Public Service Commission is prevented from considering economic development when setting utility rates, a welcome change advanced by SCPC. Utilities must now go through additional scrutiny when requesting a rate increase.  

Additionally, a previous plan to build a pipeline through the ACE Basin was changed after SCPC highlighted the threat to South Carolina.  

Asking South Carolinians where they stand  

SCPC conducted two statewide polls, one in February and one in July, of South Carolina voters to see where they stand on major issues. The results were certainly newsworthy, as they were cited nationwide in news publications and across TV stations in the state, including The Hill, Daily Mail, Washington Examiner, Newsmax, Independent Mail, and more.  

Crisscrossing the state  

SCPC spoke to thousands of event attendees across the state about our legislative agenda. Every year our team speaks to interested groups about how to fix state government.  

Multimedia projects 

As we were speaking at gatherings across the state, we met David Crawford, the owner of Edisto Island Shuttle. We teamed up in a new video project to explain the regulations transportation businesses face, and the change needed in state law to deregulate locally owned ride-share companies.  

Interviewing gubernatorial candidates 

Upon polling South Carolina voters on their choice for governor and positions on statewide issues, we decided to invite several gubernatorial candidates to discuss some of these topics. Our research director breaks down the interviews in a recent write-up, and the video interviews can be accessed on our YouTube page. 

Reporting from the Nerve 

SC rural transportation company seeks regulatory relief - The Nerve 

The Nerve and SCPC highlight the regulatory burden independent transportation companies experience in South Carolina in a new multi-story project. Uber and Lyft receive preferential treatment by state government while their competitors have an uphill battle.  

Cronyism returning to SC's top court? - The Nerve 

South Carolina is one of only two states that still elects judges by a legislative vote. The nomination process for a seat on the S.C. Supreme Court is underway, and a former Speaker of the House has been nominated for consideration.  

State costs grow to $12.5M related to probes of disputed $1.8B - The Nerve 

The Nerve has released a series of articles articulating the ongoing saga of South Carolina’s missing $1.8B. The costs related to the investigation are continuing to grow, and news editor Rick Brundrett has brought transparency to this developing story.  

2025 was a big year for SCPC, and we can only do this work with your support. We’re aiming even higher in 2026, and we hope you’ll consider supporting our organization to help fuel that progress.

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