Latest Updates

  • Half of House budget meetings not streamed in first week (now updated weekly)

    Budget meetings sorted by week As part of our push for more government transparency, we have been tracking the streaming of legislative budget meetings each week. Below is list of how many budget meetings were held compared with how many were streamed, sorted by week. For a more thorough explanation...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    January 14, 2022

  • Three crucial tax reforms for South Carolina

    The S.C. Legislature convened for session this week, renewing calls to fix South Carolina’s dated and uncompetitive tax structure. This focus comes as our northern neighbor passed a significant tax cut last year, with Georgia making a smaller cut, making the Palmetto State’s years of inaction even more baffling.    Taxes can be complicated – our problems, however, are...
    Bryce Fiedler

    Written by
    January 13, 2022

  • Bills to watch in 2022

    At the end of each year, state lawmakers file a series of bills (known as “prefiles”) in anticipation of the upcoming legislative session. The following report looks at some of the most significant House prefiles, organized by category, as well as two bills gaining traction relating to state Coivd policy.    
    Bryce Fiedler

    Written by
    December 14, 2021

  • South Carolina needs judicial reform

    1.20.22 UPDATE: Ahead of next month’s judicial elections, including for one seat on the state Supreme Court and Administrative Law Court, and many on the Court of Appeals, circuit court, and family court, enough candidates have dropped out that there are NO contested seats left. Lawmakers are left to choose from...
    Bryce Fiedler

    Written by
    November 19, 2021

  • Eight reforms to take your power back

    SOUTH CAROLINA HAS SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL POLITICIANS IN THE COUNTRY. THEY EXERCISE UNWARRANTED POWERS OVER STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE ECONOMY, AND FACE VERY LITTLE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR DECISIONS – CREATING A BREEDING GROUND FOR CORRUPTION. HOW CAN SOUTH CAROLINIANS TAKE THEIR POWER BACK?  
    Bryce Fiedler

    Written by
    October 07, 2021

  • Delegations have a transparency problem: let’s fix it

    Legislative delegations in South Carolina have a serious transparency problem. As it turns out, an alarming number of counties are missing basic information about legislative delegations on their websites. In fact, some counties don’t mention them at all. Citizens can’t hold their elected officials accountable if they don’t know what’s happening, and when it’s...
    Bryce Fiedler

    Written by
    September 24, 2021

  • Delegations in SC rank among most powerful in nation

    South Carolina’s county legislative delegations, comprised of the lawmakers representing each of the state’s 46 counties, are among the most powerful in the nation. In fact, most states don’t even recognize such delegations, and where they do, many have weak, if any, power.    
    Bryce Fiedler

    Written by
    September 17, 2021

  • Lawmakers need to fix SC’s magistrate system

    In South Carolina, magistrate judges have serious power, especially over the lives of everyday citizens. For many, their courtroom will be the final stop when it comes to adjudicating legal issues. This is why it is particularly alarming that in South Carolina, Senate delegations (often comprised of just one senator) still play a primary role in their appointment, as this influence totally undermines any chance of judicial...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    August 13, 2021

  • Why don’t more counties control local road funding?

    Despite the gas-tax-hike having passed in 2017, an alarming number of South Carolina’s roads and bridges are still crumbling. As bad as things are for state roads and highways, locally managed roads are sometimes in the worst condition, as they receive far less attention than big and costly transportation projects.   As lawmakers gear up for a new road funding bill heading into next year, it...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    July 23, 2021

  • Delegation influence reaches state airports

    By now, if you’ve been following the Policy Council’s latest research, it should come as no surprise to hear that legislative delegations (the group of state lawmakers representing a particular county) play an oversized role in filling important state and local positions, which has an effect on everything from education policy to the roads we drive on.  But this power extends far beyond the more predictable...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    April 19, 2021