Legislative agenda

  • Charleston’s climate lawsuit Is a dead-end for South Carolina

    This article is an opinion piece written by Michael Burris, CEO of the South Carolina Policy Council. Later this month, a Charleston court will hear the case about whether to dismiss a climate lawsuit that never should have been filed.
    Michael Burris

    Written by
    May 27, 2025

  • 2025 Session Recap: Major progress on SCPC backed reforms

    With the 2025 legislative session in the rearview mirror, S.C. General Assembly made major progress on a host of reforms and initiatives championed by the South Carolina Policy Council.  While school choice and tort reform issues dominated headlines, lawmakers advanced several additional priorities, including education, tax reform, deregulation, and energy policy. 
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    May 15, 2025

  • Energy ‘reform’ bills potential shock to ratepayers’ wallets

    Update 5/7/2025: On Wednesday the Senate concurred with the House's 5/1/2025 amendment, striking notification requirements related to eminent domain and all regulatory and incentives language related to data centers. Data centers will no longer be required to enter into their own rate process and contracts and will continue to receive...
    Neil Wolin

    Written by
    April 01, 2025

  • McMaster proposes SCPC legislative initiatives

    On Wednesday, in a joint session of the House and Senate S.C. Governor Henry McMaster delivered his 2025 State of the State address. The South Carolina Governor notably showed strong support for reforms supported by the SCPC, specifically eliminating income tax, school choice, and civil liability reform.
    Neil Wolin

    Written by
    January 30, 2025

  • Road maintenance solutions every S.C. resident deserves

    Many South Carolina local government websites lack essential information about road maintenance requests, leaving citizens unsure of how to get their local roads repaired. A quick look at the practices and procedures of the complex network of public roadway maintenance uncovered accessibility challenges at the county and local levels that...
    Brendan Connors

    Written by
    January 24, 2025

  • Bills to watch in 2025

    Updated 12/20/24: This summary contains information from the both rounds of House prefiles and the Senate prefiles.  With the year coming to a close, a new legislative session is quickly approaching. This is the time when state lawmakers file a flurry of bills (known as "prefiles") in preparation for the...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    December 11, 2024

  • 2024 Legislative Scorecard

    Overview  South Carolina is embarking on a path toward a brighter future – and adopting key policies will be essential on this journey. The South Carolina Policy Council’s 2024 Legislative Scorecard was created to promote the organization’s principles of limited government and individual liberties, free markets, and traditional South Carolina values.  This report, which covers...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    December 05, 2024

  • Key takeaways from South Carolina's 2024 statehouse elections

    With the national spotlight on the 2024 election, results from the South Carolina Statehouse have flown under the radar. Here are some key takeaways from the election and its impact on the Statehouse: Flipped Senate Seats: Senate District 17: Republican Everett Stubbs defeated incumbent Democrat Mike Fanning. Senate District 29:...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    November 06, 2024

  • The South Carolina Policy Council's 2025-26 Legislative Agenda

    Read the print digital version here. As we move into the 2025-26 legislative session, the South Carolina Policy Council will pursue a strategic set of 18 reforms aimed at advancing our mission of promoting and protecting the principles of limited government and individual liberties, free markets, and traditional South Carolina values....
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    October 14, 2024

  • SCPC announces that Sam Aaron has been promoted to Research Director

    The South Carolina Policy Council is pleased to announce that Sam Aaron has be promoted to Research Director. In his new role, Sam will lead our research staff’s efforts to ensure that the SCPC is putting forth best-in-class materials to further promote our stated values. As a native South Carolinian,...
    Michael Burris

    Written by
    September 03, 2024