Research

  • Energy mega-bill reduces checks and balances, pushes new ecodevo projects

    Update 3/20/24: The House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee on Wednesday advanced the bill with amendments. Certain details in this summary may not be reflective of the amended bill. Read our updated summary here.  A massive energy bill (H.5118) gaining steam in the House bears resemblance to past legislation that wound up...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    March 19, 2024

  • Proposed House rules: committees must livestream, consider more bills

    Recently, several resolutions were filed proposing noteworthy changes to the S.C. House rules. Two of them (H.5219 and H.5221) seek to improve transparency and accountability at key moments when it comes to lawmaking and judicial elections. H.5219 would require all House committees and subcommittees to livestream their meetings on the...
    William Morton

    Written by
    March 15, 2024

  • Statehouse Update Mar 11-14: Big debates on budget and judicial reform

    Heads up! It’s budget week at the Statehouse. Debate starts this afternoon in the House over how to appropriate billions in taxpayer dollars for the FY 2024-25 state budget. If you want to know where your money could be headed and how lawmakers could do more for tax relief, we’ve...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    March 11, 2024

  • Proposed SC budget exceeds recommended limit, could do more for tax relief

    Update 3/13/24: The House on Wednesday passed an initial draft of the next state budget, unchanged from the summary below. The week saw healthy debate and commendable efforts from lawmakers to challenge spending requests, including several noted in this report. We encourage the Senate, which goes next in the process, to utilize...
    Bryce Fiedler

    Written by
    March 08, 2024

  • Statehouse Update Mar 5-7

    Update 3/8/24: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week. Heads up! The debate over judicial reform is officially underway, as the full Senate plans to take up a bill overhauling judicial selections today at noon. In addition to dismantling legislators’ monopoly over...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    March 05, 2024

  • Pricey projects on college budget wish lists

    Recently, some of South Carolina’s top universities shared their fiscal year 2024-25 spending plans with the Senate’s higher education budget subcommittee. The requests included plenty of high-dollar projects that would be funded with taxpayers’ money. Below are a few highlights.  
    Ella Williams

    Written by
    March 01, 2024

  • Impact: ESA expansion bill puts us on path to universal school choice

    Update 3/21/24: The House on Wednesday gave the bill second reading by a vote of 69-32. We encourage a swift passage through the Senate so it may become law this year.  On Wednesday, the S.C. House introduced a bill that would significantly expand South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Account (ESA) program, which passed...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    March 01, 2024

  • Statehouse Update Feb 27-29

    Update 3/1/24: Several adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week. A bill establishing a public option for liquor liability insurance, backed by taxpayers’ money, is under consideration this morning. The proposal would also reduce the state’s mandatory $1 million policy requirement – but...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    February 27, 2024

  • SC taxpayers asked to fund new liquor liability insurance program

    Update 2/28/24: Following this report, which revealed that H.5066 would create a state-run liquor liability insurance program funded with taxpayers' money, the House Judiciary Committee voted to remove that section of the bill. The amended bill, advanced by the full committee Tuesday, would still reduce the $1 million liquor liability insurance...
    Sam Aaron

    Written by
    February 24, 2024

  • Alcohol delivery bill watered down by regulations, licensing requirements

    A bill (H.4364) recently passed by the S.C. House would allow retailers to offer curbside pickup or at-home delivery of beer and wine, subject to licensing requirements, fees and other regulations.
    William Morton

    Written by
    February 23, 2024