STATEHOUSE REPORT | ISSUE 24.03 | Jan. 17, 2025
BIG STORY: School choice tops opening debate
MORE NEWS: S.C. rural energy gets Biden boost
LOWCOUNTRY, Ariail: Seashells at the seashore
BRACK: New book offers inspiring lessons
MYSTERY PHOTO: Another old white house
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
School choice issue tops opening legislative debate
By Jack O’Toole, Capitol bureau | As the South Carolina General Assembly returned to Columbia this week to begin its 2025 legislative session, GOP leaders made it clear that passing a new private school voucher program was at the top of their agenda. The program would replace the one that was struck down by the S.C. Supreme Court last September.
S.C. Senate Education Committee Chairman Greg Hembree explained the need for speed at a pre-session hearing last month, noting that hundreds of low-income families lost their vouchers after starting school due to the ruling.
“These are real families that are caught in this sort of political, legal, Columbia problem,” Hembree said. “It’s our obligation, if we didn’t get it right, we need to fix it and fix it fast.”
To do that, Hembree’s new legislation, S. 62, would fund the vouchers with money generated by the S.C. Education Lottery, which he argues is exempt from the state constitution’s ban on using public money to benefit private schools.
But critics like S.C. Education Association President Sherry East, whose group sued to have the previous voucher law overturned, say the state constitution is clear — no public money of any kind for private schools. So if lawmakers want to have a voucher program, she told the City Paper in a Jan. 13 interview, they need to hold a constitutional referendum. But that idea doesn’t have much support among voucher proponents in the legislature, she said.
“As we heard one legislator say, ‘We can’t do that; the voters aren’t smart enough to vote on that,’” East said. “Well, I think that’s wrong. I think they are smart enough to figure it out. And I don’t think they want any part of their tax dollars paying for private schools.”
Why vouchers?
Voucher advocates say school choice programs of all kinds empower parents to take control of their children’s education, leading to better outcomes.
“For a student who isn’t thriving in the public school system, both public charter schools and private scholarships can be excellent alternatives,” said Sam Aaron, research director at the S.C. Policy Council. “They often can provide a more tailored learning experience that traditional public schools may not offer.”
Moreover, he argues, all schools benefit from the additional alternatives.
“As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats,” Aaron said. “More competition in the education space leads to better educational results.”
Palmetto Promise Institute senior fellow Oran Smith agrees, saying his group is in favor of “really anything that gives parents more options” in choosing their child’s school — an idea that he argues S.C. has been slow to adopt.
“All of the states in our region are fully engaged in private school choice,” he said, pointing to new or expanded voucher programs in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. “But for some reason, we seem to be bringing up the rear.”
What’s more, he argues that the benefits of private school choice are so clear that it should be open to all Palmetto State parents, regardless of income.
“I’m not sure why we don’t just say we believe in a universal program where there’s no income test or previous public school attendance test,” Smith said. “If the parent feels the student would thrive in a setting other than their zip code assigned public school, that should be sufficient.”
Under Hembree’s plan, families with incomes up to almost $200,000 would be eligible, with a cap of 15,000 participants. This is in contrast to Arizona, where an uncapped voucher program led to a $1.4 billion budget shortfall in 2024 — though Smith notes that some voucher programs have been found to cost less than public schools.
Critics point to mixed results
Critics of private school vouchers, including some who support other forms of public school choice such as charter and magnet schools, note research on existing state voucher programs is, at best, mixed.
On one hand, they say, most studies show improved parent satisfaction and higher graduation rates among voucher recipients. But the same body of research also suggests that students in voucher programs score lower than their public school counterparts on most standardized tests. For instance, a study of Louisiana’s voucher program found significant declines in math performance, with no measurable gains in other subjects.
Conversely, the average student in a U.S. charter school is outperforming the average public school student, according to Stanford’s CREDO assessment, a large-scale, long-term study that many in the field consider the gold standard.
This has led some to question the legislature’s priorities, especially in light of CREDO’s finding that South Carolina is one of only three states where charter students are falling behind those in public schools. Why, they ask, aren’t lawmakers working to address well-known problems with the state’s charter school law, including its weak accountability standards?
“We need to update our charter legislation,” said Derek Black, the Ernest F. Hollings Chair in Constitutional Law at the University of South Carolina and an education policy expert. “And I think with an update, you’d see this system just makes a lot more sense than a voucher system.”
In fact, he believes the research is so clear that it leads him to wonder what the drive toward vouchers actually represents.
“I think what we’re trying to do here is privately finance cultural choices rather than academic choices, or at least that’s what I see when I look at the data,” Black said.
- Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
S.C. rural energy gets boost from Biden administration
By Jack O’Toole, Capitol bureau | Rural South Carolinians will enjoy cleaner energy at lower costs thanks to a last-minute, $500 million investment through the outgoing Biden administration.
Columbia-based Central Electric Power Cooperative Inc., the power supplier for South Carolina’s 19 electric cooperatives, announced Thursday that it will receive about $440 million in grants and $60 million in zero-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), funded by 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The money will cover 25% of the cost to secure 700 megawatts of carbon-free nuclear and solar energy for rural electric cooperative customers across the Palmetto State.
In terms of greenhouse gas reductions, Central says that’s the equivalent of taking almost a half million gasoline powered cars off the road.
“This is tremendous news for Central, our member cooperatives and the 2 million South Carolinians who rely on electric cooperatives for electricity,” said Central CEO Rob Hochstetler in a statement. “These funds will be a big help as we continue to meet South Carolina’s growing energy demands as safely, reliably, affordably and sustainably as possible.”
The award was part of a larger $6 billion, 21 state clean energy investment announced Jan. 10 by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsak, who noted that the IRA has provided more money for rural electrification than any program since President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act (REA) into law in 1936.
“In just two years, [IRA funded] programs have created dozens of new partnerships with rural electric cooperatives and communities that will reduce pollution, create jobs and make clean energy more affordable for millions of rural Americans,” Vilsack said. “These investments we’re making today will continue to support the health, prosperity and well-being of rural Americans for generations to come.”
According to press reports, President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal the IRA, citing higher than expected costs and calling it “the new green scam.”
In other recent news
Auditors determine S.C.’s mysterious $1.8 billion doesn’t exist. A state account discovered last year that supposedly contained $1.8 billion in unaccounted-for funds turns out to have been an accounting error, according to an audit released Wednesday.
- RELATED: S.C. faces federal probe over $1.8 billion accounting snafu
- S.C. House Democrat calls for S.C. treasurer’s impeachment over $1.8B accounting debacle
McMaster proposes raising teacher pay, striking cash-only rule for lottery tickets. Gov. Henry McMaster is asking legislators to increase teachers’ minimum pay to $50,000, keep college tuition steady, and allow people to buy state lottery tickets with a debit card, as part of his $13 billion budget package released Monday.
- RELATED: S.C. Lottery seeking law change to allow for credit card purchases
- Dems argue voters never approved lottery for vouchers
S.C. lawmakers back at work with big policy goals. The 126th 170-member S.C. General Assembly gaveled in at noon Tuesday, marking the start of the new, two-year session. January can be a bit of a slow month, but Statehouse leaders have told reporters that they’re hitting the ground running.
- RELATED: Lots of new faces and a conservative tilt at the start of S.C. Legislature session
- School choice issue tops opening legislative debate
- Failed energy plan revived as S.C. seeks more power
- Democratic primary set for Tuesday to fill North Charleston House seat
Wheeler announces resignation from S.C. Statehouse. Democratic S.C. Rep. Will Wheeler announced his resignation from District 50, which includes parts of Lee, Kershaw and Sumter counties, on the third day of the legislative session. Wheeler made the move after deciding to run for a local judicial seat in 2026, an office that state law says he can only seek after being out of the legislature for a full year.
Graham announces 2026 reelection team and $15M fundraising war chest. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has launched a reelection bid, apparently seeing no serious challengers on the horizon. But, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R- Rock Hill, who first said in 2023 he was considering running for the seat, might be a possible rival.
What Earth’s ‘hottest year on record’ looked like in S.C. The Charleston Harbor experienced 54 tidal flood events last year. In late September, Hurricane Helene tore through the Upstate. Tropical Storm Debby spent days meandering through the Lowcountry in August, dropping up to 22 inches of rain across the region. Across more than a dozen counties in the Grand Strand and Pee Dee, “severe” drought set in during the summer.
Seashells at the seashore
Award-winning cartoonist Robert Ariail has a special knack for poking a little fun in just the right way. This week, he takes on the sad reality of trash on our beaches.
Love it or hate it? Did he go too far, or not far enough? Send your thoughts to feedback@statehousereport.com.
New leadership book offers tried, true, inspiring lessons
Commentary by Andy Brack | Having a great mentor early in your career is a huge blessing. It sets you on the right course. It gives you skills and reinforces values that you will use for the rest of your life.
Good fortune smiled upon me in the early 1990s when I started to work for the late U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, a consequential lawmaker with a thick Lowcountry brogue. He taught staffers to stick to their guns, keep people informed about what was really happening in Washington and be tough when you need to be, but have a sense of humor, too.
About the same time, Charleston aviation lawyer Mark Fava got a similar practical education while working as the gatekeeping aide to a U.S. Navy admiral who had high expectations for the young Navy lieutenant and pilot.
“You are going to do a lot of things and see a lot of things as my aide,” the “salty” admiral told Fava when he started the position after duty as a naval aviator. “Many are going to be great, and some are going to be … well … not so great.
“Many tasks will be well above your pay grade, and others will be well below your pay grade. I need you to perform exceptionally well whether you’re completing a great task or a not-so-great task. You understand that, Lieutenant?”
Of course, the answer was, “Yes sir, I understand.” And for the next 17 months, Fava got a different kind of education regarding excellence, much like great mentors give to their charges all of the time.
Fava, a Boeing South Carolina vice president who has practiced aviation law for 30 years, chronicled what he learned in a new book, “Lessons from the Admiral: Naval Wisdom and Sea Stories for Leaders” ($24.95, Amplify Publishing).
The lessons are practical, from “be on time” and “confidentiality matters” to “know what is important to your boss” and “respect the role they want you to perform.”
One example – something you might not think is a big deal – was the story of a toothpick. Fava had been advised to have a packaged wooden toothpick on hand in the rare event that the admiral wanted one. One morning after breakfast during a cold trip to Greenland, the admiral commented how it would be nice to have a toothpick. Fava – attentive to the advice of an earlier aide – slid one to the admiral, who grinned and gave him an attaboy. Bottom line: Details matter.
Other lessons:
- Send thank-you notes and give credit when you should.
- Be prepared; know details so you – and the boss – don’t get surprised.
- Develop simple habits to help keep you organized.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Don’t panic.
- Be creative when things don’t go as planned.
- Be dependable, a team player and perform with integrity.
- Take care of your people and help them when you can.
Fava’s 148-page book is an easy, instructive read. It’s filled with the kind of advice that can help anybody succeed in a professional environment.
One note: Fava intentionally didn’t mention the name of the admiral in the book, as he shared later: “I wanted the admiral to be a mysterious figure that the reader envisioned in his or her mind based on my descriptions of him and our relationship. That was also the inspiration for the cover.”
In November, however, Fava traveled to Virginia to meet with the admiral, now in his 80s, to give him a copy of a book in what was described as an emotional meeting.
Later when told the book is a fantastic tribute to the career of the admiral, who once commanded the Mine Warfare Command in Charleston, Fava shared his name.
So let’s recognize the 36 years of service and inspiration for Fava’s book. Thank you, Rear Admiral Byron “Jake” Tobin. The lessons you taught Fava are exceptional.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com
Another old white house
Last week, we featured an old white house and here’s another one in a different part of the state. Where is this house and what is its significance? Send your name, hometown and guess to: feedback@statehousereport.com.
Our most recent mystery, “Old white house” shows an octagonal house in the Cedar Springs Historic District, in Abbeville.
As sleuth Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas, writes: “The historic Frazier-Pressley House is a three-story, stuccoed brick building that was built between 1852 and 1856 as the primary residence of Captain James Wright Frazier (1811–1875) and his family. It was added, as part of the Cedar Springs Historic District, to the National Register of Historic Places on March 28, 1982.
“What makes this building exceptional is the fact that it is built around three octagons. The octagonal elements are connected by a hallway circumscribing the central octagonal core of the house and by a massive three-story portico, whose three tiers of porches are reached by seven entrances, all with transoms and sidelights. The composition and plan of the Frazier-Pressley House are believed to be unique in the United States.”
Others identifying this historic structure were: David Lupo of Mount Pleasant; Jay Altman and Elizabeth Jones, both of Columbia; Bill Segars and Michael Webb, both of Hartsville; Frank Wideman of Greenwood; and Jacie Godfrey of Florence.
- Send us a mystery picture. If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
Taxpayers have options
To the editor:
Concerning tax reform in S.C., let’s establish some facts:
- Many people cheat on their state income tax by making “off the books” money that goes unreported and untaxed.
- Sales taxes are an efficient way to collect revenue for the state.
- Taxpayers have options on where they live.
I left Florence, S.C., almost a decade ago and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, for our zero state income tax. The savings? Based on my above age income, the savings was the equivalent of the state of Nevada giving me a house to move here!
Many people of above average means like me would love to move back to South Carolina but are smart enough not to needlessly pay income taxes. We have options and will vote with our feet by staying away from S.C. just like people in high tax states like New York and California are moving out of those states.
I urge South Carolina to eliminate their state income tax and increase the sales tax to make up for it. Tourists and cash under the table earners will finally pay the bills of S.C. because they have to buy things! Too easy and people like me would move back. If everyone pays, everyone pays less!
– Will Bradley, Las Vegas, Nevada
Dear Will: Thanks for your opinion, but the fact remains that while collection of sales tax is efficient, the tax itself is extremely regressive, meaning that people of modest means pay a much larger percentage of their disposable income than rich people. A fairer way to tax everyone, most economists agree, is to balance regressive sales taxes with progressive income taxes. – ACB
Send us your thoughts
We encourage you to send in your thoughts about policy and politics impacting South Carolina. We’ve gotten some letters in the last few weeks – some positive, others nasty. We print non-defamatory comments, but unless you provide your contact information – name and hometown, plus a phone number used only by us for verification – we can’t publish your thoughts.
- Have a comment? Send your letters or comments to: feedback@statehousereport.com. Make sure to provide your contact details (name, hometown and phone number for verification. Letters are limited to 150 words.
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