The SCPIF Blog

In Oconee County, South Carolina, there’s something in the water–taxation. In the fall of 2023, the county issued $25 million in bonds to fund wastewater and sewer treatment for an area near Interstate I-85, but it only benefits part of the county. When the bond proposal was first discussed during County Council meetings, several citizens…

What Happened? What would an extra $75 million mean to South Carolina? That amount of money could fund more than 5,000 students for an entire school year. It is nearly the entire public safety budget for the city of Columbia last year. The state could use it to pay down some debt or put it…

In the age of AI, police departments across the country are using increasingly powerful and complex technology every day. In South Carolina, the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is using one such tool, automated license plate readers, without legislative permission—and without the limitations placed on them by many states. SCPIF has teamed up with The…

A group of Travelers Rest citizens are alleging constitutional violations by the Greenville County Council. The claims include that the county council has used technical loopholes to violate the state constitution by adopting a bi-annual budget rather than the required annual budget. Other claims involve council members holding closed-door meetings, violating South Carolina’s open meetings…

Constitutional Context On September 14, 1787, in the closing hours of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Ben Franklin proposed Congress be granted “a power to provide for cutting canals where deemed necessary.” Connecticut’s Roger Sherman objected, noting “The expense in such cases will fall on the United States, and the benefit accrue to the places where…