The South Carolina Policy Council (SCPC) is a non-partisan public policy think tank that advocates for limited government, free enterprise, and individual liberty. Founded in 1986, SCPC advocates for policies in South Carolina that support lower taxes, fewer regulations, independence from federal money, and more individual choice. ¹

In 2010, the South Carolina Policy Council launched The Nerve, an investigative news and government watchdog website. ²

The South Carolina Policy Council is an affiliate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. ³

Activity

The South Carolina Policy Council advocates for policy reforms that will give power back to the people of South Carolina from politicians. SCPC claims that South Carolina’s politicians are the most powerful in the U.S. because they have too much power over the state government and economy with little accountability. The South Carolina Policy Council proposes shortening legislative sessions, requiring elected officials to report all public income, and posting public records online. Additionally, SCPC advocates for abolishing the standing legislative ethics committees and having complaints handled by the state ethics commission, and restoring judicial independence by following the method used by the federal government and having the governor nominate judges with Senate confirmation. ⁴

The South Carolina Policy Council claims that South Carolina’s 2022 fiscal year’s $32 billion budget, which was pending vetoes by Governor Henry McMaster (R) as of June 2021, contains many provisos that would alter state law and are unrelated to state spending. SCPC points to a proviso that would give lawmakers the “unconditional right” to intervene in legal challenges related to election policies and laws, which does not involve funding and is not allowed under the state constitution. The South Carolina Policy Council also points to proviso that would effectively add lawmakers to economic development boards. SCPC claims that this would give certain legislators greater power to shape the state’s economy and violate the South Carolina Constitution’s “one subject rule.” ⁵

The South Carolina Policy Council advocates for government transparency and claims that many county websites are missing basic information about legislative delegations, making it impossible for citizens to hold elected officials accountable. SCPC encourages citizens to contact their counties to ask why basic information, like names of delegation members, upcoming meetings, and meeting agendas, is missing or incomplete. ⁶

Funding

The South Carolina Policy Council is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While SCPC does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Cato Institute ($90,000 in 2006), ⁷ the Charles Koch Foundation ($40,000 in 2009), ⁸ and the State Policy Network ($25,000 in 2014). ⁹

People

Staff

Rick Brundrett is a co-founder and news editor for The Nerve. ¹⁰

Other staff members include Bryce Fiedler, senior policy analyst; Kelly Brady, policy analyst; and Lindsay Elliott, administrative director. ¹¹

Board of Trustees

Jake Rasor, Jr. is the treasurer of the board of SCPC and a member of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Board. ¹²

Other board members include E. Ashley Landess, president; John Mahoney, chair; and Alex Kiriakides. ¹³

1. “About.” The South Carolina Policy Council, 2021. Accessed October 21, 2021. https://scpolicycouncil.org/about.
2. “About Us.” The Nerve, 2021. Accessed October 21, 2021. https://thenerve.org/about-us/.
3. “The Network: South Carolina.” State Policy Network, 2021. Accessed October 21, 2021. https://spn.org/directory/#SC.
4. “Eight reforms to take your power back.” The South Carolina Policy Council, October 7, 2021. Accessed October 25, 2021. https://scpolicycouncil.org/featured/eight-reforms-to-take-your-power-back.
5. “Explosive spending, questionable provisos define next year’s budget.” The South Carolina Policy Council, June 25, 2021. Accessed October 25, 2021. https://scpolicycouncil.org/featured/explosive-spending-and-questionable-provisos-define-next-years-budget.
6. “Delegations have a transparency problem: let’s fix it.” The South Carolina Policy Council, September 24, 2021. Accessed October 25, 2021. https://scpolicycouncil.org/research/transparency/delegations-have-a-transparency-problem-lets-fix-it.
7. Cato Institute, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2006, Schedule I, Part II.
8. Charles Koch Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2009, Part XV, Line 3a.
9. State Policy Network, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2014, Schedule I, Part II.
10. “Staff.” The South Carolina Policy Council, 2021. Accessed October 21, 2021. https://scpolicycouncil.org/staff.
11.  “Staff.” The South Carolina Policy Council, 2021. Accessed October 21, 2021. https://scpolicycouncil.org/staff.
12. “SCDNR Board.” South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 2020. Accessed October 21, 2021. https://www.dnr.sc.gov/admin/board.html.
13. South Carolina Policy Council Education Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.