About Palmetto Plain
Palmetto Plain explains new South Carolina and federal bills and regulations in plain English for everyday South Carolina residents. Every explainer answers one question: what does this mean for me?
Our nonpartisan commitment
- We explain what a measure does. We do not say whether it is good or bad, endorse candidates or parties, or tell readers how to vote or what to support.
- We describe what supporters and opponents say only when that is part of the official record, and we label it as such.
- We choose topics based on how many South Carolinians a measure could affect, not on which side it helps.
- We use neutral words. Where a bill uses its own loaded label, we quote it and attribute it to the bill.
Methodology
- Primary sources only. We work from official text: scstatehouse.gov for South Carolina, and congress.gov or federalregister.gov for federal bills and rules.
- Every claim is traceable. Each statement cites the section of the source it comes from, and each explainer links directly to the official text.
- No invented facts. If the source doesn't say something, such as a cost estimate, we say it isn't there rather than guess.
- Standard structure. Every explainer covers what it does, who it affects, cost and impact, current status, and the source.
- Dated. Each explainer shows a “last updated” date. Bill status can change after that date; check the official source for the latest.
What we are not
We are not lawyers, and nothing here is legal advice. We are not affiliated with any government body, party, campaign or advocacy group.
Funding
The weekly newsletter is free. We plan to offer paid topic alerts later. We will disclose any sponsorship or funding on this page.