South Carolina Policy Council
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| South Carolina Policy Council | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Columbia, S.C. |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Top official: | Ashley Landess, President |
| Founder(s): | Thomas Roe |
| Year founded: | 1986 |
| Website: | Official website |
The South Carolina Policy Council (SCPC) is a 501(c)(3) public policy research and education organization focused on "limited government and free enterprise."[1]
Mission
The website for the South Carolina Policy Council lists the following vision statement:[1]
| “ | The Policy Council’s purpose is to promote freedom, to protect freedom, and to prove that freedom works. In short: we want South Carolina to be the freest state in the nation.
It’s that simple. Equally simple is our view of government. We don’t think of it as some impersonal force. It’s a real factor in all of our lives, and its value or intrusiveness is determined by the real people who lead it: politicians. Our aim is to make our politicians the most accountable – and therefore the least powerful – politicians in the country. Accordingly, we don’t believe South Carolina’s economy will be unleashed through the implementation of complicated 'policy solutions.' The problems created by an overbearing and expensive government may be complicated, but their remedies are not. Those remedies are: lower taxes and fewer regulations for all, not just for those with effective lobbyists; separation of powers and clear lines of accountability; independence from federal money and micromanagement; and the expansion of individual choice.[2] |
” |
Work
The South Carolina Policy Council focuses on issues related to government in the state of South Carolina. It is part of the State Policy Network, a national think tank network "dedicated solely to improving the practical effectiveness of independent, nonprofit, market-oriented, state-focused think tanks."[3][4]
As a 501(c)(3) think tank, the organization primarily works to research public policy in the state and issue reports on their findings. On the group's website, the research falls into the following categories:
- Budget and spending
- Economic Development
- Education
- Health Care
- Individual liberty
- Taxes and regulation
- Reform and restructuring
- Transparency
In addition, the group publishes special reports, annual "best and worst" lists, and a section of research called "WWFD" (What Would the Founders Do).[5]
Transparency efforts
The SCPC made the news in December 2008 when it submitted identical South Carolina Freedom of Information Act requests to each of the state's 85 school districts. In all, the school districts quoted costs of more than $400,000 to supply the requested documents. Beaufort County School District quoted the highest fee, at $214,000.[6]
The SCPC was also active in opposing public school district employment of lobbyists. Ashley Landess, president of the organization, was quoted in a September 2009 Post and Courier article, saying, "It's a conflict of interest against the people. As a taxpayer, I might be paying a lobbyist to fight for something I don't agree with."[7]
The Nerve
In 2010, the organization began publishing original investigative journalism through their sponsored website "The Nerve." The site's state purpose was to publish articles about what the SCPC called "the thousands of ways our State House elite use concentrated, unaccountable power."[8] The site features investigative reporting as well as a section called "Citizen Scoops," which uses asks for citizen submissions of story ideas and investigative leads.[9]
Leadership
According to the organization's most recent available tax filings, the following individuals are members of the South Carolina Policy Council's board of directors:[10]
- John Mahoney, Chairman
- Mary Lou Lineberger, Vice chairman
- Jake Rasor Jr., President
- William Lowndes III, Director
- Thomas Wilcox Jr., Director
- Phil Warth, Secretary
- Ashley Landess, President
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the South Carolina Policy Council's revenues and expenses for the 2011 to 2014 fiscal years:
| Annual revenue and expenses for the South Carolina Policy Council, 2011–2014 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tax Year | Total Revenue | Total Expenses |
| 2014[10] | $1,011,002 | $825,365 |
| 2013[11] | $747,384 | $966,908 |
| 2012[12] | $1,144,999 | $1,115,784 |
| 2011[13] | $1,014,882 | $1,197,673 |
Tax status
The South Carolina Policy Council is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Its 501(c) designation refers to a section of the U.S. federal income tax code concerning charitable, religious, and educational organizations.[14] Section 501(c) of the U.S. tax code has 29 sections that list specific conditions particular organizations must meet in order to be considered tax-exempt under the section. Organizations that have been granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service are exempt from federal income tax.[15] This exemption requires that any political activity by the charitable organization be nonpartisan in nature.[16]
See also
- Checkbook register online
- South Carolina Freedom of Information Act
- List of South Carolina government-to-government lobbying associations
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 South Carolina Policy Council About Us
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ State Policy Network, "South Carolina Policy Council," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ State Policy Network, "About SPN," accessed January 25, 2014
- ↑ South Carolina Policy Council, "Research," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ Beaufort Gazette, "Beaufort District submits highest bill for providing information," December 9, 2008
- ↑ The Post and Courier, Schools defend lobbying costs
- ↑ The Nerve, "About Us," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ The Nerve, "Citizen Scoops," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 GuideStar, "South Carolina Policy Council IRS Form 990 (2014)," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ GuideStar, "South Carolina Policy Council IRS Form 990 (2013)," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ GuideStar, "South Carolina Policy Council IRS Form 990 (2012)," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ Guidestar, "South Carolina Policy Council IRS Form 990 (2011)," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Exempt Purposes - Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)," accessed January 13, 2014
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Life Cycle of a Public Charity/Private Foundation," accessed July 10, 2015
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Exemption Requirements - 501(c)(3) Organizations," accessed January 13, 2014
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