Championing Pro-Business Policies for South Carolina
As the state’s leading business organization, SCMC advocates for policies that strengthen South Carolina’s business climate, accelerate job creation, and support long-term economic growth. Our legislative priorities focus on the key issues that matter most to employers across the state: workforce development, taxation and economic growth, environmental policy, energy reliability, infrastructure investment, and legal competitiveness.
Advocacy Priorities
As South Carolina’s leading business organization, SCMC champions policies that strengthen the state’s business climate and support long-term economic growth. Our legislative priorities focus on workforce and education, taxes and economic development, environment, energy, infrastructure, and legal and employment issues.
Our Key Policy Focus Areas
Workforce Development & Education
South Carolina’s economic success depends on a skilled, job-ready workforce. SCMC works with the SC Technical College System, universities, K–12 partners, and workforce agencies to expand training opportunities, strengthen career pathways, remove barriers to workforce participation, and ensure employers have access to qualified talent.
- Strengthen career pathways
- Expand training and apprenticeship opportunities
- Support employer-driven skills development
- Align education systems with industry needs
Taxes & Economic Development
A competitive tax structure is essential for attracting and retaining industry. SCMC advocates for policies that boost South Carolina’s competitiveness, reduce business tax burdens, support long-term capital investment, enhance economic development incentives, and preserve key manufacturing exemptions.
- Preserve key manufacturing exemptions
- Protect FILOT agreements
- Enhance economic development incentives
- Support long-term capital investment
Environment
A predictable and efficient environmental regulatory system is critical for business growth. SCMC supports a science-based regulatory approach that keeps standards clear and consistent, ensures timely permitting, avoids delays, and supports business expansion.
- maintains clear and consistent standards
- ensures timely permitting
- reduces delays and uncertainty
- supports responsible economic development
Energy
Affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy is foundational to South Carolina’s competitiveness. SCMC supports policies that maintain predictable energy costs, strengthen grid reliability, modernize infrastructure, and encourage a balanced mix of energy sources—natural gas, nuclear, renewables, and emerging technologies—to meet future demand.
- Maintain predictable energy costs
- Enhance grid reliability
- Modernize infrastructure
- Encourage a balanced mix—natural gas, nuclear, renewable, and emerging technologies
Infrastructure
Strong transportation and utility networks keep commerce moving. SCMC advocates for forward-looking investments and policies that expand capacity, improve supply-chain reliability, and support the state’s growing economy.
- Expand roadway and rail capacity
- Strengthen port access
- Support reliable utilities
- Improve supply-chain efficiency
Legal Reform & Employment Issues
A fair and predictable legal environment enables businesses to operate with confidence. SCMC supports reforms that reduce excessive litigation while balancing fairness and accountability, clarify employer responsibilities, and support innovation, job creation, and economic stability.
- Reduce excessive litigation
- Clarify employer responsibilities
- Stabilize regulatory requirements
- Support innovation, job creation, and economic stability
