South-Carolina

Scoppe: You get a free computer, and you get a free computer, and you … don’t

Published

5 months ago

July 12, 2025

Scoppe: You get a free computer, and you get a free computer, and you … don’t

Some people wait until August to buy a new computer, for the kids or for themselves, and specifically the first weekend in August, so they can take advantage of South Carolina’s silly little back-to-school sales-tax “holiday.” Spend $1,000 on a laptop, and the savings can run from $60 to $90 depending on where you live, which seems like a great deal if you don’t pay enough attention to prices to realize you can probably get a better deal some other time of the year.

Starting this year, select savvy shoppers will have the taxpayers pick up 100 percent of the tab. And cover a lot of other school costs while they’re at it.

A new state law means the lucky parents of up to 10,000 students — rising to a minimum of 15,000 next year — can reduce their costs for sending the kids to public school by as much as $7,500. That’s $7,500 that most parents will still be paying from their own bank accounts, or credit cards.

In addition to the laptop, and printer, and other “technological devices” that our throw-taxpayer-money-at-a-few-parents S.C. Education Department approves, parents can hand taxpayers the bill for school uniforms (if they’re required) as well as any fees they have to pay for their kids to play football or run track or join the cheer squad or participate in band, to attend summer school and afterschool programs and take the PSAT or the SAT or the ACT more than once. We’ll also pick up the field trip fees and technology fees and parking fees and just-because fees, and pay for tutors. And we’ll pay for “any consumables and items necessary to complete a curriculum or that are otherwise applicable to a course of study that has been approved by the department,” whatever that means.

Taxpayers will even provide up to $750 a year for Uber to pick the kids up after school, or drive them to school in the morning, so parents don’t have to be bothered.

Of course, this being a government program, there are caveats.

This taxpayer largesse is not available to parents who send their kids to their neighborhood school — only those whose kids attend a charter school or transfer to a different public school inside or outside their district.

Technically, there’s an income limit, although at $96,450 for a family of four — rising to $160,750 next year — it’ll be hard to find many public school families in South Carolina who don’t qualify.

All about vouchers

And the biggest limitation is that 10,000-student cap, which covers both the public school families reducing their out-of-pocket costs and private-school families. Because this giveaway is part of South Carolina’s new school voucher law.

I suspect that many if not most of the parents who managed to grab those $7,500 “scholarships” for this year are using them to help cover private-school tuition, since those parents and said private schools are the ones who have been lobbying the Legislature for the free government money for years.

But the House has already voted once to eliminate the caps and create a “universal” voucher program, with no income limits and no limit on the number of vouchers. There’s no reason to think it’ll take long for the Senate to come around. And before you know it: You get a free computer, and you get a free computer, and you get a free computer! As long as you don’t attend your neighborhood school.

Remember when legislators used to assure us that the “can’t even begin to project it” price tag for a voucher program just for “poor” kids and kids with disabilities was ridiculous — that even if we didn’t cap enrollment, vouchers would always serve a niche market, because most parents want to keep their kids in the public schools?

The modest expansion of the program to cover expenses for kids in public schools in 2023 and the much larger expansion this year make those assurances seem almost as quaint as those same lawmakers’ assurances that the program would be targeted to poor kids, and that it would come with muscular accountability measures.

From a policy perspective, the public school component is bizarre. We already provide more state funding for charter schools than traditional public schools. And if legislators want to increase public school choice, all they need to do is require every district to allow open enrollment. Well, that and pay for transportation for students attending anything other than their neighborhood school, because that is a real barrier for a lot of kids.

Legal maneuver

But the public school component has nothing to do with policy; it was designed to help legislators weave their way around what a badly written Supreme Court order made them believe were the parameters of a state constitutional prohibition on using public funds to directly benefit private schools.

Both the new law and the one the court struck down last year sought to bypass that restriction by allowing families to receive vouchers if they chose to move their kids to a public school other than the one the district provides for them.

This raises a host of policy questions beyond the ones entailed in the idea of paying parents to send their kids to private schools, mostly revolving around this one: Why is our Legislature so determined to provide financial assistance for kids whose parents are actively involved in their education and not for the kids who most need that assistance — the ones with parents who can’t or won’t do more to help them learn?

If we were prioritizing the extra spending for kids with demonstrated need, that would make some sense. Instead, we’re prioritizing kids lucky enough to be born to active and savvy parents. That is, kids who start off with advantages that many kids will never have. The public school component of the voucher law is just one more way we’re doing that.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Dec. 17, 2025

Published

8 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

South Carolina Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Dec. 17, 2025

The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 17, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 17 drawing

25-33-53-62-66, Powerball: 17, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Dec. 17 drawing

Midday: 2-4-1, FB: 1

Evening: 9-0-3, FB: 8

Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Dec. 17 drawing

Midday: 7-4-3-2, FB: 1

Evening: 6-8-8-9, FB: 8

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 17 drawing

Midday: 10

Evening: 15

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from Dec. 17 drawing

04-13-19-23-37

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Dec. 17 drawing

24-43-65-66-68, Powerball: 03

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:

For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.

Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.

SC Education Lottery

P.O. Box 11039

Columbia, SC 29211-1039

For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.

Columbia Claims Center

1303 Assembly Street

Columbia, SC 29201

Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.

For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.

When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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South-Carolina

David Pascoe: ‘South Carolina Isn’t Run by Republicans’ – FITSNews

Published

21 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

David Pascoe: ‘South Carolina Isn’t Run by Republicans’ – FITSNews

by DAVID PASCOE

***

Republicans have a supermajority in South Carolina; yet, our state is more liberal than the purple states that border us. John Adams once said, “facts are stubborn things.” Well, the facts prove our State Republican leadership gets its playbook from the Democratic Party.

In 2024, I was one of the only elected officials to endorse conservative Republican JD Chaplin in his campaign against liberal Democrat Gerald Malloy, who blocked every single pro-law enforcement bill in the General Assembly. Malloy was one of the most powerful lawyer-legislators in the state and teamed often with Republicans on the Judiciary Committee to stifle conservative legislation. I met with Republicans in both Houses of the General Assembly and tried to rally them to support the REPUBLICAN nominee. They refused because they either feared Malloy and feared the lawyer-legislators in power who supported him. In my endorsement of Chaplin, I stated that the two-party system in South Carolina is not R vs. D but those who strive to serve others vs. those who strive to serve themselves. Luckily, JD Chaplin beat Gerald Malloy without the help of any Republican leadership in the General Assembly.

In our state, we have witnessed the liberal Republican Party establishment demonize and attempt to defeat conservative fighters because they are members of the Freedom Caucus. They use political consultants (The Swamp Parasites) giving them offices on State House property to attack the Freedom Caucus, the very men and women who exemplify what it means to be a conservative and fight against corruption and cronyism. The leadership in the General Assembly would rather work with liberal Democrats than work together with their fellow Republicans. But here is a coincidental fact – 30% of the General Assembly are lawyer-legislators; less than 10% of Freedom Caucus members are lawyer-legislators.

***

Let me tell you the core reason we are a liberal state and why I have enemies: conservatives are not really in charge of South Carolina. The lawyer-legislator uniparty is.

Nearly 30% of the General Assembly are lawyers. They control all of the money, the judiciary, and the most important committees. That is not representative government. That’s a cartel.

When lawyers gain unchecked political power, they do not just write laws. They shape the system to benefit themselves. They design rules that ordinary citizens cannot understand, navigate, or challenge. That is exactly what has happened in South Carolina.

For over 30 years, liberal Republicans have controlled the State House. Liberal control has given us a judicial system dominated by legislative insiders. We have judges effectively chosen by the same lawyers who practice before them. We have legislative privilege routinely abused to delay cases, rearrange court dockets, and keep powerful clients out of trouble.

***

David Pascoe (Dylan Nolan/FITSNews)

***

What we have is a uniparty. A trial lawyer uniparty. Republicans and Democrats alike who share two things in common: they are lawyers who benefit from controlling the courts, and they cannot stand me because I am about to stand in their way as Attorney General. Their bank accounts cannot afford for me to win.

I have seen this system up close. I spent decades as a prosecutor. I led the State House Corruption Probe that exposed a pay-to-play culture operating at the highest levels of government. That investigation did not make me popular in Columbia. It did, however, make something very clear. Corruption does not thrive in chaos. It thrives in systems designed to protect insiders and punish anyone who challenges them.

The most powerful examples of this system are the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. These Committees are where judicial reform and pro-life legislation go to die. It is where lawyer-legislators protect their influence. It is where bills that threaten legislative control of the courts quietly disappear. This is not about party labels. It is about power. Worst of all, it is often about using public service for personal profit.

Under this system, lawyer-legislators decide which judges are allowed to be considered. And then they walk into courtrooms across South Carolina expecting favorable treatment from the very judges whose careers they control. That is not separation of powers. That is consolidation of power.

***

RELATED | BOUGHT AND PAID FOR

***

Families lose. Crime victims lose. Small businesses lose. And public trust evaporates.

This system did not develop by accident. It was built deliberately, layer by layer, and it continues because too many elected officials tolerate it. I’ve spent the last five years calling it out, which is the reason self dealing RINOs will stop at nothing to take down my campaign for Attorney General.

Bring. It. On.

The liberal Republicans aren’t winning this battle. As your next Attorney General, I will dismantle the lawyer-legislator uniparty for good, starting with Weston Newton’s stranglehold on this state. And more importantly, I will make it impossible for them to profit from their public service

If South Carolina wants real reform, it has to start by breaking the trial lawyer uniparty’s grip on the judiciary. It has to restore balance. It has to put citizens back ahead of insiders. I did not spend my career prosecuting corruption to stay quiet now. This system can be fixed. But only if we are honest about who really runs it.

Join me in this fight and let’s crush corruption in South Carolina.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

David Pascoe is solicitor for South Carolina’s first judicial circuit, which includes Calhoun, Dorchester and Orangeburg counties. He is a Republican candidate for attorney general of the Palmetto State.

***

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South-Carolina

Clemson’s Defense Takes Care Of South Carolina, Picks Up Palmetto Series Win

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Clemson’s Defense Takes Care Of South Carolina, Picks Up Palmetto Series Win

The Clemson Tigers prevailed on the hardwood against the South Carolina Gamecocks, winning 68-61 at Littlejohn Coliseum on Tuesday night.

Defense ruled the roost for Clemson, which allowed only four successful threes from 26 attempts by South Carolina, a low 15.4%. The Tigers forced 14 turnovers and turned them into 16 points of their own, a credit to how the team can slow down opposing offenses.

South Carolina’s 61 points are the lowest that the Gamecocks have scored all season, a credit to head coach Brad Brownell’s defense.

Redshirt freshman Ace Buckner took advantage of the opportunity he was given, seeing extended time while playing the most minutes he had all season. With two Tigers injured during the game, he took over, finishing with a career-high 19 points and seven rebounds.

The bench led the way for Clemson (9-3), scoring 41 points to South Carolina’s 14 in the win. In addition to Buckner, Carter Welling came off the bench and finished with 16 points and four rebounds. The big man would also have three steals on Tuesday night.

The Tigers’ starting unit struggled to get going in the first five minutes, leading to a full shuffle of the lineup after being down as much as seven. Then, the bench unit carried Clemson out of the hole, gaining the lead by the 12:25 mark in the first half and not giving it back.

There was bad news from Tuesday’s win involving true freshman Zac Foster, who exited the game in the first half with a knee injury. He did not return to the game and was not on the bench in the second half with his team. The four-star prospect, according to 247Sports, will await the timeline that comes next with his injury.

Fellow guard Butta Johnson also missed the second half with a left leg injury, having a physical play close to the basket that also had him slow to get up.

It led to the opportunity for Buckner, who played 17 minutes in the second half and scored 15 of his points in the final frame. He would also finish with two steals in the win.

While the Tigers shot well from the field, they struggled from the free throw line. Clemson made 60% of its free throws, missing 12 in the win.

Clemson will be back in action in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday afternoon, playing Cincinnati at the Bon Secour Wellness Arena in the 2025 Greenville Winter Invitational.

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