This very special episode of Beyond Policy features a roundtable discussion focused on the energy landscape in South Carolina, highlighting the state's growth, the challenges faced by the nuclear energy sector, and the importance of energy in both economic development and national defense.

We were pleased to be joined by a very distinguished panel: Congresswoman Sheri Biggs (SC-03), Dr. Jody Lipford (professor at Francis Marion University), Michael Mule (partner with SURGE Public Affairs), Susie Shannon (President & CEO of SC Competes), Brigadier General Robin Stilwell (Adjutant General of South Carolina), and Rick Todd (President & CEO of the SC Trucking Association).

We discuss the lessons learned from the VC Summer nuclear project, the future of nuclear energy, the role of artificial intelligence in energy solutions, and the significance of energy security for military operations.

The enlightening conversation emphasizes the need for competitive energy pricing and workforce development to attract industries and support economic growth.

We are joined this week on Beyond Policy by a very special guest, Palmetto Promise alum Lawson Mansell. He is a health policy analyst with the Niskanen Center in Washington DC, where he specializes in supply-side health care solutions. Dr. Smith and Mansell discuss opportunities for healthcare freedom and deregulation in South Carolina, especially surrounding transparency in healthcare billing and giving patients the right to shop for their healthcare.

They discuss recent Executive orders from President Trump to promote price transparency and the impacts of the federal No Surprises Act, as well as steps of South Carolina can take to promote transparent billing.

Rick Todd – How South Carolina’s Unfair Tort Laws Hurt All Industries, Not Just Bars

In this episode of the Beyond Policy podcast, Rick Todd of the South Carolina Trucking Association discusses the complexities of the trucking industry in South Carolina, including its evolution, the life of truck drivers, and the impact South Carolina’s unfair civil liability laws have on the industry. Trucking companies are too often “cash cow” defendants in aggressive personal injury lawsuits, and companies end up paying far more in damages than their driver was liable. Rick and Dr. Oran Smith dig into the history and context of the current tort reform debate and walk through the content of the South Carolina Justice Act (S.244) passed by the SC Senate. Rick explains why tort reform cannot just be limited to the hospitality industry and needs to include changes for all industries, including trucking. South Carolina’s civil liability system should be fair and balanced, ensuring accountability without punishing innocent parties. And right now, the system is far from just.

To learn more about the need for lawsuit reform in South Carolina, visit https://palmettopromise.org/legal25/repeal-the-lawsuit-tax/.