Pamela Evette Vows to Eliminate S.C. Income Tax Within 100 Days of Taking Office

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by WILL FOLKS

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South Carolina is a state known for bold political pronouncements – but no follow-through. Just this week, we published an insightful guest column from conservative state representative Thomas Beach on how governing “Republicans” use smoke and mirrors to create the illusion of reform – without actually reforming anything.

Exhibit A? Taxes… an area where the Palmetto State appears destined to remain at a distinct competitive disadvantage compared to the rest of the country (and its regional neighbors) thanks to the perpetual bait-and-switch tactics of the so-called GOP “supermajority.”

Lawmakers have all the power in the Palmetto State – something they keep making abundantly clear to the other two ostensibly “co-equal” branches of government.

That’s why it was a bit surprising to hear S.C. lieutenant governor Pamela Evette make arguably the boldest campaign promise we’ve heard since Mark Sanford vowed to eliminate the state income tax during his successful bid for governor a quarter century ago.

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At 6%, South Carolina’s top marginal rate is the highest in the southeast. It’s also regressive, kicking in as soon as you earn $18,230.

Sanford’s plan – which was never implemented on account of legislative resistance – would have eliminated this pernicious levy over a period of eighteen years.

Evette? She claimed this week that she was going to accomplish the task in just three months…

“That’s what I would do,” Evette said during a candidate forum in Greenville, S.C. “What I would do in my first 100 days would be to eliminate state income tax.”

Take a listen…

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???? South Carolina lieutenant governor @PamelaEvette, one of four current #Crossroads2026 contenders for governor of the Palmetto State, promised this week to eliminate state income taxes during her first 100 days in office. pic.twitter.com/iFoFA1SPBO

— FITSNews (@fitsnews) February 24, 2026

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Evette’s bold promise was greeted by sustained applause from more than 200 people who attended a 2026 Governor’s Forum at Greenville’s Poinsett Club on Monday afternoon (February 23, 2026).

“Thank you,” Evette said, acknowledging the cheers from the crowd. “I think everybody should clap because you want to keep your own hard-earned money at home.”

“You can spend it better than we do,” Evette added.

That’s for damn sure… which is why it was so tremendously disappointing to learn Evette completely backtracked on her promise mere moments after making it.

“Evette… clarified her comments after the forum,” reporter Joe Bustos of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper noted. “She said she would work on eliminating (South Carolina’s) income tax in (her) first 100 days.”

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Wait… work on it?

Work on it?

Seriously... this is just aspirational?

Sheesh…

Well, guess what: I’m going to “work on” a few things during the first 100 days of 2027, too – like getting a chiseled jawline, piercing blue eyes, gently tussled locks of wavy blonde hair, washboard abs, bodacious buttocks, sun-kissed brown skin and a twelve-inch penis that remains in a constant state of presentment.

I’m also going to work on having Chris Cornell’s vocal range, Ken Griffey Jr.’s baseball swing, Albert Einstein’s grasp of relativity, Beethoven’s chops on the piano, Jacob Elordi’s eye for fashion, Phife Dawg’s lyrical flow and Elon Musk’s bank account.

Who knows? If the first 100 days of the year go well, I might try walking on water, causing the blind to see and raising people from the dead.

As long as I’m “working on it,” right?

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Evette’s rivals were quick to pounce on her about-face.

“I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you can’t eliminate South Carolina’s state income tax in 100 days and to say so on the campaign trail is disingenuous and a lie,” Nancy Mace, U.S. congresswoman and fellow 2026 gubernatorial candidate, wrote on X. “Any politician who promises the impossible in 100 days is not a serious person. I am the only candidate for governor with a detailed, published plan to eliminate South Carolina’s state income tax. The only one. I have a real plan with a real spending cap, real math, and a real timeline. I published a real plan, while others publish talking points.”

There’s an old expression: “you can wish in one hand and crap in the other – and see which gets filled first.”

Sounds like precisely the sort of wisdom with which Evette should familiarize herself…

Make no mistake: eliminating South Carolina’s income tax (without corresponding tax hikes) is critical to fundamentally reorienting our failed crony capitalist approach to economic development. We’ve been saying this for years – long before Evette, Mace or any of the gubernatorial hopefuls jumped on the income tax relief bandwagon.

Talk is cheap, though… as Evette demonstrated with her remarks this week.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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