Advocacy Updates

VIEW COLLABORATIVE UPDATE FROM LOWCOUNTRY LOCAL FIRST + CHARLESTON METRO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE A subcommittee of SC Senators is currently reviewing and potentially amending draft state legislation that could address the skyrocketing costs and headaches around liquor liability insurance for small... Continue Reading

Local The Town of Mount Pleasant will hold a special election on Tuesday, March 25, to fill Council Member Carl Ritchie’s seat. Ritchie was recently sworn in as the new Charleston County sheriff. Read Rev. Kylon Middleton’s, Charleston County Council’s new... Continue Reading

Happy 2025! I hope you'll consider making a commitment this year to seek out locally owned businesses whenever possible. You are our community's best advocate and every dollar you spend shapes this place. Just use our Local Business Directory to search by keyword, zip code, industry type and more... Continue Reading

On December 3, a Texas federal district court preliminarily barred enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act nationwide — the broad decision came weeks before the January 1, 2025, deadline for 32.6 million business entities to report their beneficial ownership information ("BOI"). (Texas... Continue Reading

Worth doing: Share your input on public transit: Attend a community open house or virtual meeting for Lowcountry Rapid Transit (LCRT): - In person: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 // Keith Summey Public Library, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. or 5 - 7 p.m. - View the on-demand virtual meeting, available through... Continue Reading

Worth doing: Share input to the North Charleston Comprehensive Plan: Public Open House, Wednesday, November 13, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, Northwoods Park Community Center (8348 Greenridge Rd, 29406) // The City of North Charleston is beginning work to update their Comprehensive Plan, known as... Continue Reading

Our hearts are with our neighbors in Appalachia and the southeastern US who have been affected by Hurricane Helene. We encourage you to support disaster relief efforts and buy from local business’ online stores in the region if you are able. Gift cards are always a good idea! The City of... Continue Reading

Our hearts are with our neighbors in Appalachia and the southeastern US who have been affected by Hurricane Helene. We encourage you to support disaster relief efforts and buy from local business’ online stores in the region if you are able. Gift cards are always a good idea! Explore more... Continue Reading

City of Charleston Mayor William Cogswell unveiled the city’s new Basin Flood Action Program (BFAP) following a public workshop about the Charleston Integrated Water Plan (CIWP) with city council on Aug 27. BFAP marks a decisive step in addressing Charleston’s most pressing... Continue Reading

The below update is provided by the Independent Restaurant Coalition: — Credit Card Payment Settlement Deadline for Filing Extended If your business accepted Visa or MasterCard credit cards between 2004 and 2019, you may be eligible for a payment as part of a recent $5.5 billion class-action... Continue Reading

Local Level: Johns Island, It's Your Turn to Engage in the City of Charleston Zoning Code Rewrite: The City of Charleston is undertaking an update to its Zoning Code called Setting New Standards. The purpose is to modernize the regulations that govern development in the City, to make them... Continue Reading

New Data: We recently wrapped up our 2024 Member Survey, with more than 60 responses captured. These results help inform our team of what kinds of programming and advocacy efforts matter most to you, and what the community needs at large in order to fulfill our mission. View the summary and key... Continue Reading