August 2026: Advocacy Updates

Local-Level Opportunities & Noteworthy Updates

• Join us in September! Lend your voice at two important upcoming Small Business Advocacy Sessions:
  

  • The City of North Charleston is busy in planning mode as they rewrite their zoning code in the creation of its new UDO (unified development ordinance) to guide how the city grows and evolves for the coming decades. Check out their helpful video series to learn more about how zoning policies shape the places where you live and work.  

    • Join us for a special Local Business-oriented information session around this at Wits End Comedy Lounge on Tuesday, September 1, 5:30 - 7 p.m. Space is limited. Register and claim your spot now.
  • The City of Charleston staff is also busy making plans and they want your input. The public input phase for a refreshed Peninsula Plan is underway – details can be found here. This plan includes the "Charleston Standard" aka the Tourism Management Plan which aims to balance community needs and visitor growth. This WILL impact you as residents and business owners, so please be sure your voice is heard. Take the 12-minute survey, which will close on Thursday, Oct. 8, to help update the city’s plan. It asks residents for their thoughts on topics like city services, communication, and quality of life. 
    • Join us for a special Local Business-oriented information session around this in Local Works Coworking Space on Friday, September 4, 8-9 a.m. Space is limited. Register and claim your spot now. 

• The planning teams behind the Lowcountry Rapid Transit project are looking for input from small business owners along the LCRT corridor (along Rivers Ave in North Charleston). Complete the survey here: LCRT TOD Small Business Survey  

• On July 21, Charleston County Council passed final amendments and voted to approve the Transportation Sales Tax project. This important funding mechanism will be on your ballot on November 3 as approval for an extension of the half cent sales tax program. View the final allocations list and learn more here. 

State-Level Issues Worth Following

• Election Update: Ten South Carolinians filed to run in the August 11, 2026 GOP Special Primary to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. In three days of early voting, 61,775 South Carolinians cast a ballot. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the two candidates with the highest share of the vote will head to a runoff election held Aug. 25.

  The state's General Election will be held November 3 and nearly every race is contested. All statewide and Congressional seats have opposition from both major parties. 

   

Federal-Level Issues Impacting Your Success

• Calling all independent businesses impacted by Amazon's monopoly power! Amazon goes to trial for antitrust misconduct soon and we need your voice to tell the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the 17 states on the lawsuit how important this is and we do not want to see a settlement. Stacy Mitchell and Danny Caine of the Institute of Local Self Reliance recently broke down the harms, the case, and the opportunity.
  • Sign the small business letter: https://lnkd.in/eY6eJ7G2
  • Watch a video explanation of the issue: https://lnkd.in/eN6eimJV

• Via Independent Restaurant Coalition:  
  TALK ABOUT THE SYSCO & RESTAURANT DEPOT MERGER WITH THE FTC 

  Monopolies have a bad habit of driving up prices and reducing product availability. Neither is good for independent restaurants and bars, and that's exactly why the IRC needs your help. 

  The FTC is reviewing the proposed merger between Sysco and Restaurant Depot, and they need to hear directly from owners & operators who genuinely depend on both suppliers to effectively and affordably run their business.  Time is of the essence; they need to hear from us NOW.  

  We know many businesses depend on Sysco, local producers, and Restaurant Depot to keep their kitchens running. This isn't about criticizing Sysco. It's about making sure the FTC hears directly from owners who genuinely rely on a diversified supply chain and understanding what is lost in mergers. 

  If you use both Sysco and Restaurant Depot and are willing to share what that means for your costs, flexibility, or supply chain reliability, please contact IRC  today. 

• The new House-approved Farm bill language was released recently which includes a “Save our Bacon Act” that would overwrite state laws on how pigs, hens, cows are raised. The "Save Our Bacon Act" (also known as the SOB Act or the Food Security and Farm Protection Act) is a highly controversial measure that would overturn state and local laws regulating livestock confinement. It targets laws that require that pork sold comes from animals not kept in extreme confinement. Restaurants rely on this language and guidance to source their products humanely. We urge you to call your members of Congress and share your story. Learn more about the bill. 

Questions? Want to chat? Reach out: Jordan@lowcountrylocalfirst.org