January 2026: Advocacy Updates
Happy New Year, Localists and Locavores! We invite you to review our recently approved 2026 Advocacy Priorities to see key areas where we'll be investing our time and energy in the months ahead.
In other news...
Local
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Building a strong local community starts with you and your dollars. We hope you'll join this month's Localize Your Business Week and take a moment to examine your business' spending and see where we can help you pivot more dollars this year to local partners and vendors. Every dollar matters!
- "The Town of Mount Pleasant is proud to announce the launch of Sawyer, a new AI-powered virtual assistant designed to make it easier than ever for residents to access Town information and services anytime, day or night. Sawyer was developed in partnership with Citibot, a company founded and based in Charleston that is now a national leader in interactive chat solutions for local government." - Read more via Town of Mount Pleasant news alert
State
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New liquor liability rules went into effect January 1, 2026, requiring bars and restaurants across the state to carry a minimum of $1 million in liquor liability insurance. It also requires alcohol server training and adjusts how business owners are held responsible in civil lawsuits. Learn more via SC ETV. Questions? Members can tap an expert in our Local Expertise Exchange.
Federal
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"The Institute for Local Self-Reliance won its motion to unseal the FTC’s 2024 complaint alleging a price discrimination scheme orchestrated by Pepsi and Walmart. The un-redacted complaint lays bare a blatant scheme in which Pepsi doggedly worked to maintain Walmart’s “price gap” on Pepsi products by increasing costs to smaller grocers and forcing them to increase their prices. The conspiracy ultimately raised prices across the board, providing clear evidence of the need to renew enforcement of antitrust laws, such as the Robinson-Patman Act.” – via Institute for Local Self Reliance
Questions? Reach out: Jordan@lowcountrylocalfirst.org