March 2026: Advocacy Updates

Local 

• On February 19, Charleston County Council approved the first draft of funding allocations for the half-cent Transportation Sales Tax referendum expected to be on the ballot this November. This is the breakdown of how the revenue generated from the sales tax would be spent (subject to change). Learn more and follow the next phase of community input.

• • 60% ($1.6 billion) on infrastructure 

• • 20% ($850 million) on public transit 

• • 15% ($650 million) on the county’s greenbelt program 

• • 5% ($190 million) on bike and pedestrian improvements 

• Phase 3 of the Lowcountry Rapid Transit (LCRT) project recently kicked off, with construction expected to begin in 2027. Lowcountry Local First is at the table for the important conversations of this phase, focusing on bringing small business anti-displacement tactics and mindset shifts to the planning efforts. There are many ways to get involved and lend your voice to this process. Explore the LCRT map and view upcoming meetings. 

• As part of Mayor Cogswell’s Project 3500 affordable housing initiative, the City of Charleston is launching a new interactive dashboard on its website, giving residents the opportunity to learn more about the project and the city’s long-term strategy for housing in our region. View the Project 3500 Affordable Housing Dashboard.  

• Watch Mayor Haynie’s recently released 2025 State of the Town Address for the Town of Mount Pleasant.  

• The City of Charleston, in partnership with the national Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund), recently announced the grand opening of Charleston’s Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), offering professional, one-on-one financial counseling and coaching as a free public service to the local community. At the Charleston FEC, professionally trained financial counselors help individuals and families with low and moderate incomes manage their finances, pay down debt, increase savings, establish and build credit, protect assets, prepare for legacy planning and access safe and affordable mainstream banking products. Learn more. 

 State 

• Learn how we're cutting red tape for small businesses that raise charitable funds.

• A Small Business Tax Cut bill passed the House unanimously in February. The bill defines small businesses as those with 100 employees or fewer or $10 million or less in annual revenue and exempts the first $10,000 of net depreciated business personal property from taxation. – via WLTX.com 

 
Federal 

• On Feb 20, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3 to strike down President Trump’s sweeping tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The Court upheld lower court decisions finding that the administration exceeded its authority by invoking a 1977 law intended for national emergencies to impose so called “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly every foreign trading partner. The tariffs, which have burdened our small businesses since last April, were deemed unlawful by a bipartisan majority of Supreme Court justices.  Learn more. 

  • Notes from Main Street Alliance online, nonpartisan briefing held Feb 23, 2026:
    
    The new tariffs are being imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. This law allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15%, and for a duration of up to 5 months. The 15% tariff was announced to take effect on or around February 24, 2026, as a "one-size-fits-all" rate on imports, replacing the invalidated IEEPA tariffs. The good news? There's now less uncertainty and often lower rates than before. This should allow small businesses to plan and prepare accordingly. 
    
    The tariffs previously implemented were deemed unlawful by a bipartisan majority of Supreme Court justices. They left a path open for legal opportunity for small businesses to achieve these recoveries. The Supreme Court will not be establishing that process but rather are deferring to the lower courts. There will most likely NOT be a mass refund process led by the government unless the lower courts get flooded and demand such a process. There is urgency to file because small businesses have already begun this process and there will be a pipeline - and the administration could change course once again.  
    
    If you'd like to pursue legal action for your business, please reach out to Matt Platkin of Platkin LLP: tariffrefunds@platkinllp.com. Their legal team are experts in this area and will be doing this on a contingency basis instead of charging hourly rates - advancing all costs and taking a cut at the end ONLY if successful. Nothing comes out of your pocket.
    
    What will the legal team need from you? They'll need importer of record and proof that you paid those duties directly, including the amount. They'll seek that amount back, with interest. Once they have your facts, they'll submit the complaint quickly. If you're not sure if you're the importer of record or qualify, still reach out to their legal team and they can help answer that and won't take on your case if you aren't a fit.
    
• Legislation to rein in credit card swipe fees reintroduced - via Small Business Majority 
  In January, the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA), which would increase competition in the credit card industry, was reintroduced in the House. The bipartisan legislation seeks to rein in rising credit card transaction, or ‘swipe,’ fees, which remain a significant financial burden for small businesses nationwide, where fees can range anywhere from 2-4% per transaction. For small businesses operating on razor-thin margins, swipe fees represent a major operating cost that is simply too high for small merchants to absorb, forcing many businesses to pass on costs to their customers. In 2024, credit and debit card swipe fees reached a staggering $187.2 billion. President Trump recently endorsed the legislation, calling on members of Congress to support the CCCA to rein in credit card swipe fees. Have credit card swipe fees been a burden to your small business? 

Questions? Input? Email jordan@Lowcountrylocalfirst.org.