COLUMBIA, S.C. — Ahead of South Carolina’s Tax-Free Weekend taking place August 7-9, Dr. Annie Andrews, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, issued the following statement.

“South Carolina’s annual Tax-Free Weekend is a great opportunity for families to save money shopping for clothing, computers, and supplies for the upcoming school year. And while Tax-Free Weekend is a saving grace for families in South Carolina to save money, we must do more to address the rising cost of living all year long, not just for 72 hours.

“Many families will enjoy savings this weekend shopping for necessities, but the reality is that too many of them are struggling under the unbearable weight of high grocery prices, unaffordable healthcare, and skyrocketing gas prices.

Right now, as parents prepare to send their children back to school, many are also facing impossible choices that no family should have to make. They’re deciding whether they can afford their child’s medication or pay the rent. They’re struggling to keep up with rising energy bills while trying to keep the lights on. And they’re sitting around their kitchen tables, stretching every dollar, wondering how they’ll afford the school supplies their children need to succeed. For too many families, back-to-school season isn’t just about new backpacks and fresh starts—it’s about making heartbreaking financial decisions just to get by.

We need to enact legislation that lowers healthcare costs in South Carolina, including reducing drug prices, expanding access to Medicaid, and protecting our rural hospitals. We need to ensure our elected officials regulate utility companies in a way that protects South Carolina’s people and resources, not companies’ bottom lines. And we need to push back on the current administration’s penchant for war that threatens the lives of our servicemen and women, and keeps gas prices at home rising even higher.”

South Carolina’s tax-free weekend began in 2000. During the annual Customers are exempt from paying the 6% sales tax on items including groceries, school supplies, clothing and more over the 72-hour period.

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