South Carolina Statehouse Blog

(Columbia, SC) – House Speaker Bobby Harrell issued the following statement about the budget vetoes Governor Sanford announced today:

“First, this so-called stimulus bill should have never been passed, and second, we would have liked to use the money on paying down debt. However, the federal package was passed into law despite our objections and the President said twice we could not use it to pay down debt. It is simply not legally possible to do what the Governor is saying; it would only ensure that South Carolina’s money would be sent to other states while our citizens are left paying it back. The Governor’s vetoes takes away money that would keep teachers in the classroom and criminals in prisons. We owe it to our teachers and law enforcement officers to override these vetoes.”