General Appropriation Veto Letter

A few items that have caught my eye so far…

1. Vetoes 6 & 7 (Greenville Tech – University Center) The University Center’s appropriation has often been a target for vetoes in the past. I will vote to override this veto as the University Center has proven over the years to be a solid return on investment by giving professional adults the opportunity to earn advanced degrees while remaining in the workforce. South Carolina already lags behind our peer state in college graduates per capita and University Center fulfills a unique niche to help close that gap.
2. Veto 12 (University of South Carolina — Small Business Development Center) Have you ever attempted to start a new business? There is a lot of red tape and potential pitfalls and most new businesses fail before they can flourish. The SBDC exists to assist and mentor entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground. Just last year with a budget of less than $500,000, the SBDC’s assisted in 2,735 Jobs Created & Saved; $54,700,000 in Capital Formation; $117,900,000 in Government Contract Awards; 105 New Businesses Started; and 6,096 Individuals Served. Enough said. I will vote to override this veto.
3. Vetoes 27 & 28 (Election Commission Carry forward) This veto would prohibit the State Election Commission from using approximately $700,000 money left over from last fiscal year to help offset the cost of the First in the South Republican primary in 2012. The entire cost to run a secure primary election is approximately $1.5 million. Both the Republican and Democrat primaries in 2008 were funded by state tax dollars. I will vote to override this veto, too. I believe elections are a core function of government, not to mention the economic impact to our state of having multiple campaigns spend lots of money in our state on television, radio, hotels, transportation, etc. The return on investment is huge, plus it gives a small state like South Carolina a chance to have a real voice in nominating a potential United States President.
4. Vetoes 30 & 31 (State Conservation Bank) This veto would remove the general fund appropriation of $2,000,000 to the state conservation bank fund. We already have a mechanism for funding the conservation bank through deed stamp fees when properties transfer. I agree with Governor Haley that additional funding the conservation bank is not a good idea at this time and will vote to sustain this veto.

Governor Haley will be briefing House members in the morning on her vetoes. I look forward to hearing from her and you as we debate these vetoes tomorrow on the House floor. Feel free to watch us live on your computer.