Sanford Files Lawsuit Over Vetoes
S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford has filed a federal lawsuit to block a portion of “stimulus” funds from being appropriated by the S.C. General Assembly.
Sanford filed the lawsuit after both the House and Senate overrode his vetoes on the two main sections of the state’s $20.7 billion budget, thus appropriating money that most experts agree is up to the governor to spend as he chooses.
“We know that a suit will be filed against us on this issue, and as such we’ve filed a suit tonight in response,” Sanford said in a statement. “We believe the legislature’s end-around move on the stimulus won’t pass constitutional muster, and if it were allowed to stand it would have far reaching implications for future governors of this state and for governors of other states as well.”
Sanford will meet with reporters tomorrow afternoon to discuss his lawsuit, but he wasted little time in making his case in the court of public opinion.
“We’ve long said that spending the stimulus money in this fashion is incredibly irresponsible for the way it ignores the impact on future generations, and for the way it puts our state on shaky financial footing with a nearly $1 billion budget hole two years from now,” Gov. Sanford said. “To that end, we’re incredibly disappointed that the House and Senate would choose to run roughshod over today’s and tomorrow’s taxpayers by overriding our budget vetoes tied to the stimulus.”
Yesterday, in issuing his vetoes, Sanford told lawmakers to “start over” on the state spending plan.
They did not.
By a vote of 98-18 in the House and 34-12 in the Senate, lawmakers overrode Sanford overwhelmingly.
“Woo hoo,” S.C. Department of Education spokesman Jim Foster exclaimed to one reporter during the voting.
“Sometimes, there is a disconnect between blind ideology and responsible government, and we’re seeing that in this debate,” Rep. Bruce Bannister (RINO-Greenville) said after the veto vote. “The Governor gave the House false, impossible choices on the budget, so we had to approve a budget that responsibly spends the taxpayer dollars trusted to us.”
Speaking of other lawmakers who have quickly “gone native,” a curious pair of votes was cast by GOP Sen. Shane Martin.
The freshman Senator – who went to great lengths to have his vote switched to reflect a pro-Sanford position on the budget earlier this session – voted to override the governor on both of the two main “stimulus” vetoes.
At least that’s what the record currently reflects … we’ll have to see who tries to get their votes switched tomorrow.
Comments
By BIN News Editorial Staff on May 20th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
markie mark grins & signs. A thousand teachers and law enforcement officers have lost their jobs because of what he has done. Thanks markie mark.
By Phil Bailey on May 20th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Will,
The two Senate votes were 34-12 and 34-11. Please don’t fluff the Gov’s quest to get to magical 16 votes.
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess118_2009-2010/sj09/20090520.htm
-Phil
By BIN News Idiot Staff on May 21st, 2009 at 6:57 am
I think we should spend 80% more so that we could be in a great position like California.What we need are are more unions so that the great work of the SC schools could be promoted and rewarded until we are bankrupt.
What a silly Gov..Trying to be responsible,nobody wants that crazy kind of leadership…Obama Foever!!
By Cadetsuperintendent on May 21st, 2009 at 7:20 am
Boo hoo, the mean boys on the playground took my
ball. I guess I’ll go to court and sue them to
get it back. South Carolina is nothing but
schoolyard politics and schoolyard personalities.
By liz on May 21st, 2009 at 8:33 am
This man has no mercy. This man has no feelings for the people this money is intended for. Yes Mark Sanford has a lot of money personally. Yes so do his crony buddies.
The people of South Carolina for the most part, are furious from what I hear in public.
And this man… Mark Sanford, wants to be a President. FAT CHANCE
By peyton manning sucks on May 21st, 2009 at 9:02 am
Is Lamont financing this lawsuit out if his own money, one of his PAC’s money, or state money that he claims to be so zealously guarding? I’ll bet I can guess the answer.
Hey Will, do your job (legitimately for once), file a FOIA request, and find out how much public money is being spent by governor grandstand on this latest imbroglio — one created entirely by a single obstinate self-promoter. The people deserve to know, don’t you think?
Lamont in 2012!
By Cecila Mixon on May 21st, 2009 at 9:25 am
There are a lot of ways for a legislator to be named as a RINO, but simply voting to accept money that will go to other states and not back to taxpayers if we don’t accept it doesn’t make you a RINO.
By jacob on May 21st, 2009 at 9:42 am
The legislature is trying to force Sanford to take revenue that is legally up to him to decide about. He doesn’t want to because the legislature is going to blow it without cutting any of the garbage out of the budget. Then in two years we’ll have to pay the bills. Which we won’t be able to do, of course.
Teacher, law enforcement job loss, BIN? Tell us this — do you think lobbyists and consultants and lawyers and the guys who run EnguenuitySC and the rest of the “knowledge sector council” should be allowed to keep their jobs while we fire teachers? How about that Spring Dairy Festival, or the marketing for PRT, or the golf courses, or all the competitive grants programs?
You never comment on that stuff, so I guess you think it’s more important than teachers and cops. Because your boys in the GA didn’t cut any of that stuff out to save teacher jobs. Don’t you think they should have cut every dime of that crap out of this budget rather than expanding it? Or set priorities for spending that included thorough program reviews?
I am not always a Sanford fan. Sometimes he trumpets the right ideas but doesn’t always follow through the right way. But this time he’s 100%right. BIN, our state is in trouble. We need to get our priorities in order and come up with a sound budget that funds what we need and cuts what we don’t. Until we do that, why would anyone support giving those guys more money? Unless, of course, you are getting some of it — right, BIN?
By Crooner on May 21st, 2009 at 10:56 am
Now THAT’S an example of lawsuit abuse.
What a maroon. He’s been every bit as effective as governor as he was as a congressman.
By First Money on May 21st, 2009 at 11:52 am
Liz: “The people of South Carolina for the most part, are furious from what I hear in public.”
Seriously Liz, do you have any fiscally conservative friends?
And Crooner, you’re gonna find the Governor’s on pretty solid grounds legally. Of course, the fact that most justices were former legislators may hurt him. But if they decide the case on the merits, he’s got a good shot.
By weighing in on May 21st, 2009 at 1:00 pm
well first money, mr. state’s rights filed his suit in federal court, so what we will probably have is a remand back to state court….what a moron
By Liberty for me on May 21st, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I am tired of people posting, bashing the gov…I would really like to poll these people to find which politician they would hold in high esteem.
Let me guess Clinton,Marion Berry??…Obama?? or anyone who would steal from others to give to you??
By CL on May 23rd, 2009 at 8:35 am
Sanford must be stupid or something. Doesn’t he know that they can just print more money when they run out? So who cares that SC will be forced to pick up the spending slack when the stimulus money stops in a couple of years? We can just ask for the Feds to step in and usurp our autonomy even more.