Both the House and Senate voted on Wednesday to override a majority of Governor Mark Sanford's vetoes, the biggest being Sanford's vetoes of the spending of federal stimulus money. That forced Sanford to say he is filing a federal lawsuit over the stimulus money issue Thursday.
Gov. Mark Sanford announced Tuesday afternoon that he vetoed the main section of next year's state budget and the section that directs federal stimulus spending. He's been fighting the stimulus plan for months and wanted to spend $700 million of the money to pay down state debt. But the Obama administration twice told him that he could not do that.
Gov. Sanford says spending all the money is dangerous given the economy. "If you go down the road that this budget sets, we end up around $270 million in the hole next year and around $650 million the year after that for a total of a $920 million hole," he told reporters.
But lawmakers say the money will prevent hundreds of teachers and law enforcement officers from losing their jobs. Senate Finance Committtee Chairman Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, says, "I believe it will be overridden. There's too much good in there. $185 million for K through 12. $99 million for higher ed. $63 million for public safety, put more Highway Patrol on the road."
The state Department of Education estimates that, without all the stimulus money, 1,500 teachers would be laid off. But even with the money, about 1,000 are likely to lose their jobs.
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