LOWER BODY CHOPS $488 MILLION IN TARGETED BUDGET CUTS, OVERRIDES SANFORD’S ANTI-LAW ENFORCEMENT VETO

South Carolina legislators are back in Columbia this week to take up Gov. Mark Sanford’s proposed targeted budget cuts and, by the Grace of God or some divine miracle, one-half of the General Assembly has actually done something. In fact, they even went further than expected by cutting 7 percent from the state’s budget, resulting in a $488 million reduction in spending.

A statement from House Speaker Bobby Harrell said, “We couldn’t ask other agencies to operate with less funding if the Legislature was not willing to also dramatically cut its budget. We have tried our best to prioritize these cuts and protect some of the most critical areas of government.

“Eliminating the funding for the Competitive Grants Program was one of the first items both House and Senate Leaders agreed to cut. This money was redirected to the Department of Corrections to help prevent further cuts in this agency’s budget,” Harrell said.

Best of all, this was done without raising taxes. Now it’s the Senate’s turn to pick up the ball and run with it.

The House also voted 86-25 to override the governor’s veto of a bill that will allow law enforcement to collect DNA and fingerprints from suspects during a felony arrest, effectively giving courts another tool in convicting criminals.