Governor Haley announced her budget vetoes on Thursday (6/9).
In all, she vetoed 51 items from the $7.5 billion state budget.
Those 51 vetoes impact about $41 million dollars, which comes to about 1/2 of one percent of the overall budget spending.
Of that 41 million, the Governor called nine million of it “old-fashioned pork.”
47 of the 51 vetoes were items in the General Appropriations Act.
You can read those here.
The other four come from the Capital Reserve Fund and you can read those here.
Overall, however, the Governor said she likes a lot of things in the budget.
That includes more money for education and fighting domestic violence, without raising taxes.
The Governor signed some bills we’ve followed this session into law.
One of those slightly changes “Daniel’s Law.”
That law currently allows an adult, with some exceptions, to leave an unharmed infant at an open “safe haven,” which includes a health care facility, law enforcement center, fire house or a place of worship, with no questions asked and with no risk of a criminal penalty.
The new bill changes the age of an infant in this case from 30 to 60 days old.
The bill also now requires “safe havens” to post a notice prepared by the Department of Social Services on its premises that is prominently displayed for view by the public, stating that the facility, agency, or other location is a safe haven at which a person may leave an infant.
Among the sponsors are representatives Heather Ammons Crawford (R-Socastee) and Pat Henegan (D-Bennettsville).
To read the bill, click here.
The Governor also signed a bill into law that, among other things, would raise the definition of a “child” or “juvenile” in South Carolina law from a person “less than 17” years old to a person “less than 18.”
This won’t, however, automatically allow a person who is 16 or 17 and who is charged with a violent crime to have their case sent to family court.
One of the bill’s sponsors is Sen. Gerald Malloy (D-Hartsville).
To read this bill, click here.
And last Monday (6/6) the Governor signed a bill that may mean golf carts legally riding at night in Horry and Georgetown counties.
The new law allows a county that has a barrier island, or a municipality within such a county, to pass a law that would allow you to operate a golf cart at night.
The cart must have working lights.
The law would, again, apply to both Horry and Georgetown counties.
To read this bill, click here.
Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Columbia this Wednesday (6/15) to address Gov. Haley’s latest vetoes.
That’s one day after the state primaries, which take place tomorrow (6/14).
All Senate and House seats are up this Fall (all constitutional officers, including the Governor are not).
Four local Senate seats feature contested primary races:
In District 30 (Marion, Florence, Dillon, Horry & Marlboro Counties), a Democratic primary between incumbent Kent Williams (Marion) and Patrick Richardson (Gresham).
In District 31 (Florence & Darlington Counties), a Republican primary between incumbent Hugh Leatherman (Florence), Richard Skipper (Florence) and Dean Fowler, Jr. (Florence).
In District 33 (Horry County), a Republican primary between incumbent Luke Rankin (Myrtle Beach) and Scott Pyle (Myrtle Beach) .
In District 34 (Georgetown, Horry and Charleston Counties), a Republican primary between Reese Boyd (Murrells Inlet), Joe Ford (Pawleys Island), Stephen Goldfinch (Murrells Inlet) and Dick Withington (Myrtle Beach). The incumbent, Dr. Ray Cleary (R-Murrells Inlet), is not running for a fourth term.
Four local House seats also feature primaries:
In District 50 (Lee, Kershaw & Sumter Counties), a Democratic primary between Brian Alston (Rembert), Crystal Cunningham (Rembert), Tom Drayton (Bishopville), Keith Johnson (Lamar – Lee County), Demoine Kinney (Bishopville) and Will Wheeler (Bishopville).
The incumbent, Grady Brown (D-Bishopville) is not running for a 17th term.
In District 57 (Marion, Dillon & Horry Counties), a Democratic primary between Lucas Atkinson (Marion), Lee Walter Jenkins (Marion) and Ryan Waller (Mullins).
The incumbent, Wayne George (D-Mullins) is not running for a third term.
In District 64 (Clarendon & Sumter Counties), a Democratic primary between incumbent Robert Ridgeway (Manning), Herc Conyers (Manning) and Mitch Ellerby (Manning).
In District 103 (Georgetown, Williamsburg & Horry Counties), a Democratic primary between incumbent Rev. Carl Anderson (Georgetown) and Dewon Huggins (Bucksport).
There’s also a Republican primary for the U.S. House District 1 between the incumbent Mark Sanford and state Rep. Jenny Horne (Summerville).
Any runoffs will take place June 28.
The General Election is November 8.
