News and Press Releases for May
June 9, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today offered his take on the closing of the 2008 legislative session, pointing to both its successes with three key pieces of legislation - and its deficiency in leaving unresolved larger issues of unconstitutional deficit spending and restructuring.
June 5, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today said the General Assembly may have broken the law in passing a budget they knew to be out of balance - and therefore unconstitutional - and that doing so could open the state up to a legal challenge.
May 29, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on the House sustaining his first three budget vetoes before adjourning for the weekend.
May 29, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford issued the following statement on the immigration reform bill passed by the House today.
May 28, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today vetoed 69 items from the legislature’s spending plan, for a total of $72 million - saying that money should be put toward agencies like the Department of Education and the Department of Corrections that are already projecting deficits for next year.
May 27, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today vetoed H.3567, a bill that would have increased the state’s cigarette tax by 50 cents - but dedicates the money to expanding Medicaid and other healthcare programs in such a way as to guarantee future tax increases.
May 27, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on the immigration reform plan adopted by the Senate today.
May 26, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today vetoed H.4876, "because having a retirement system that retirees can indeed depend on rests on paying for the promises already on the table, and not wishfully changing a few numbers as the way of growing the system. This veto, at its core, is about bringing fiscal responsibility and stability to the state's woefully underfunded retirement system, and it is my strong hope that those who care about fiscal responsibility will join me in this veto," the governor said.
May 19, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today called on the state Senate to take a step toward putting South Carolina's antiquated government structure in a museum where it belongs by passing the Department of Administration bill.
May 14, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - South Carolina took one giant step toward cleaner, shinier, healthier hair today with Governor Mark Sanford’s signature of H.3803, a new law removing the legal requirement for shampooers to receive the same state-mandated 1,500 hours of training that cosmetologists receive.
May 13, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on the state Senate's decision to delay acting on the House's immigration plan, and instead voted to adjourn in a 23-20 vote.
May 13, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today highlighted two issues that point to fundamental flaws in our state's spending practices, and urged people to make their voices heard on the budget as it heads into its final stages.
May 8, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today reaffirmed his stand on not raising any tax without an offsetting tax cut, saying he would veto the Senate's cigarette tax hike if it comes to his desk in its current form. The governor also called the plan a "double tax increase" for the way it increases taxes immediately, but will also mean having to raise taxes later on to cover future growth in the programs it seeks to expand.
May 7, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on the House's immigration reform plan, which requires employers to check workers' legal status using e-verify as the only alternative to an S.C. driver's license.
May 5, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today thanked the state Republican Party's Executive Committee for its support of the e-verify system, and said a continued push from the Party and other grassroots organizations is needed make sure we end up with a strong immigration bill.
May 1, 2008
Columbia, S.C. - Governor Mark Sanford today said the time is now for citizens who care about real immigration reform to make their voices heard about the need for reform.