GOP regroups following Sanford's budget blasting

Ways and Means chair calls news release a personal attack on him

JIM DAVENPORT

Associated Press

COLUMBIA - S.C. House Republicans regrouped behind locked doors Thursday after Gov. Mark Sanford, a fellow Republican, used three party leaders to criticize developing state spending proposals.

On Wednesday, House budget writers appeared to be close to wrapping up work on a $6.5 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Sanford wants legislators to spend no more than $5.9 billion. He wants to use the rest to repay raids on trust and reserve accounts, and have the balance returned to taxpayers.

During Wednesday's meeting, the governor issued a news release criticizing the developing plans and backing that criticism up with remarks from House Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith; House Judiciary Chairman Jim Harrison; and House Labor, Commerce and Industry Chairman Harry Cato.

All three ran for House speaker last year, eventually dropping out to clear the way for Rep. Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston. Harrell's ascension opened the door for Rep. Dan Cooper, R-Piedmont, to become chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Cooper called Sanford's news release "a personal attack on me and on the speaker."

Sanford and the legislature seemed to be getting along swimmingly as the session began last month, but Wednesday's news release had folks talking about a divide reopening.

"To try and make this a fight between the governor and the General Assembly is to confuse night and day," said Sanford's spokesman, Joel Sawyer. "This is really simple. It's about spending."

Democrats were amused. Rep. Joe Neal, D-Hopkins, said Republicans looked like they were eating each other and he was more than happy to "pass out ketchup."

GOP members huddled for an hour in a locked room Thursday. Harrison said the meeting was intended to help Republicans get on the same page on general spending priorities.

Charleston Rep. John Graham Altman said the meeting was about his fellow Republicans demanding answers from Smith, Harrison and Cato.

The group emerged without changing or embracing budget priorities but with an "overriding feeling" that "Dan Cooper and Ways and Means Committee have the support of the caucus," Harrell said.

Sanford may have gained ground. The tentative budget plans would put $66 million into repaying trust accounts, less than half the $173 million Sanford wanted. On Thursday, Cooper said up to $145 million could go to repayments.

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