Gov. Mark Sanford continued his sparring match with lawmakers Wednesday, this time confounding legislative leaders by poking holes in a House budget proposal up for consideration next week.

The $5.8 billion budget — approved unanimously last month by the bipartisan House Ways and Means Committee — doesn’t set aside enough money for the state’s trust funds or factor in his plan to cut income taxes, the Republican governor said.

House leaders were perplexed because they say the broad strokes of their spending plan closely mirror the budget Sanford proposed in January.

“It’s trying to create a controversy where none really exists,” said House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville. “We’re in a heated agreement with just about all of his priorities, and yet the governor doesn’t seem to understand that.”

The House budget proposal, which enjoys support of many Republicans and Democrats, adopted 170 spending cuts included in Sanford’s plan and would restore $117 million to 40 trust funds that lawmakers raided in recent lean budget years.

Sanford is now proposing an additional $240 million for trust fund repayment. “This is all about spending, and holding the line on spending,” he said.

Top House Republicans, including Wilkins, budget committee chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, and Majority Leader Jim Merrill, R-Berkeley, showed up at the news conference.

“The real difference here is we’re funding more in education,” said Harrell, adding that the House plan spends $100 million more than Sanford proposed for K-12 programs and colleges.

Sanford argued that restoring more to trust funds would allay fears that the state’s pristine AAA credit rating could be downgraded. For fodder, he produced a letter from State Treasurer Grady Patterson, a Democrat.

But Patterson’s letter dealt with a potential technical problem in how the state accounts for its reserve funds, not the trust funds.

Two credit-rating agencies, Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s, recently said Sanford’s own proposal to cut the income tax to 4.75 percent could jeopardize the state’s credit rating.

Sanford brushed aside those concerns.

“It’s a difference between what is happening and what might happen,” he said. He plans to meet with credit agencies in New York to explain his tax proposal.

Wednesday’s news conference was the latest episode in which Sanford has used the bully pulpit to nudge lawmakers, often in ways they don’t find amusing.

Last year, Sanford brought two pigs to the House chambers in the waning days of the session to rail against pork barrel spending. He brought a horse and buggy to the State House last month to complain about what he called an outdated government.

Some lawmakers say Sanford is more interested in needling legislators than working with them.

“I don’t think there’s anything we’ve done that he’s liked,” said Rep. Dan Cooper, R-Anderson. “There’s no middle ground with him.”

Reach Stensland at (803) 771-8358 or jstensland@thestate.com.