The Constitution directs that the governor "shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed." Prior to the Restructuring Act of 1993, the governor's authority over various agencies of the State was limited due to his limited role in the supervision and appointment of governing heads of boards and agencies. The governor now has the power to appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, many agency heads and boards that are accountable to him for their performance.
His appointive power includes many members of boards and commissions, some requiring confirmation by the Senate. He is an ex-officio member of many of these Boards. He may also create special commissions, committees, and task forces by executive order.
The governor's fiscal powers were also expanded as a result of the Restructuring Act. Formerly, the governor simply used his power of line item veto to object to terms in the budget that he deemed unnecessary or wasteful. Now, the governor creates an executive budget, with the input from the various agencies, and presents it to the House Ways and Means Committee. While this is a great improvement over the governor's role in the past, the governor has no direct control over the two agencies responsible for the majority of expenditures from state funds: the State Department of Education and the Department of Transportation. The governor has additional influence on the budget in his role as Chairman of the Budget and Control Board.
He also is directed by Article IV of the S.C. Constitution, "to give the General Assembly information on the condition of the State and recommend for its consideration such measures as he shall deem necessary or expedient." Most governors do this at their inaugural address and then each succeeding January in their "State of the State" address. The governor is responsible for signing or vetoing all bills passed by the Legislature.
The governor is Commander-In-Chief of the National Guard and/or State Guard in case of riot, rebellion, or act-of-God emergencies. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Department of Public Safety are departments whose directors are responsible to the governor.
Much of the power that the governor of South Carolina exercises comes
from the force of his personality, his ability to influence the
Legislature, and the effectiveness of his public relations.