(Published July 23‚ 2003)

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - Gov. Mark Sanford signed into law Wednesday a bill that gives local school districts more flexibility in making up missed school days.

The new law gives the General Assembly the choice of forgiving the missed days or empowering the local school district to do it.

"This new law not only corrects the constitutional problem moving forward for all of us, but it also gives local school districts much-needed flexibility in setting their own start and stop dates, their own in-service days and their own makeup days as well," he said.

Sanford was joined by House Speaker David Wilkins, local legislators and school officials when he signed the bill at the Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville.

Last month, Sanford vetoed three bills that would exempt schools in Oconee and Pickens counties from making up school days missed because of water problems.

Sanford said at the time that the bills are unconstitutional local legislation. He called on the General Assembly to establish a general statute for missed school days.

Sanford has vetoed other local legislation before, saying he wants lawmakers to eliminate the long-standing practice of passing laws that affect only one county, which the state Constitution prohibits.