Sanford vetoes name change

ROBERT W. DALTON, Staff Writer
Published February 7, 2006

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Gov. Mark Sanford says that changing the technical schools' names could weaken their "successful branding."
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What's in a name?

Apparently plenty if you're name is Spartanburg Technical College and you want to change it.

Gov. Mark Sanford on Monday vetoed a bill that would have allowed Spartanburg Tech to change its name to Spartanburg Community College. The bill also would have changed the name of the Spartanburg County Commission for Technical Education to the Spartanburg County Commission for Technical and Community Education.

Lawmakers and school officials said the name change was needed to assist the county's economic development efforts, to increase its partnerships with the business community and to attract a broader spectrum of students.

While Sanford said he understood the motivation, he said changing technical school names in piecemeal fashion could "weaken the successful branding that we have accomplished over the last four decades."

"I commend the thinking behind this bill because it represents an ongoing discussion between business and educational leaders on making two-year or technical edu-

cation a more acceptable choice in the education marketplace," Sanford said in his veto message. "I am concerned, however, that this bill would set precedent for every technical school in South Carolina to chart its own course with regard to branding."

The bill already has a set precedent. The House on Thursday gave final approval to a bill that would allow Tri-County Technical College to change its name to Tri-County Community College.

Spartanburg Technical College President Dan Terhune said Monday night that he was disappointed by Sanford's decision.

Terhune didn't know what the college's next step would be if legislators don't override the veto.

"We won't give up," he said. "We think we are right in trying to pursue the change and will try to convince the governor and others to see if it can work somehow."

Local legislators seemed amused when they learned of the veto after Monday's county Legislative Delegation meeting.

"We shouldn't have any trouble overriding that one," Rep. Bob Walker, R-Landrum, said through a wide grin.

House Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg, said the General Assembly didn't want to make the change "piecemeal." But a bill that addressed the issue statewide died in the Senate last year.

"This was an attempt to allow a local school to change its image," Smith said.

Smith said local House members would take up the veto as soon as they receive it, possibly as early as today.

Sen. Glenn Reese, D-Boiling Springs, predicted the veto wouldn't stand up in the Senate, either.

"We'll over-ride it and let him (Sanford) figure it out," Reese said.

-- Staff writer Mesha Y. Williams contributed to this report.

Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7274 or bob.dalton@shj.com.