Legislature overrides veto on missed school days

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Three of the bills exempted schools in two Upstate counties from making up school days missed because of water and flooring problems at schools in the two districts.

Classes were canceled for several days following spring break at Holly Springs Elementary in Pickens County after flooring problems surfaced in one of the school's wings.

Sanford said the bills are unconstitutional local legislation, according to the Associated Press. He called on the General Assembly to establish a general statute that would say when a school would not be required to make up missed days or give school districts more autonomy.

The governor on Tuesday also nixed a bill that would have combined Dorchester County's two voting offices into one.

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.

The House and Senate overrode the vetoes Tuesday.

The Senate also overrode a veto on a 35-6 vote to create a memorial for law enforcement officers on Statehouse grounds. The House overrode the veto last month. Sanford said the $500,000 for the project could be spent elsewhere during the state's budget crunch.