STATE OF THE STATE. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the legislature Wednesday at the State House in Columbia. (AP photo)

By JENNIFER HOLLAND Associated Press

COLUMBIA — Gov. Mark Sanford reinforced his vision to make South Carolina more competitive in a global economy in his third State of the State address on Wednesday.

The Republican talked about the same themes he's discussed in his past two speeches, calling for a reduced income tax, more school choice for parents, a restructured government and getting the state's financial house in order.

"I would ask that we travel that road less traveled in politics and make real reforms and real changes to the way things have been done for too long in many cases in our state," Sanford said.

Sanford said many forces outside the state, including the war in Iraq, the stock market and the national economy all affect the well being of South Carolinians.

He said the state's education system needs to be improved and the state's legal system needs to be reformed to welcome more businesses.

"If you send someone out into the 21st century without a first-rate education, you are doing literally the equivalent of sending a soldier out into war without a gun," Sanford said.

He said his plan to reduce the state's income tax would help small businesses thrive and create jobs and wealth in the state.

Legislation moving through the House would lower the state's top income tax rate to 4.75 percent from 7 percent over 10 years.

"It is a time for choosing between a tax system that holds us back and a tax system, frankly, that would allow us to better compete with the rest of the country and frankly, the rest of the world," Sanford said.

The governor also reached out to lawmakers for their commitment to make changes.

"I do know that if we work together — not as Republicans and Democrats, but as South Carolinians — we can make more than just a difference in the just the budget and the economy, but frankly in peoples lives," he said.

After two years of sometimes icy relations with the governor, leaders of the GOP-controlled Legislature said they liked what they heard.

"The agenda we've announced really mirrors the agenda he's announced and vice versa, so there's a lot of common ground," said House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville.

"It's a very ambitious vision," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman.

House Minority Leader Harry Ott, D-St. Matthews, said he was disappointed the governor focused on the state's poor economy and then discussed programs that would need more funding, including the income tax reduction proposal.

"I was disappointed he spent no time whatsoever talking about property tax relief," Ott said. "Folks back home are demanding that we acknowledge that we need some property tax relief."

Sanford said market-driven reforms in public education would pick up where politics fall short. He has proposed a tax credit for parents who send their children to private schools.

He raised the ire of the state's education chief when he asked if anyone could "imagine tears of joy being shed because you got into the existing public school in Allendale or Marion" counties, which rank at the bottom of most education ratings.

"That was a cheap shot," said Democratic State Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum.

She said Sanford should be working to build cooperation to improve public schools. "There is no accountability in his tax credit plan."

The governor called for government restructuring and urged lawmakers to let voters decide in a referendum.

Sanford also said he wanted to tweak the state's drunken driving law, but provided no specifics.

Criticism of that law is odd, given Sanford's involvement to make the legal drunken-driving limit parallel the federal limit of .08 percent, Democrats said.

"He sat at the conference table when that DUI bill was hammered out," said Sen. John Land, D-Manning.