Sanford's budget calls for an end to the funding in three years to free-up money for education and health programs.

State funds make up almost 80 percent of the museum's budget. The museum also gets $1.2 million a year from admissions, store sales and rentals.

The State Museum is one of a few museums in South Carolina that receives state funds.

"To a certain extent, this was a surprise," said Gray Culbreath, museum commission chairman. Culbreath said he did not know why the museum had been singled out for a complete cut in funding.

The Confederate Relic Room, in the State Museum building but operated independently, receives all of its $400,00 from the state. Many other museums receive some funding through the South Carolina Arts Commission, but it's usually less than $100,000 annually.

The museum pays the state nearly $3 million a year in rent. Neighboring EdVenture children's museum pays $1 in rent a year.

The museum and its collection still would belong to the state, and the facility would not become a private museum, according to the governor's office. The governor also would continue to appoint commission members.

In response to the proposal, the museum issued a statement.

"We realize that the governor's budget proposal is part of his effort to produce a streamlined, more efficient government," the statement said. "We will continue to cooperate with budget planners in exploring new sources of supplemental funding for the museum while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the institution and its collections and offerings."

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