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| Wednesday, Feb 26, 2003 |
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Posted on February 25, 2003 Sanford's veto upsets Charleston legislator; surprises other Republicans The Associated Press Gov. Mark Sanford's first round of vetoes surprised some fellow Republican legislators and upset one GOP representative from Charleston. Sanford nixed a bill that would have combined Charleston County's two voting offices into one. Lawmakers pushed the bill to reform the election process in Charleston County, which in November was plagued by long lines and a lengthy vote count. "I think it's going to be a long hard four years if he's going to start vetoing bills like this," Rep. John Graham Altman III, R-Charleston, said Monday. Sanford said he doesn't oppose combining the offices, but the bill was local legislation targeted at a specific county, and therefore, unlawful special legislation. Altman called it "a sneak-attack veto" because Sanford never contacted any members of the Charleston County legislative delegation about the veto. "He didn't notify us. He just did it," Altman said. Sanford's actions show he is trying to run the state without consulting members of the Legislature, including those from his home Charleston County, Altman said. "He's made his call. He's going to have to live with it," Altman said. Sanford also vetoed a bill that would forgive three school days students missed in December because an ice storm caused power outages in Greenville County. Sanford said the bill was specific to one county and that violates the state's constitution. Rep. Gloria Haskins, R-Greenville, said she was surprised by Sanford's action and would start working Tuesday to override it. House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, wasn't surprised by the governor's actions. "It is not uncommon for the governor to take the position it's a local matter, it's unconstitutional and vetoes it," Wilkins said. "And it's not uncommon for the delegation to override it." Sen. Larry Grooms co-sponsored the Charleston County election bill and said Sanford may have unnecessarily made enemies. "I think most of the General Assembly would have liked to have known this policy early on in the year," said Grooms, R-Bonneau, who thinks there is enough support in both chambers of the Legislature to override the veto. Sanford's stance is similar to the legal position taken by other governors who have vetoed or not chosen to sign legislation they considered special legislation since "home rule" began limiting the General Assembly in 1976. Altman said Sanford's logic was flawed because local legislation created the county's two separate election bodies years ago, and nothing prevents lawmakers from combining them now. Information from: The Post And Courier |
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