Governor Mark Sanford vetoed 163 items from the $5.8 billion spending plan passed by the Legislature and a separate bill. Four-year and technical colleges made up about a third of the cuts from the budget.

Sanford says he cut out those items saying the government shouldn't grow faster than the ability of South Carolina's taxpayers to handle the bill. The governor believes much of the new money should go to paying back trust and reserve funds that have been used to meet the state's needs.

"Given that just $2.5 million out of the $707 million in new money coming into state government this year is going toward tax relief, we think there's a lot of room to repay money borrowed from trust and reserve funds," said the Governor. "I believe we ought to completely pay those funds back this year, but these vetoes are all about trying to find some common ground. Let's split the difference and pay back half of what we owe."

Items Sanford doesn't want the state to spend money on before repaying trust funds include:

• $7 million, repairs to Charles Towne Landing
  
• $5 million, beach renourishment
  
• $3 million, special schools programs run by technical colleges
  
• $2 million, Francis Marion University children's center
  
• $2 million, libraries statewide
  
• $1.8 million, Clemson University's public service programs
  
• $1.5 million, Medical University of South Carolina nursing programs
  
• $1.5 million, South Carolina State University repairs
  
• $1.5 million, University of South Carolina childhood literacy program
  
• $1.2 million, two Clemson engineering and research programs
• $1 million, public school testing
  
• $775,000, Trident Technical College culinary arts program
  
• $500,000, Penn Center through USC-Beaufort
  
• $250,000, MUSC rural dentist program
  

Democrats said Sanford is targeting health care and education programs with his cuts. The Legislature now has the task of reviewing those vetoes and can vote to override any of them.

Sources: Associated Press, Governor Mark Sanford