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Monday, Jun 9, 2003 |
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Posted on June 05, 2003 Legislature wraps up work in tight budget year
By AMY GEIER EDGAR and JIM DAVENPORT Associated Press Writers Lawmakers wrapped up work in one of the worst budget years in recent history and went home Thursday. The General Assembly adjourned at 5 p.m. after spending the day anxiously trying to complete work on a number of bills. The state budget continued to dump bad news on lawmakers even in the final hours of the session. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman told senators that state revenue in May was down $68 million. The state's tax collections had been running about $8 million ahead of estimates, but now the state may be facing a year-end shortfall. Only about $38 million is left in reserve accounts and "that will be wiped out totally," Leatherman said, adding he was unsure how the state could handle any remaining shortfall. "It's going to be very difficult to comply with our constitutional mandate for a balanced budget, but we will do that," said Leatherman, R-Florence. Meanwhile, the Senate failed to pass a bill calling the General Assembly back on June 17 to deal with any vetoes Gov. Mark Sanford issues on the $5.3 billion state budget approved by the Legislature Tuesday. That means legislators won't have a chance to consider vetoes until they return in January. However, Sanford could call the General Assembly back before that, and he said Thursday that he might consider doing so. "It's a dangerous precedent we're setting," said Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston. "We're engaging in Russian roulette." Sanford could veto programs that are critical, even eliminate funding for the Legislature, he said. But Senate Minority Leader John Land, D-Manning, said the General Assembly does not need to come back for a special session at the expense of taxpayers. "The Republican governor, the Republican-controlled House, the Republican-controlled Senate didn't finish their work on time," said Land. "They're asking the Democrats to come to their aid to extend the session. If the Republican governor wants to veto something that the Republican House and Republican Senate passed, that's an interfamily fight. Just let them fight." The fights went on throughout the day. While the House took a lunch break, the Senate was held in filibuster mode. Sen. John Kuhn, R-Charleston, took the floor to hold up a bill that would allow the state to borrow more money for colleges and universities to make $250 million in improvements "during the height of the recession." Kuhn said the state's three research schools - Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina - were greedy because they take all but $30 million of the money. Calling the three research universities greedy, "is over the line," Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Hilton Head Island, said as tempers flared over the filibuster. The bill ultimately failed. During the past week, House members have complained about a "meltdown" in the Senate. McConnell said there was no meltdown, but an "anger-down." "Anger has gotten in the way of good judgment," he said. Major bills got held up in the Senate, including Public Service Commission reform and a primary seat belt law. Before the clock struck 5 and the session ended, the House and Senate did manage to reach agreement on a campaign finance reform bill and legislation that would lower the legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers to 0.08 percent. House and Senate Democrats piled the blame on Republicans for failing to get key legislation passed. The Democrats issued a legislative report card for the GOP-controlled General Assembly. Most of the subjects - education, health care, environment, public safety and the budget - received a failing grade, said House Minority Leader James Smith. One bright spot was the predatory lending legislation passed and signed into law Tuesday that would protect borrowers from unfair high-interest loans and unscrupulous lenders, said Smith, D-Columbia. House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, acknowledged this was the toughest budget year he's faced, but said the House stuck to its priorities. "The bottom line is, Medicaid is fully funded and we increased education funding without raising taxes," Wilkins said. Rep. Doug Jennings, D-Marlboro, accused Sanford of a lack of leadership during his first six months in office. Sanford "took a hands-off approach to dealing with the General Assembly the entire year and, so far as I can tell, accomplished as little of his legislative priorities in his first year as any governor in our lifetime," Jennings said. As Jennings was talking about Sanford's leadership, the governor was trying to work out final deals on the DUI .08 bill. Sanford worked with House and Senate conferees on the bill, cajoling them to compromise. "What you've seen over the course of these five months is an increasing degree of personal involvement," Sanford said. "I think you've seen the appropriate level of involvement and leadership. What you don't want to do in a legislatively dominated state is come in day one and say 'You guys don't know what you're doing. Here's how we're doing it.'" |
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All material ©2003 Spartanburg Herald-Journal | |
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