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Article published Apr 5, 2004
Transcript of meeting shows tension

Associated Press

COLUMBIA -- A tape recording obtained by The State newspaper of a private meeting between Republican Gov. Mark Sanford and GOP House members highlights tension between the governor and lawmakers last week.Sanford had threatened to sue the Legislature after they overrode his veto on a massive economic development bill. Sanford said the legislation, which extended broader economic development incentives to pharmaceutical companies, runs afoul of a constitutional requirement that bills deal only with one topic.The governor last week called the House GOP Caucus into the closed-door meeting, where reporters were physically barred from the door by his spokesman.However, one legislator agreed to tape the session for The State. The newspaper agreed not to name the legislator.The taping was legal under state law.Some House members in the meeting knew it was being taped, the paper reported Sunday. House Speaker David Wilkins said he was not aware, and had he known he might have "pared down" some of his remarks."It wouldn't have changed the direction of the meeting, but it wouldn't have been quite as open, quite as frank," said Wilkins, R-Greenville.Sanford said he too did not know the meeting was being taped. But spokesman Will Folks told the paper, "The governor stands by everything he said in that meeting. He would have said a heck of a lot more in his own defense if he knew that ... it was going to be a public forum."The State published excerpts of the discussion on Sunday, with comments from Sanford, Wilkins and other lawmakers. Although a reporter was not present in the meeting, the paper notes that the identity of the speakers are known because, in most cases, Wilkins called on the other legislators before they spoke. In other cases, the legislators' voices were clearly identifiable, the paper reports. Instances in which it was unclear who was speaking were omitted from the report.After the meeting, Sanford backed off his threats of a lawsuit.That led to a pledge by Wilkins to try to push the governor's legislative priorities through the House by the end of this month.