While some state House members are upset over Gov. Mark Sanford’s veto of a law enforcement officers memorial to be built on Statehouse grounds, it looks unlikely they’ll have the votes to override the veto. It takes a two-thirds vote to override and senators say there’s no desire in their chamber to go against the governor.

The monument would honor the state’s law enforcement officers who’ve been killed in the line of duty. The artist’s rendering shows an 18-foot stone column in the center, topped by an eagle, with an engraving that would read, "Lest We Forget—Dedicated to the men and women of South Carolina who helped preserve law and order." Surrounding that in a circle would be five granite pieces six feet by eight feet with the names of fallen officers. The resolution passed by the House and Senate calls for the state to pay for the memorial.

Gov. Sanford supports the memorial, but couldn’t justify spending $500,000 in state money at a time when the state is facing huge budget shortfalls. "It was a tough call. It wasn’t one that I particularly liked," Gov. Sanford told News Channel 7. "But what we’ve got to look at is setting priorities in this state. And this is a very, very important way to honor folks that they’re talking about. All we’re saying is, before we do that, given the degree of budget crisis we’re in, can we first honor them by making sure we do something about this $2 million shortfall in SLED and this over $20 million shortfall in Corrections? Because there are law enforcement folks involved in both of those efforts whose lives are at risk and could be further protected if we had more money in the budget."

Jerry Wright, president of the state Fraternal Order of Police, says of Sanford’s veto, "This is a slap in the face to the families of these slain officers, and to the law enforcement profession itself." He also says the veto won’t really help the current budget problems because the money for the monument was set aside in last year’s budget and can’t be used for anything else.

Gov. Sanford says Wright is correct about the money having been set aside, but is wrong about its restricted use. "There’s a ‘notwithstanding’ clause or phrase in there, which means the money could be used for something else," the governor says.

And while the Fraternal Order of Police is upset about the veto, the South Carolina Troopers Association supports the governor. Its president says the group is in favor of the monument, but thinks the money would be better spent on pressing law enforcement needs.

Precedent is also on the side of not using state taxpayers’ money to build the monument. The two most recent ones put up on the grounds, the Strom Thurmond statue and the African-American History Monument, were built using private donations.

State senator Jake Knotts, a former police officer, says the governor promised him that he would help raise the money privately for the memorial, and asked him to co-chair the fundraising effort.