Sanford’s veto of incentives bill overturned
Friday, June 16, 2006
A bill that would have provided additional economic incentives for companies to locate in Aiken County was vetoed by Gov. Mark Sanford earlier this week, but his veto was overturned.
Added to a spending bill on the last day of the S.C. General Assembly session, the provision increases the per-position job creation tax incentive from $1,500 to $4,500.
According to his veto message, Sanford did not have a problem with the Aiken provision, but he did have a problem with providing economic incentives to attract certain retailers to Myrtle Beach and North Charleston, which were also added to the bill.
Joel Sawyer, a spokesman for the governor, said the provision to help Aiken County was not a target of Sanford’s veto.
The provision to help attract businesses to Aiken County was added to the bill by Sen. Tommy Moore, D-Clearwater, and Rep. James Roland Smith, R-Warrenville, in response to the closing of Avondale Mills, which will cost approximately 1,650 jobs in Aiken County.
The amendment calls for counties losing one employer resulting in the loss of 1,500 or more jobs to receive additional incentives to attract new industry.
Smith said the provision was added to the Senate bill after Fred Humes, executive director of the Economic Development Partnership of Aiken and Edgefield counties, asked for any help possible to make the area more attractive for companies.
Sanford’s veto of the legislation containing the incentives for Aiken County was overturned in the Senate and the House Wednesday, when lawmakers also overturned his veto of the state’s $6.6 billion budget.
“He is looking at a state and I am looking at my people who are unemployed that need jobs,” Smith said. “This was a no-brainer for us in Aiken County.”
Moore said he found plenty of support in the Senate to override Sanford’s veto.
The Clearwater Democrat overturned Sanford’s veto a day after receiving his party’s nomination to challenge Sanford.
the incumbent for the Governor’s Mansion in November.
Contact Philip Lord at plord@aikenstandard.com
