Legislature overrides economic bill veto

The General Assembly on Wednesday shot down Gov. Mark Sanford's veto of an economic development bill that could help lure a pharmaceutical company to the Upstate.

Sanford's veto didn't survive for 24 hours. He sent the bill back late Tuesday night, saying it was heavy with pork projects.

The Senate was the first to override the veto with a 39-4 vote after about 30 minutes of debate. The House needed only about a minute to cut it down after learning of the Senate's move, voting 81-24 with no debate.

The law creates a $50 million venture capital fund and makes pharmaceutical and laboratory instrument manufacturers eligible for the same economic development incentives offered to other manufacturers, both proposals supported by Sanford.

But it also, among other things, makes more than $200 million available to research universities for qualifying projects, makes the University of South Carolina Sumter a four-year institution, creates a four-year culinary arts program at Trident Technical College, mandates that no USC campus could be closed without the General Assembly's authorization, and increases the number of students eligible to receive LIFE scholarships and lowers the standards for retaining the scholarships.

It was those provisions that Sanford couldn't live with.

Sen. Jim Ritchie, R-Spartanburg, was stunned when he learned of the veto Tuesday night and was conciliatory in victory Wednesday.

"I certainly respect the governor's position, and I look forward to working with him on issues in the future," said Ritchie, who developed the venture capital portion of the law.

"But this is a big step forward for creating good jobs in this state in the decades ahead."

Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, said he agreed with Sanford's assessment of the bill. But in the end, Peeler, said, the good that the bill could do far outweighed the bad.

"I'm not so opposed to USC Sumter becoming a four-year school that I would cost several hundred jobs in the Upstate," Peeler said.

Sen. John Hawkins, R-Spartanburg, and Sen. Glenn Reese, D-Boiling Springs, also voted to override the veto.

House Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg, said he voted to override the veto because of the long-term impact the law would have on the state.

"Its effects will long survive my tenure here," Smith said. "It will pull South Carolina up, making us competitive and bringing us quality, high-paying jobs."

Smith said he agonized over the vote, however, because he believes Sanford is right.

"It's regrettable that the add-ons are there," Smith said. "We passed it last year and the Senate tacked on legislation that shouldn't be there."

Not everyone in the Spartanburg County delegation favored overriding the veto. Reps. Lanny Littlejohn, R-Pacolet, Ralph Davenport, R-Boiling Springs, and Bob Walker, R-Landrum, sided with Sanford.

"The governor is dead right," Littlejohn said. "He's trying to break the cycle of politics. It took guts for him to veto that bill and I just wanted him to know that I stand with him."

Sanford spokesman Will Folks said he was disappointed that more legislators didn't stand with the governor.

"This governor is always going to stand up against pork barrel spending and protect the best interests of the taxpayers of South Carolina," Folks said. "The people elected this governor and support him today because he's committed to changing the way business is done in Columbia. It's unfortunate that more folks aren't joining with him."

Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7274 or bob.dalton@shj.com.

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