Mark Sanford is the first S.C. governor in recent history to work with a legislature controlled by his party, but he sure angered some of them recently when he vetoed bills that amount to local legislation.

Some now wonder whether he can build a coalition to govern and push through reforms to make government more efficient. Some even say his vetoes were stealth, meaning he didn't give any warning. Lawmakers are now angry and unlikely to cooperate.

The governor vetoed legislation that dealt with issues in Rock Hill, Greenville and Charleston. The legislature overrode the vetoes.

Even though lawmakers outmaneuvered the governor, Sanford is on the right track and he shouldn't give up the battle. He outlined his plans for changes in state government in his State of the State address. Sanford also campaigned on a platform upsetting the status quo. An element of government he proposes to change is the legislative delegation system. He would dismantle the system, returning to city and county governments local matters traditionally administered by the state.

The issue is Home Rule. More than a quarter century after the passage of Home Rule, state government still has its hand in too many local affairs.

South Carolinians approved a constitutional amendment in 1972 and The Home Rule Act was approved in 1975. Among the things the law prohibits is local legislation or laws that pertain to a specific city or county instead of having statewide application.

The governor's Task Force on Government Restructuring and Campaign Finance Reform released a report in January recommending that those closest to the people should handle many government functions. "There needs to be a bias toward empowering local governments," the task force said.

Among the recommendations are:

Establish an economic development infrastructure bank so that local governments, especially those in rural areas, have reliable, stable funding to attract business;

Identify and restrict unfunded state mandates, which siphon off local government money. These include the costs of infrastructure maintenance, environmental requirements and criminal justice; and

End the legislative delegation's role of approving appointments to boards, agencies and commissions.

All of these recommendations touch Beaufort County and would diminish the legislature's influence in county government. Legislative appointments and local legislation have been a sticking point preventing change for years.

Power is the issue in this game of political gamesmanship. Legislators have circumvented the Constitution for a quarter century after many of their powers should have been returned to local government.

The governor is correct on this issue and should stand his ground. Veto every piece of local legislation and force legislators to override him. If he doesn't accomplish anything else, he at least will show the magnitude of the problem.