Braiding bill takes new twist COLUMBIA: Gov. Mark Sanford vetoes regulation, saying it would be 'utterly ridiculous' to require 60 hours of training. A bill meant to tighten the rules on braiding unraveled Monday after Governor Mark Sanford vetoed a bill that would have required braiders to receive 60 hours of training. He not only killed the bill - he yanked it out its roots, calling the attempt to regulate braiders "absurd." "What we're ultimately dealing with here is a bill that's designed to protect the financial interest of folks in the cosmetology industry, not the safety of people getting their hair braided," Sanford said. "It's utterly ridiculous for us as a state to say that you only need eight hours of training to carry a concealed handgun, but for some reason you need 60 hours of training to braid hair." The issue tangled up South Carolina braiders in the spring after the state issued cease and desist orders to many braiders saying they must be licensed as cosmetologists to practice. At one point, they were told they'd have to get 1,500 hours in training to braid hair - the same as all other cosmetologists. But after weeks of haggling between cosmetologists, unlicensed braiders and lawmakers, legislation was passed that would have required braiders to undergo 60 hours of cosmetology training. Sanford said the bill runs counter to the principles of limited government he believes in. "We ought to be tearing down barriers to economic growth, not building them up," he said. He pointed out that pre-licensing education for real estate sales is also set at 60 hours but that the state requires "zero hours" of pre-licensing education for residential builders, mechanical contractors, opticians, water treatment operators or biological wastewater technicians. "The real shame is that this over-regulatory nonsense was bobtailed onto a good piece of pharmacy legislation that would have made it a lot easier for consumers to transfer prescriptions," Sanford said. "I'd ask the General Assembly to send me a clean version of that pharmacy bill as soon as possible, as well as a bill that completely eliminates these absurd hair braiding requirements." Although the current cosmetology law has been interpreted to include braiders, before this spring regulations were not enforced. Braiders were pretty much off the radar, until some cosmetologists complained. Several Hilton Head Island braiders were out of business for several weeks while lawmakers crafted new legislation. Lawmakers passed the 60-hour bill in June but months passed without Sanford signing it into law. Many braiders quietly went back into practice with the braiding bill still in Sanford's hands. They claimed little or no regulation was needed. Supporters of stricter requirements said regulation is needed to ensure safe and sanitary practices. Click here to return to story: http://www.lowcountrynow.com/stories/120704/LOCbraiding.shtml