South Carolina Democrats Fight Back, Restore...

Democrats are fighting back in South Carolina, overriding Governor Nikki Haley's vetoes on crucial issues in state funding programs in education and healthcare. The funds used were not originally included in the budget and were excess funds. Democrats wanted to use the funds to restore funding to education and other programs that are vital to the future of state residents.

Haley broke a deal to fund South Carolina Educational Television by cutting millions from its budget and then further hampering state education with an estimated $56 million veto in educational spending.

Both parties were in favor of increasing state aid per child from 1,600 per student to 1,800 or 1,900 per student. Instead Haley showed she is out of sync with even her own party by vetoing the educational spending.

House and senate leaders came together this past Wednesday and voted to override the governor's vetoes, hoping to send a strong message to the governor that leaders and citizens of South Carolina care deeply about education and its pivotal role in the future of the state.

Along with primary and secondary educational fund spending, the newly elected governor also vetoed funding for higher education. In an era when a high school diploma is not enough education to make a livable wage, this veto would have further hurt a struggling lower and middle class by cutting funding to public schools-something the governor herself may not understand after spending her youth in private, college preparatory schools that specialize in preparing students for college success.

The house and senate members also restored funding to a program ran by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control that reviews health care providers' plans to prevent service duplication and keep costs down for residents.

Comments: 7

Texas Rocks Jul 3, 2011, 2:18pm UTC

Who cares if the state is going broke. The fed is too. Just ignore the problem and keep spending as usual. It should resolve itself, right? Hell, why not at a few billion in for each group and call it a day?

Silly democrats.
~M

Peter Joseph Swanson Jul 3, 2011, 4:16pm UTC

Tax the rich more to pay our important bills. Greedy Republicans.

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John K. Jul 3, 2011, 2:47pm UTC

When the people of SC wake up to the fact that they are broke and kicking the can down the road will only lead to more and deeper cuts later, then they will put adults in charge and make a budget that will bring the jobs back to SC that they desperately need. Other states have succeeded at reducing budgets dramatically and are starting to show growth. Ohio is one example of a turn around. Texas is another. The politicians in SC are interested in one thing only. Getting re-elected and holding on to their power. Not responsibly serving their citizens....

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Ali Hussein Lopez Jul 3, 2011, 4:06pm UTC

Without knowing what other budgetary options were available to the legislators, it's difficult to assess why they made this choice.

On balance, however, the Republicans' insistence on destroying public education is just part of their agenda to make Americans dumber. Because you'd have to be absolutely clueless to vote Republican.

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Peter Joseph Swanson Jul 3, 2011, 4:20pm UTC

Children are any nation's most important investment. Educating them well and keeping them healthy are important ways to protect and improve that. I don't know what Republicans think our legacy will really be if that only goes to "the right kind of people" ...

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Mary Ann R. Jul 3, 2011, 6:10pm UTC

I'm always amused at how puffed up these Southern governors are about their states. They act like every state should be more like their little crappy place. The states of the South, including South Carolina, are America's third world. Their GDP is low, their educational standards are low, their obesity rates are high, the divorce rates are high, forget innovation in any industry...in every metric they suck! But the Republicans keep pointing to them as some kind of model. It's better in Massachusetts! Although Charleston is a nice place for a vacation!

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South Carolina Democrats Fight Back, Restore Educational Funding

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