by John Haughey, The Center Square | July 16, 2021 06:00 PM Print this article
State Sens. Dick Harpootlian and Wes Climer have joined forces in calling out South Carolina lawmakers and officials, including Gov. Henry McMaster, for “not doing their jobs” in properly vetting earmarks under two state laws.
Harpootlian, D-Richland, and Climer, R-York, in co-signed letters to the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office (SCRFA) and the Executive Budget Office, cited state law that requires organizations receiving state funding to submit statements to the Executive Budget Office and SCRFA regarding the “nature and function of (the) organization and use of (the) contribution.”
Climer and Harpootlian write letter asking for transparency and audit of taxpayer dollars
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Two SC senators call on McMaster, others to audit millions in earmarks given to groups
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Lawmakers override majority of governor s vetoes in budget
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The South Carolina legislature voted to override 10 of 15 vetoes that were worth $152.5 million, finalizing the state s spending plan for the next year. Major Upstate projects, like the $19 million allocation to the Greenville Arts and Cultural Center and the $12 million development plan for Downtown Spartanburg, survived the vetoes.
McMaster vetoed the 15 provisions from the budget citing lack of transparency and sufficient context on June 25. This comes after a recent change in procedure where earmarks, which were often passed quietly in the budget, now require a full disclosure of which lawmaker was pushing for it and for what.
The House, which discussed the bill first on Tuesday, voted to override 10 of the 15 vetoes.