Many of our members have asked The Club to list the SC Senators and Representatives who yesterday attempted to force Governor Sanford to apply for $350 million in federal stimulus dollars. SC Club for Growth firmly believes the legislature’s attempt to ignore Executive Branch policy decisions clearly violates the separation of powers defined in our state’s constitution. The three independent branches of state government exist to safeguard against one branch having too much power.
As we said in our Key Vote Alert yesterday:
“the amendments to the budget forcing the acceptance of $700 million in stimulus funds are in violation of our state’s constitution. This is backed up by public opinions from South Carolina’s Attorney General, the Congressional Research Service, and the federal Director of the Office of Management and Budget, who have all argued that only the governor can apply for and accept these stimulus funds. SC Club for Growth firmly believes the legislature’s efforts clearly violate federal law and will score any associated veto overrides.”
SC Club for Growth encourages you to contact your legislator to either ask them “Why did you support violating the state’s constitution?” or to say “Thank you for defending responsible government.”
Click here to find your legislator
Click here to find your Representative’s contact information
Click here to find your Senator’s contact information
Here are those who went AGAINST good government and supported spending (by usurping the executive branch) $348 million in non-recurring federal stimulus funds for recurring state government spending.
House of Representatives
Those voting to override the Governor:
Agnew Alexander Allen Anderson Bales Bannister Barfield Battle Bingham Bowen Bowers Brady Branham Brantley Grady Brown Boyd Brown Robert Brown Cato Chalk Clemmons Cobb-Hunter Cole Cooper Daning Delleney Dillard Edge Erickson Forrester Funderburk Gambrell Gilliard Govan Gullick Gunn Hardwick Harrell Harrison Hart Harvin Hayes Hearn Herbkersman Hiott Hodges Horne Hosey Howard Hutto Jefferson Jennings Kelly Kennedy King Kirsh Knight Limehouse Littlejohn Long Lucas Mack McEachern McLeod Miller Mitchell Dennis Moss Steve Moss Joe Neal Jimmy Neal Neilson Ott Owens Parks Pinson Sellers Simrill Skelton Donald Smith James E. Smith Roland Smith Sottile Spires Stavrinakis Toole Umphlett Vick Weeks Whipper White Whitmire Williams Willis Annette Young
Senate
Those voting to override the Governor:
Alexander Anderson Campbell Cleary Coleman Courson Cromer Elliott Fair Ford Hayes Hutto Jackson Knotts Land Leatherman Leventis Lourie Martin, Larry Martin, Shane Matthews McConnell McGill Nicholson O'Dell Peeler Pinckney Rankin Reese Scott Setzler Sheheen Thomas Williams
Here are those who made the RESPONSIBLE (and legal) choice to NOT spend (by usurping the executive branch) $348 million in non-recurring federal stimulus funds for recurring state government spending.
House
Those supporting separation of powers:
Ballentine Bedingfield Crawford Duncan Frye Haley Hamilton Huggins Lowe Merrill Millwood Nanney Ted Pitts Mike Pitts Rice Scott Murrell Smith Garry Smith Stewart Stringer Thompson Viers Tom Young
Senate
Those supporting separation of powers:
Bright Bryant Campsen Davis Grooms Massey Mulvaney Rose Ryberg Shoopman Verdin
Sources:
House Journal – May 20, 2009
Senate Journal – May 20, 2009