News

Scoring the Stimulus Veto Override

5/21/09

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