SC earmarks sent to McMaster. How would next governor handle lawmaker projects?

The leading candidates for South Carolina governor in November’s election have different views on whether lawmakers should direct spending toward pet projects in their districts.

The General Assembly on Tuesday passed a spending bill that approves roughly $351 million worth of money for lawmakers’ community investment projects, commonly referred to as earmarks.

The supplemental spending, which was kept out of the regular budget bill, now goes to Gov. Henry McMaster, who has until Monday to sign of veto the legislation in whole, or cut out individual projects.

It represented a compromise between the budget writers in the two chambers, which included how to propose earmarks in the future.

McMaster has called for a grant process for earmarks, calls that have gone ignored by the General Assembly. But this is the final spending bill that is set to come across his desk as a new governor will take office in January.

McMaster told reporters after signing the budget that did not include earmarks that he would want state agencies to coordinate a grant funding process, which would include public hearings on proposed projects.

“The whole thing would be out in the open. Everybody would know about it, and there would be no opportunity for anything to be hidden in discussion,” McMaster said.

Nominees for both major parties have views on how they approach earmarks.

During the primary, Attorney General Alan Wilson, the Republican nominee said during the primary campaign he would veto budgets with earmarks.

“Taxpayer dollars should not be used for political pet projects,” Wilson said in an April news release.

Among those to have project requests included in the supplemental is state Sen. Mike Reichenbach, R-Florence, who is Wilson’s lieutenant governor running mate. Reichenbach sponsored $1.8 million worth of projects including $1 million for the city of Florence to buy a new fire engine and $538,500 for Florence Police to complete capital improvements.

Wilson on Monday told a reporter that his campaign is putting together an economic plan that would address earmarks in the budget.

“Government spending is growing too fast,” Wilson said. “It’s outpacing revenues. I want to put more money back into people’s pockets so they can grow the economy. It’s the working people who grow the economy, not the government. That’s my underlying philosophy.”

State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, the Democratic nominee for governor, argued earmarks are really community reinvestment dollars. The spending package approved Tuesday included his requested $150,000 for a nonprofit in Eastover called JUMPS, a mentoring program for young people. Johnson also co-sponsored a $305,000 earmark with state Rep. Heather Bauer, D-Richland, for a Hampton Park walking path restoration in Columbia.

“These dollars need to be utilized in a way that is going to strengthen communities around the state, not just giving all the tax dollars to one specific area, like the big metropolitan areas,” Johnson said. “We need to make sure this money is being utilized to uplift rural communities so that they can get their investments back to help build the overall state of South Carolina.”

Johnson said he would want projects that could be accessed by the public. Johnson said any line-item vetoes he would issue would be taken on a case-by-case basis, and he would want the executive branch and legislative branch to work together in providing money on earmarks.

“This money is taxpayer citizens’ money, therefore it should be everybody should be able to enjoy the benefit of these tax dollars,” Johnson said.

SC earmarks sent to McMaster. How would next governor handle lawmaker projects?

By admin