State Superintendent Responds to Governor’s Vetoes
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)- State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman responded shortly after Governor Henry McMaster issued 41 vetoes to the state budget Monday. The vetoes totaled to over $56 million dollars. Over 20 million of those dollars were designated to go to the lottery to fund new school buses.
Spearman said partially in a statement: “By vetoing funding for the purchase of new school buses, the governor is putting the safety of our students at risk. I am deeply disappointed in the decision to veto this essential funding and remain committed to working with the general assembly to override it and ensure South Carolina’s students have a safe means of transportation to and from school.”
Governor McMaster says the South Carolina Education Lottery should be used solely for scholarships.
“We must be transparent with the citizens of our state both before and after we ask for their money. Which is why I vetoed a wish list of future projects to be funded by the lottery. The lottery money should be used only for scholarships for our young people because that’s what voters were promised 17 years ago,” said Governor McMaster.
The Governor’s Office says over $11 million is allotted to school buses in other parts of the budget. It’s unclear how when lawmakers we begin working on the vetoes. It could be as late as January 2018.
