McMaster Vetoes Nearly $16 Million Proposed Funding for S.C. Health Services, Including Planned Parenthood

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)–  Governor Henry McMaster vetoes dozens of provisios proposed by the general assembly budget, claiming many of the issues he had were with a lack of transparency.

McMaster vetoed 42 items, while he said he was proud of a lot of the work lawmakers did over the last session, there are a few key things he refuses to put taxpayers money towards.

Governor Henry McMaster started off by saying South Carolina is in a great starting place, but this is a new era and the state needs to adjust its priorities to further economic growth.

“We are winning, we are growing, the whole world is looking at South Carolina,” McMaster said.

From the 42 vetoes, there were a few the governor highlighted as his most important. Of them, making sure no taxpayer money goes directly or indirectly to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. In fact, he is waiting for the Federal government to respond to a waiver allowing South Carolina to be one of two states in the country to stop providing the more than 16 million dollar funds.

“Until the waiver is acted upon by the Federal government I will veto this section of the Health and Human Services Budget to prevent taxpayer dollars to directly or indirectly subsidize an abortion providers like Planned Parenthood,” McMaster said.

Rep. James Smith, Democratic nominee for governor, responded to McMaster’s veto by saying “McMaster vetoed millions in desperately needed healthcare funding in a vain gesture meant to please the GOP base. Our state needs leadership, and instead we have a governor who wants to play games with our people’s lives.”

Those who support the funding says that money goes to things like physical exams, cancer screenings, and prenatal services for those who cannot afford it themselves. In many of the vetoes, McMaster says there is a lack of transparency and accountability, which is why he is vetoing.

“Removing the higher education institutions from the transparency provided by the normal appropriations process which all other state agency participates sends the wrong message to the people of this state, who, in truth, are the owners of our public colleges and universities,” McMaster said.

McMaster said the general assembly’s budget took an unprecedented step by reducing Higher education funds from last year by 2.46 billion dollars. He said it would be doing a disservice to the public for them not to see how the institutions are spending their money.

Even with all of McMaster’s vetoes, the state budget will go into effect, but lawmakers will have to come back for yet another special session in September to either sustain or override his 42 vetoes.