SC high court: Vetoes are statewide business

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s high court says legislators can no longer override a governor’s veto with a handful of votes.

The state Supreme Court ruled this week that the long-held practice of letting local legislators decide the fate of a bill that solely affects their district is unconstitutional. The court says the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto applies to the number of legislators present, not a local delegation.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell said Tuesday the justices are making it clear that vetoes are statewide business. The Charleston Republican says the ruling will change the traditional belief that other legislators should stay out of a local issue.

McConnell says it’s an opportunity for reform. He says a veto should be overridden by more than one or two senators.