SC House kills bill creating Interstate 95 council

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina legislators have upheld Gov. Nikki Haley’s veto of a bill creating a regional council with the mission of improving economic and education opportunities along rural Interstate 95.

A House vote on whether to override the veto failed 76-47 on Tuesday.

Haley vetoed the bill near the close of session last year, and the Senate voted to override.

The bill would have created an unpaid, 19-member council.

Supporters argued it would allow officials along the I-95 corridor to enter public-private partnerships to improve infrastructure and attract jobs, giving the communities a chance to help themselves.

But opponents called it needless bureaucracy. In her veto message, Haley argued the bill unnecessarily increases state government and duplicates what the state commerce and education departments already do.