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Che (gamecock “Charlie Condon and his allies are upset we restored college funding while balancing the budget. As colleges like Clemson and USC roll back their tuition hikes, I am more convinced than ever that we have done the right thing.” Gov. Jim Hodges “For [Hodges] to assume the power to appropriate funds or to withdraw appropriated funds at [his] whim intrudes upon the Legislature’s functions and breaches the constitutional principle of separation of powers.” Attorney General Charlie Condon Attorney general sues Hodges over state budget cut vetoes by Shawn Miller The Gamecock Attorney General Charlie Con don, the man who normally repre sents the governor in court, sued Gov. Jim Hodges in July before the S.C. Supreme Court over his veto of state budget cuts to colleges and universities. The state Legislature initially opted to cut $40 million from the budgets of colleges anc universities, making up for part of that with $28.5 million in cash from the Barnwell environmental cleanup fund. In response to proposed budget cuts, Hodges restored school funds by vetoing a ore-cent food tax reduction. By increasing the food tax trom 4 percent to 5 percent. Hodges en sured an additional $50.3 million in funding for higher eduation. Hodges then asked colleges and universities to return the Barnwell funds, an ac tion that Condon sajs is illegal. In a’letter to Hodjes, Condon said, ‘1 am convincedthat your ac tions conflict with the state Con stitution. For (you) to assume the power to appropriate funds or to withdraw appropriated funds at (your) whim intrudes ipon the Leg islature’s functions and breaches the constitutional principle of separa tion of powers.” Hodges defender his actions, saying, “Vetoing the tiition tax hike was right last month, and it’s right today — morally andlegally.” Condon is seeking the Repub lican nomination to mn next year against Hodges for governor. Hodges won early praise for his budget strategy. Bill Moore, a political scien tist at the College of Charleston, said: “His main issue of education did well, relatively speaking. It has to be considered a relatively good year, especially considering the bud get shortfall.” In response to Hodges’ actions, USC and Clemson decreased tuition hikes, from 10 to 5 percent and from 42 to 25 percent, respectively. “Charlie Condon and his allies are upset we restored college funding while balancing the bud get,” Hodges said. “As colleges like Clemson and USC roll back their tuition hikes, I am more convinced than ever that we have done the right thing.” Republican Party leaders sup ported Condon’s decision to sue the governor. Speaker David Wilkins, Ways and Means chairman Bobby Har rell, Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell and Senate Finance chairman Hugh Leatherman de manded that Hodges return the Barn well funds to colleges and univer sities. If the lawsuit is successful, USC would receive $9.59 million in ad ditional funds. “Schools would (collectively) get $28.5 million in more money to lower tuition or improve their pro grams,” said Republican House Ma jority Leader Rick Quinn. “A law suit is the only way to correct the governor’s reckless disregard for the state Constitution and fiscal re sponsibility.” In considering his legal options, Condon had the choice of prose cuting Hodges, college presidents who returned the funds or state fi nancial officers. A spokesman for Condon, Robb McBumey, said Condon focused on Hodges because “Gov. Hodges or chestrated this illegal action. We wouldn’t be in this position if the governor hadn’t unbalanced the bud get with his veto. He took the mon ey.” Condon has also sued Treasur er Grady Patterson and Comptrol ler General Jim Lander, both De mocrats, over their role in transferring the Barnwell funds. n noages is iorcea 10 return tne $28.5 million to schools, the bud get would be unbalanced again. McBumey said this wouldn’t be a problem.“There are a number of ways the budget could be balanced. Using a capital reserve fund, for in stance.” McBumey also said school of ficials have expressed interest in hav ing the Barnwell funds returned if the governor’s actions were ille gal. Condon has openly criticized Hodges lately, launching numerous investigations into the governor’s fund-raising practices, awarding of state contracts, his Public Safety di rector and Revenue Department di rector, and questioning the way video poker was shut down by police un der Hodges’ direction. Condon has compared Hodges’ actions to the “the abuses committed by the king of England.” The attorney general’s investiga tions have not yet brought any repri mands or rulings against Hodges. Hodges’ former chief of staff Kevin Geddings claims Condon’s actions are politically motivated and that the attorney general’s recent le gal maneuver is “a press release mas querading as a lawsuit. We will ask the court to treat it as such.” ‘1 think what’s most concerning is how the office of attorney general has been made into just a political office,” Geddings said. ‘Condon has been run ning for governor since the day after Jim Hodges was elected governor.” This isn’t surprising, says State Sen. John Courson, R-Columbia. “If one looks at other states, his torically the attorney general’s of nee has been the stepping stone to the governorship,” Courson said. “(The attorney general’s) office has never been perceived in the past as a political office in South Carolina. But it’s a natural progression.” Condon lags far behind GOP gubernatorial contender Mark San ford in terms of fund-raising, ac cording to reports filed with the State Ethics Commission. Hodges, on the other hand, faces no real Democratic primary oppo sitions and has more than $3 mil lion in re-election funds, more than triple the amount raised by Condon. The news desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmail.com Summer Recap Governor vetoes college budget cuts by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock Making good on his promise not to cut higher education but drawing criticism that he didn’t care about the state’s poor or el derly, Gov. Jim Hodges used his line-item veto pen to spare South Carolina’s colleges and universi ties from far-ranging cuts to the state’s $5 billion budget. Despite the fact that Hodges’ vetoes also undid a tax break that would have saved South Car olinians a penny on every dollar spent on food, the General As sembly failed to override the ve toes dealing with higher educa tion. “I am vetoing the budget cut for the University of South Car olina so this funding can be re stored,” Hodges wrote in a refrain he echoed for every one of South Carolina’s 33 institutions of high er education. I he move saves USC $24.5 million. “Our state cannot achieve suc cess without proper funding of higher education,” Hodges wrote, something he repeated for each ~ item he vetoed about colleges and universities. The vetoes were among 48 Hodges issued after a furious end to the legislative session that led to gridlock over how to slice $500 million from the state budget to avoid constitutionally banned deficits. To spare colleges and uni versities from severe budget cuts, though, Hodges was forced to sus pend last year’s penny-on-the-dol lar sales tax break on food pur chases. However, Hodges said he expected something from colleges in return. “Consequently, I expect our colleges and universities to repeal SJtattdo+t *l4*uted MeUtadUit GkuncU on Sundays 10:00 am Food & Fellowship 10:15 ant Worship Experience a new worship experience for a new century Parking Available: Dreher High School Lai (off Millwood Ave,) Leisure Ministries Center (2nd budding past sanctuary building) Shamion Lotted Methodist Church 3407 Devine Street, Coturnhia, SC 23205 For more aformation, check out our web rite, WWW fratvhn-uttK.org; e-mail, caedrtece@hotmaiLcom: or call (80S) 256^S8SPorkmg Available: Dreher High School Lot (off Millwood Ave.) Mummy Returns” at 10pm in the RH Speed Pitch. Wax Hands-Carnival Games I' Bring your valid ID - check-in require, any exorbitant tuition increases Hodges said. USC responded immediatel by slashing a 10.4-percent tuitio increase in half for resident un dergraduates and cutting back o the increase out-of-state student will have to pay. “I am disappointed that th General Assembly did not adof other more effective tax relief sue as the additional sales tax holiday. Republicans returned fire, say ing-the moves could throw the stat budget into deficits later in the yea and force the Budget and Contro Board to cut all state agencies According to House Ways ant Means Chairman Bobby Harrell R-Charleston, the math behint Hodges’ vetoes doesn’t add up He said that while Hodges re stored $95 million in spending, ht only added $72 million of revenue , “The Budget and Contro Board will have to go in and havt to cut an tne midgets across tne board one-half (percent) to 1 per cent in order to bring the budgei back in balance,” said Hanell, who as House and Ways Chairman, is a member of the board. The board was forced to make a similar move this year, a move that impacted colleges and uni versities when a bill to exempt them—sponsored by Harrell and supported by Hodges — floun dered in the House. But Senate Minority Leader John Land, D-Manning, cast doubt on the GOP numbers. “I doubt their figures very se riously and I think this budget is totally and perfectly balanced,” Land said. Bonnie Adams, a lawyer for the Senate Finance Committee, implied the argument was a mat ter of semantics. She said the vetoes would Vetoes seepageai3