McMaster seeks transparency from state agencies after veto overrides

(The Center Square) – Gov. Henry McMaster sent letters Friday to 24 South Carolina agencies that received state funds as part of veto overrides, asking them to provide the Executive Budget Office with detailed explanations of how those funds will be spent.

The South Carolina Legislature voted this week to override some of the budget appropriations vetoes McMaster made last week, specifically 226 earmarks in seven budget items that amounted to $152 million.

The appropriations were part of the state’s $10.7 billion in state revenue spending in the $30 billion state budget, which went into effect Thursday.

McMaster said the vetoes were made specifically because those earmarks did not include enough information for the public to know how and why the money would be spent. He preferred the money get sent to state offices that would receive detailed requests from entities that could be approved or denied.

Instead, the Legislature overrode those vetoes.

“While the General Assembly took the unprecedented step of requiring the public disclosure of the sponsors and recipients (of) these earmarked appropriations, it was not enough,” McMaster wrote to the agency heads. “… Public transparency must be absolute and uncompromised in order to maintain the public’s trust and confidence in their government. After all, it is the public’s money which we are spending.”

McMaster cited the South Carolina Code of Laws and the South Carolina Constitution as giving him the authority to require the state agencies to provide the detailed information.

“I hereby direct that your agency ‘immediately furnish’ a detailed explanation of how these funds will be spent by the recipient(s), along with a description of accountability measures being taken by the agency,” McMaster’s letter read.

The agencies sent the letter were the: Arts Commission; Department of Administration; Department of Agriculture; Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services; Department of Archives and History; Department of Commerce; Department of Disabilities and Special Needs; Department of Education; Department of Health and Environmental Control; Department of Health and Human Services; Department of Juvenile Justice; Department of Mental Health; Department of Natural Resources; Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism; Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services; Department of Public Safety; Department of Social Services; Department of Transportation; Department of Veterans’ Affairs; Department on Aging; Office of Adjutant General; Patriots Point Development Authority; Public Service Commission and State Treasurer.

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