S.C. Could Cut Health Care in Current Budget

South Carolina would cut spending for cancer screening, AIDS treatment and prevention, and prescription drugs to cover a shortfall in state court and police funding under a proposal House members were reviewing Wednesday.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Cooper handed out his final tweaks to a spending plan that's dropped below $5 billion. It deals with the House's refusal to override Gov. Mark Sanford's veto of increased fees for civil court users by cutting more than $50 million from the state's general fund budget.

Cooper said Tuesday the House lacked the two-thirds vote needed to override Sanford's veto and House members weren't going to go along with increased fees on cars, boats and hunting and fishing licenses. Supporters of the fees said they were needed to avoid state court layoffs and keep enough Highway Patrol troopers on the road.

Cooper said he would deal with that by finding $50.2 million in cuts in other programs. Complete Story Here