Sanford's budget proposes education cuts, other programs

Gov. Mark Sanford's $6.5 billion state budget includes agency and program spending cuts, but the proposal increases overall state spending by $399 million.

Here are some examples of cuts:

$13.9 million from public school and other education-related agency budgets including bonuses for teachers who begin seeking National Board Certification. Also, $2 million would be cut from a teacher quality program Sanford said was ineffective.

$19.9 million from college budgets including $4.5 million from Clemson 4-H and youth agriculture and natural resources programs and $7 million from maintenance budgets at colleges within 25 miles of each other.

$2.5 million from economic development and tourism programs including $1.3 million in state funding for a variety of festivals, such as Pelion's Peanut Festival. Programs at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia and the state's Wildlife Expo would also see less state money.

$21 million from programs that improve health and protect children and adults, much of it tied to restructuring proposals. Sanford would also cut $2.3 million from a state prescription drug program and $1 million by taking income tax refunds from low-income patients who don't repay the state for health services. Sanford would also eliminate $129,000 from a program that reads newspaper articles to the blind.

$6.9 million from natural resources programs. That includes $1.9 million from Clemson University's sustainable forestry programs and $1 million from the Forestry Commission's wild land firefighting programs.

$3.8 million from public safety programs including eliminating $130,039 from state law enforcement spending tied to protecting the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley and its artifacts. Sanford also would cut $92,201 from the Adjutant General's public information program.

$10.5 million in savings by not hiring people who become eligible for the TERI state retirement incentive program.

Source: South Carolina Governor's Office