Today at The State House

Today, the SC General Assembly returns to deal with the veto's issued by Governor Sandford on June 6Th. The SC Poultry Federation will be busy trying to get the below veto's overridden. If you have the opportunity to contact your house member and/or senator, listed are talking points and information on the veto's.

• The veto’s that Governor Sanford issued, eliminate an additional $4.7 million in funding for Clemson PSA.
• These reductions are over and above the $6.6 million in recurring cuts to Clemson PSA for FY10-11.
• Regulatory Services and Livestock-Poultry Health bear the brunt of these cuts and will no longer be able to provide critical services to the citizens of South Carolina if these vetoes are sustained.

IT IS CRITICAL TO THE POULTRY INDUSTRY IN SC AND TO AG AS A WHOLE THAT YOU VOTE TO OVERRIDE THE FOLLOWING VETOS:

# 35 - Department of Agriculture - $376,500
The general funds that are being vetoed will eliminate the state funding for seed inspection, food safety (such as testing corn for aflatoxin), certifying pharmaceutical products for interstate commerce, etc. Many of these services are statutorily required.

# 36 - Department of Agriculture Marketing and Branding - $562,905
This is one of the most successful public-private partnerships state government operates. According to a USC School of Business Survey, for every dollar the state spends on this program, the state of South Carolina gets over 11 dollars back in state revenue. In other words, this veto will cost the state over 6 million dollars.

# 37 - Clemson (PSA) - $478,736

#38 – Override of this veto would restore general fund money appropriated by the conference committee to PSA Livestock Poultry Health for personnel service. These general funds are used to perform mandated agricultural regulatory functions as the state animal health authority for livestock and poultry and also to operate the SC Meat Poultry Inspection Division. (Meat Inspection funds are matched by USDA FSIS dollar for dollar). The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory also receives partial funding from these general funds. The Governor himself proposed the same general fund amount for Livestock Poultry Health Animal Health Programs and the diagnostic lab in his executive budget for 10-11 that the legislature adopted. The activities performed by this division are essential to SC’s largest industry, agriculture & forestry, especially animal agriculture and its largest sector – poultry.-$1,598,679

# 94 - Department of Agriculture - $200,000
This money will be used to match money from the private sector to promote S.C. Grown. According to Department officials, the private sector is matching 7 dollars for every dollar put up by the state. This money is generating millions of dollars for South Carolina.

# 95 - Clemson University PSA - $2,600,000