$7 billion state budget in negotiations

COLUMBIA — House and Senate negotiators are meeting today to sort out differences between the chambers' versions of a proposed $7 billion spending plan.

The legislators — three from the House and three from the Senate — are moving through provisions line-by-line, although debate is being postponed on most items. The budget is for the fiscal year 2008-09 which begins July 1.

Hard economic times mean revenue is down from earlier projections. General fund revenues are $90 million less than anticipated and an additional $30 million less for education.

The negotiations are expected to continue for the rest of the afternoon. Gov. Mark Sanford is concerned that the Legislature could violate the constitutional requirement for a balanced budget because of deficits facing the Department of Corrections and the Department of Education, which must find a way to deal with rising fuel costs to keep the bus fleet operating.

Sanford will hold a Cabinet meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Wade Hampton Building's conference room on Statehouse grounds in Columbia. He is expected to discuss the budget situation.

"The budget will mean profound challenges for some agencies like Corrections, which will have to run a deficit and may have to close facilities," according to statement from Sanford's office.

Sanford will also host his "Open Door After 4" meetings that allow individual South Carolinians to have private, five-minute meetings with the governor on any topic.

To sign up for a meeting, call the governor's office at 803-734-1999 beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday.