COLUMBIA (WACH)-- Painters, dancers, musicians and actors took over the State House grounds Monday evening to send a message to lawmakers to save the South Carolina Arts Commission.
Governor Nikki Haley vetoed funding for the agency, effectively shutting it down.
Despite the rain Monday, hundreds of arts supporters met at the State House for a rally. Instead of a traditional protest, artists showed off their crafts to relay to lawmakers the commission needs to be saved.
S.C. Arts Commission executive director Ken May is out of a job because of the governor’s vetoes.
“It’s unprecedented as far as I know,” said May at Monday night’s rally. “It’s given me a lot of time to work on getting these vetoes overturned.”
Governor Haley has said the commission isn’t an essential agency that taxpayers should fund.
House lawmakers are set to discuss overriding any of the governor’s vetoes Tuesday. Senators are expected to meet on Wednesday.
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