Senators dispute immigration funds shortfall
Labor agency head says money available not enough for full implementation
By Tim Smith • STAFF WRITER • April 30, 2009


COLUMBIA – Senators on Wednesday took aim at the director of an agency responsible for immigration enforcement, criticizing a letter from her last week in which she said the budget being debated in the Senate doesn't provide access to the money needed to fully fund enforcement.



Sen. Larry Martin of Pickens, who assured the Senate last week that the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation had sufficient money through the agency's carry-forward funds, said the four-page letter to him from LLR's director seems to imply the agency doesn't have the money, which he said isn't true.

He also said the agency admits it has the $750,000 for its first-year funding of the program and didn't ask budget writers for more.

He pointed to a series of e-mails between LLR staff and staff of the Senate Finance Committee as evidence that the agency has $10 million of unobligated funds in its carry-forward.

Sen. Hugh Leatherman, chairman of the Finance Committee, mentioned the letter on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday while criticizing another letter by the director of the state's prison system.

“It makes me wonder what kind of administration Gov. (Mark) Sanford has, when he puts people in place who are deliberately trying to mislead people,â€