Much of the uproar over Gov. Nikki Haley’s budget vetoes centers around her elimination of the South Carolina Arts Commission. While the calls for lawmakers to override the arts veto are certainly justified, the governor also cut another program which deserves just as much outrage – nearly half a million dollars destined for rape crisis centers and sexual assault prevention programs.
According to the governor, state funding for rape victims “attempts to serve a portion of our population for which we extend our sympathy and encouragement, but nevertheless, it is only a small portion of South Carolina’s chronically ill or abused.” Haley said the $453,000 designated for the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault’s rape crisis centers “distracts from the [Department of Health and Environmental Control's] broader mission of protecting South Carolina’s public health.”
However, SCCADVASA Executive Director Pamela Jacobs said in a statement that sexual assault is “undoubtedly a public health issue. And with rates of sexual violence far surpassing national numbers, it is also one of the most serious health epidemics facing South Carolinians.”
In fact, the State Law Enforcement Division reports that South Carolina’s rape rate has exceeded the national rate every year since 1982. Jacobs said the coalition’s 15 sexual assault programs in South Carolina helped over 5,000 victims in 2011 — over half of which were children — and emergency hotline workers answered over 7,000 calls. SCCADVASA’s programs also provide prevention education to over 50,000 South Carolina students, which Jacobs said helps prevent sexual violence before it occurs.
“If this veto is not overridden, rape crisis centers will lose 37% of their current state funding, which will drastically reduce their ability to respond to victims and provide prevention education,” said Jacobs.
This isn’t the first time South Carolina’s first female governor has issued vetoes which undermine women’s interests. In June, Gov. Haley nixed a bill which would offer an optional cancer-preventing vaccine to young women, despite having co-sponsored a mandatory vaccine bill while she was a state representative. Lawmakers failed to overturn Haley’s veto of the HPV vaccine bill, even though the Palmetto State has one of the highest death rates in the country for the type of cancer HPV causes.
Many political observers expected Haley’s support of Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential primary would help improve the Romney campaign and GOP’s perceived “women problem.” However, that just hasn’t been the case.
In an April appearance on the View while discussing the Republican Party’s so-called “war on women,” Gov. Haley claimed that “women don’t care about contraception.” Pressed on the issue, she clarified that “all we’re saying is we don’t want government to mandate when we have to have it and when we don’t.” Of course, the governor failed to mention that no one was suggesting that the government mandate the use of contraception — only that health insurers should cover the cost of contraceptives for employees for whom it is prescribed.
Lawmakers will return to the State House in mid-July to consider overturning the governor’s vetoes of the rape crisis center funding and other programs. Look for updates on this story as they become available.
Is this a way to bolster her conservative bonafides for future national elective office run? To deny science, to punish the victimised? I guess S.Carolina gets what it deserves.
Nikki is SCUM and S. Carolina, although not the prettiest or the smartest state, does not deserve this.
I’m from SC, and I did NOT vote for her… nor did anyone I know. We don’t deserve this.
I can promise you that I personally did not vote for this idiot. I wish I had known about this monstrous action yesterday so I could include it in my letters to both houses of the legislature. It looks like they’ll be hearing from me again.
Heh… just as a thumbs up, I’ve already heard back from two Republicans, a Representative, and a Senator, both of whom are voting to overturn her vetos of the Arts Commision, and the Sea Grants Consortium. I hope they will also vote to overturn this piece of unempathetic bull.
Ladies, I wish to say that I am throughly appalled that I have a governor who thinks that providing funds for rape crisis centers “distracts from DHEC”. What in hell that has to do with the price of eggs on Saturn, I don’t know. I’m sure that you all also feel better knowing that Governor Haley does think that we should “extend our sympathy” if you are forcefully violated… oh yes… and the same for the children that make up OVER 50% of the victims helped by these programs.
That is very mean and judgmental of you, Byo. What do you think that YOU deserve for such a horrible comment?
And, no, I did not vote for that crazy woman. I have been in several protests against her, actually.
Truly shameful. Reported rapes HIGHER than the national average, but not something that deserves budget dollars?
Knowing you’ve got the governor’s “sympathy and encouragement…” I bet every rape victim in SC feels better already.
But there’s no war on women.
Because the possibility of rape affects EVERY woman, it is inappropriate to quantify the number of women helped by rape crisis centers by the number of actual victims in a certain time frame. Prevention efforts affect and protect ALL women. And with South Carolina’s sorry rape statistics, it sounds like MORE funds need to go into solving this dangerous problem, not less.
From the article:
“Jacobs said the coalition’s 15 sexual assault programs in South Carolina helped over 5,000 victims in 2011 — over half of which were children”
2500 children thousands of other victims are a distraction to the Gov. Unbelievably sickening.
So if the crisis centers aren’t funded, does that mean women will have to pay out of pocket for treatment? Maybe they’ll also have to pay for the police investigation. The Sarah Palin comparisons seem more apt every day.
Nimrata Haley betrays her beautiful name of HARMONY daily with her insane Rethuglican “values.” Only the worst sort of “voter” approves of her criminal conduct in office. The religious fanatic who would deny a woman an abortion and force a woman to marry a rapist. The teabaggers who blame the poor for not having living wage jobs and vote against raising the minimum wage and want more unions busted who have won decent working conditions. The insane ilk like Bobby Harrell who won’t allow firefighters to have LIFE SAVING UNION CONTRACTS & UNION SAFETY EQUIPMENT to preserve anti-union laws… this gangster in the governor’s chair said last January: “unions are not welcome, not wanted and not needed in this state.” It should be no heartbreaking surprise this excuse of a female has vetoed rape crisis services
Nothing better than hearing that your rape is just a distraction, or since not everyone in SC gets raped, then there is no reason to put funding towards helping victims or prevention.
All women have the potential to be raped – there is 50% of the population.
All men should be educated so that they will not rape – there is the other 50%. There ya go, Gov. Haley – it affects ALL residents of SC.
Not just rape… domestic violence victims as well. :/
This is what happens when you elect someone whose culture (Indian) is very different from that of mainstream America.
Queen Nimrata, though she SAYS she was born and reared in the U.S., was reared in the Indian Sikh culture, which places little value on women. She has a different outlook than those of her culture who have a legacy of several generations in the U.S.
She is a disaster and those who voted for her were foolish. Now, it’s costing S.C. millions and potentially billions, to correct her errors in judgment and her criminality.
While I loathe Gov Haley what you said about Sikhism is totally wrong. Unlike most of the major religions of the world including Christianity and Islam, one of the basic tenets of the Sikh faith is the equality of the sexes. Unlike female Southern Baptists and Roman Catholics, female Sikhs can actually lead religious services and ceremonies.
Mea Culpa.
Thank you for correcting me. Truly. I am glad for the information.
I still dispise her though.
Is there a petition or something we can do?! I don’t live in South Carolina so I can’t vote her out but surely there is something that we can all do???
Senators: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=SMEMBERS
Representatives: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=HMEMBERS
Each link will send an email to all members of the house selected.
I’ve already received an e-mail from Sen. Larry Martin (R) that he intends to vote to override the vetoes for rape crisis, arts commision, and Sea Grants Consortium. While I’ve not received on about rape crisis yet, Rep. Eddie Tallon (R) has also said that he intends to override the vetoes for arts and SGC. I won’t be surprised if he also votes to override the Rape crisis veto also.
Haley’s logic is just astounding. Maybe we shouldn’t spend money to prevent murders because murder victims are such a small portion of South Carolina’s population. Because solving murders distracts from Attorney-General Wilson’s overall mission to defend the state’s asinine immigration and Voter ID laws. Right?
Thank you, SCNative for inserting the links to our SC senators & representatives. I was disappointed that Gov. Haley vetoed funding for the Arts Commission, and now am horrified and embarrassed to learn that she has killed funding for rape crisis centers! “A distraction to DHEC”?! Statistics say that one in 4 females will be sexually abused by the time of adulthood. That isn’t enough of a population to be significant? I vote in every election and will NOT vote for any SC representative or senator who does NOT vote to override these vetoes. This is shameful!
How can you cut cost of helping the citizens who put you in the position you are in. I have been helping “RAPE VICTIMS” for over 20 years, and can not understand how anyone can even suggest the idea of cutting funds for victims of rape and domestic violence. Before you suggest to cut funds, for our victims, go on a rape call, talk to the victim, try feeling their pain. Try and imagine how that individual feels. Think about what if this is you or a family member, or even someone you know, you would want someone there for you or your family member, to help get you through this horrific ordeal. Cutting funds will eliminate these services. Rape Crisis Centers are already operating on a shoe string budget. There are not enough funds to purchase emergency clothing for our victims, not adequate housing if a victim is afraid to return to their homes, if our victim cannot afford the right medication after a rape, there is such a small amount of funds, we offer free counseling, remove the funds and what will happen. Rapes will increase, because the perpetrator knows that noone will be there to help the victim. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? OR WERE YOU THINKING? Rape Crisis workers are already grossly under paid. We have to go out at ungodly hours of the night, endangering our lives, we are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so rape victims/domestic violence victims will know someone out there cares about them. Apparently their Governor doesn’t. I truly pray that you or anyone in your family/friend doesn’t experence this horrific crime, because if the funding is cut for SC rape centers, who will help you? I beg you to rethink your decision. My mom told me when I was a teenage, “baby think before you leap, because you may leap in a hole and break your neck.
RETHINK, RETHINK, RETHINK, RETHINK, YOUR DECISION.
This has no direct impact on her family, by that I mean, it doesn’t put money in her family coffers.
That’s all Nimrata cares about.
The best thing about her veto is that it will finish her on the national stage. Can you hear the political ads? “Queen Nimrata of Lexingtonia VETOED a program to aid women who have been raped?”
C’mon, Mittens, name her as you VP running mate.
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