COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford will
release his plans for balancing the state's budget and slashing
spending this week.

Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said Monday the governor's 2010
fiscal year spending plan will be released by Friday.

Sawyer wouldn't offer details of the spending plan but said it
is full of hard choices. Sanford already has proposed business and
income tax breaks paid for mostly by eliminating some economic
development incentives and by raising the state's cigarette tax.

About a billion dollars has been cut from the state's
seven-billion-dollar budget since July with health, college and
public school spending taking steep reductions. Agencies have been
told to come up with plans to cut more for the 2010 budget.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)