Democrats split Faced with deciding whether to return in special session to override one or more of Gov. Ben Cayetano's vetoes, Democratic legislative leaders voted to think about it some more.
on veto override
Some want to overturn
more than just the
age-of-consent vetoBy Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.comAfter a week of calls to override Cayetano's veto of a bill to raise the age of sexual consent to 16 from 14, House and Senate Democrats met yesterday at the state Capitol.
House Speaker Calvin Say said his Democrats were split on the issue, with some wanting to return to override the age-of-consent veto and others wanting to override more vetoes. The governor vetoed 33 bills, including three defective budget and bond-funding bills that caused a one-week special session earlier this month.
Say (D, Palolo) told reporters he would rather wait until next year and pass a new age-of-consent bill that would merit Cayetano's approval.
"I think we can work this out next year," Say said.
House Vice Speaker Sylvia Luke (D, Pauoa), who has worked to get the House to override the veto, said yesterday there was no strong call for either an override or a new bill.
"There were extreme positions and everything in between," Luke said.
Rep. Eric Hamakawa (D-South Hilo), Judiciary Committee chairman, said he did not see enough support yet for any specific action.
"I have no sense that we have consensus," he said.
The biggest block of votes for an override rests in the Republican caucus, where leader Rep. Galen Fox (R, Waikiki) said all 19 House Republicans want to override Cayetano's veto.
"I hope they do the right thing and come down on the side of a veto override," Fox said. "This bill is very well thought out, and it is clear we should not allow adults to prey on 14- and 15-year-olds."
Cayetano vetoed the bill that would have made consensual sex by an adult with someone under 16 a Class C felony, punishable by up to 20 years in jail, provided the offender is at least five years older than the victim. The governor said the punishment was too harsh and the definitions of who would be culpable also were not clear.
Cayetano said early yesterday he would not comment on the issue until the Legislature had made a decision on whether to return.
Senate President Robert Bunda (D, Wahiawa-North Shore) also said there was no clear commitment among Senate Democrats.
The House and Senate, according to the state Constitution, would be required to return to session on July 10 to override a veto, but Bunda said "the prospects of a July 10 session are not there yet."
Instead, he said, the House and Senate will meet next week to discuss the issue again.
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