Democrats push
for veto overridesProspects to override Gov. Lingle
appear doubtful in the House
Gov. Linda Lingle continued to defend her rejection of 50 bills as House and Senate Democrats tried to build support for a possible special session to override her vetoes.
Lingle said yesterday that 13 of her vetoes were because the state could not afford the extra spending.
"While I think it's easier and perhaps more popular to hand out money, it's more responsible to hold the line during tough times such as this," the Republican governor said.
More than a dozen House and Senate Democrats, meanwhile, held a news conference yesterday to criticize Lingle and her vetoes.
"It looks like the honeymoon is over," Sen. Willie Espero (D, Ewa-Kapolei-Ewa Beach) said.
Espero dismissed Lingle's statewide TV broadcast Wednesday as "spin." In the prime-time address, Lingle criticized legislators for disregarding the state's budget problems.
"She is going to put her spin on everything. We need to make sure the public is clearly educated and doesn't just listen to this slick administration," Espero said.
Democrats said they are working on a strategy to get the votes needed to override one or more of Lingle's vetoes.
Senate Democrats have a 20-to-5 majority, so they have the 17 votes needed to override a veto. Senate leaders say they have not decided what bills they would be want to override.
But the 36 House Democrats may have problems getting the 34 votes needed to override.
Reps. Tulsi Tamayo and Mark Takai are on active duty with the National Guard, so all 34 Democrats would have to vote in favor of any override.
Making the vote counting in the House even more precarious, Rep. Dennis Arakaki is in the Philippines and is expected to return July 8, which is the veto deadline. If he does not arrive in the House chamber by the noon deadline set by the state Constitution, the Democrats would be one vote short.
House Speaker Calvin Say (D, Palolo) asked yesterday that the Republicans consider overriding Lingle's veto.
"I ask and I plead that out of the 15 minority members, that five or six come back and have the courage to override these vetoes," he said.
House GOP leader Rep. Galen Fox (Waikiki-Ala Moana) said he expects all 15 of Republican representatives to support Lingle and not override her vetoes.
To increase public support for an override, Senate President Robert Bunda (D, Wahiawa-Pupukea) is calling a public hearing Monday to give interested groups a chance to testify on all 50 vetoes.
"We want to find out if there is a groundswell of support out there," he said.
Lingle said her office had received "a great response because people felt I laid out, in very clear terms, a very fact-based presentation on what the financial condition was of the state."
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Governor to rub elbows
with Bush at fund-raiser
Gov. Linda Lingle is expected to share a table with President Bush when she attends a fund-raiser for him tonight in Los Angeles.
Lingle said she expects to sit with the president's party at the $2,000-a-ticket event after receiving an invitation from Bush supporters in California.
"I guess they needed a Republican governor and California didn't have one, so they went to the next closest place," Lingle joked yesterday.
The governor said these kinds of opportunities always give her a chance to talk to high-level Bush administration and campaign staff on Hawaii issues, such as federal recognition for native Hawaiians and the home-porting of an aircraft carrier battle group in the islands.
"They see you, it's sort of a constant reminder you can drop mentions about some of the military issues we have here, our interest in getting certain assets moved to Hawaii," she said.
"I just see it as a good opportunity. Although I'm not using any state funds to take the trip, I still think there is a benefit to the state," she said.
Lingle returns to Hawaii tomorrow.
The Los Angeles event and another Bush fund-raiser in San Francisco today are expected to draw about $6 million for the president's re-election campaign, according to the Associated Press.