3 Lingle vetoes
might be voidedA consensus among Democrats
could lead to a special session
Democratic leaders in the Legislature appear ready to override three of Gov. Linda Lingle's 50 vetoes in a special session Tuesday.
The vetoed bills would have restricted the spread of so-called "gentleman's farms" on agriculture land, expanded the ability of the legislative auditor to do financial audits of state departments and given $3.6 million in grants from the state's "rainy day fund" to social service agencies.
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Republican Lingle says she still needs to be convinced that the Democrats will override her vetoes.
"I'm going to wait and see if there is an override. I'm still of the opinion that it will be hard for them to have the session at this time, but we will wait and see what happens," Lingle told reporters yesterday.
The 15 House GOP members are expected to support Lingle, even if they had originally voted for the bills that Lingle vetoed.
"A very large percentage of us, if not all of us, will vote to sustain vetoes," said Rep. Galen Fox (R, Waikiki-Ala Moana), minority leader.
Senate Majority Leader Colleen Hanabusa (D, Nanakuli-Makua) said the Senate Democrats met yesterday, and "a consensus developed" to support an override of the three bills.
Senate President Robert Bunda (D, Wahiawa-Pupukea) said that if other vetoed bills were included in the override list, it would "open the floodgates" for all 50 bills.
But Bunda said there were not enough votes to override all 50 vetoes.
Two-thirds of the House and Senate members must vote to override. In the Senate there are 20 Democrats and five Republicans.
Complicating the calling of only the fourth override session since statehood in 1959 is the Democrats' narrow margin in achieving the two-thirds override vote in the 51-member House. The Democrats, who have 36 members, need 34 votes to get the two-thirds, but three Democrats are out of the state.
Only one of them, Rep. Dennis Arakaki (D, Alewa Heights-Kalihi) is expected to return Tuesday morning, giving the Democrats just enough votes for the override.
Leaders admit that not all Democrats agree on all the vetoed bills. For instance, Bunda said a rejected bill to require all hospitals to offer emergency contraceptives to rape victims did not have unanimous Democratic support.
"There are other bills that some senators have some doubts about, and it makes no sense to put them on the agenda," Bunda said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
