Override of Lingle
vetoes no sure thing

It used to be that a veto by Republican Gov. Linda Lingle would be an invitation to the Legislature's Democrats to rush through a veto override.

Not so this year.

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That's because of concerns over the stability of the Democratic organization in the Senate and the generally improved relations between the Legislature and Lingle.

"I think the real question is whether the House and Senate can muster a two-thirds majority to override a veto," said Sen. President Robert Bunda (D, Kaena-Wahiawa-Pupukea).

According to the state Constitution, both the House and Senate must override a veto with a two-thirds majority. In the Senate that would mean 17 out of the 20 Democrats would have to vote in favor of an override and 34 of the 41 Democrats in the House would also have to approve it.

If a move is made to depose Bunda or if one or the other Senate factions forms a coalition with the five Senate Republicans, it might not be possible to get 17 votes to override.

"I have to figure out if the Senate has the needed two-thirds," Rep. Calvin Say (D, St. Louis Heights-Wilhelmina Rise), the House speaker, said.

"I don't really know if there are the votes out there to replace President Bunda, but if there is a move to replace the president, it makes it worse because after that you have to get the two-thirds," Say added.

Bunda himself didn't speculate if a reorganization effort would be made before the veto override deadlines.

Sen. Colleen Hanabusa (D, Nanakuli-Makua), one of three leaders of a faction opposed to Bunda, said she thought the veto decisions would be made independently of any action to overthrow Bunda.

"Any kind of a session call-back can always result in some sort of reorganization attempt, but I think a veto override attempt will be separate and apart from that," Hanabusa said.

Also, Hanabusa added, either Bunda or her own group could be free to reorganize the Senate.

Linda Smith, Lingle senior policy adviser, said the specific actions of the Senate Democrats aren't factored into their plans for possible vetoes, but they do consider whether the bill had enough support to be overridden.

"It is hard to factor in the questions of Senate leadership. We aren't able to predict what their plans will be," Smith said.

So far Lingle has vetoed one bill, a measure that would have permitted drivers under 21 to operate tour buses.

According to the Constitution, Lingle has until July 12 to veto any of the 276 bills approved by the Legislature. But Lingle must tell the Legislature of her plans to veto a bill by June 27. The Legislature would meet and vote on any vetoes to override by noon July 12.

In 2003, Lingle vetoed 50 bills, and in 2004, she vetoed 38. In both years, the Legislature came back into special session to override some of the vetoes.