Lawmakers set to counter vetoes

Legislators will gather at the Capitol to save bills from Lingle's pen

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Lawmakers were poised to return in special session today to override vetoes handed down by Gov. Linda Lingle.

Today is the deadline for Lingle to veto any measures she disagrees with from the 2008 session.

"Unless the governor shows the measures have a demonstrate-able flaw or has really sound reasoning why they should not become law, then I believe there's a strong possibility those bills will make the (override) list," said Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser (D, Kauai-Niihau).

Lingle gave notice last month on 52 bills that she was considering for vetoes. Since then she has signed five of the bills. On four of them, she signed the bills and used her line-item veto power to delete the funding, citing tighter financial conditions.

Overrides require a two-thirds approval from both the House and the Senate, and Democrats outnumber Republicans 4-to-1 in both chambers, making it possible to override any veto they target.

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By B.J. Reyes
bjreyes@starbulletin.com

State House and Senate lawmakers were to convene in their respective chambers today to await word on what bills have been vetoed by Gov. Linda Lingle.

Governor said no

A look at the number of vetoes by Gov. Linda Lingle since she has been in office:

» 2003: 269 bills passed; 50 vetoes

» 2004: 270 bills passed; 38 vetoes

» 2005: 278 bills passed; 26 vetoes

» 2006: 354 bills passed; 32 vetoes

» 2007: 328 bills passed; 42 vetoes

» 2008: 294 bills passed; 13 vetoes and 52 notices of intent to veto

Source: House Majority Research Office

The Republican governor gave word late last month that she was considering vetoes for 52 bills. Since then she has signed five of the bills. On four of them, she has signed the bills and used her line-item veto power to delete the funding, citing tighter financial conditions.

Lawmakers from the Democratic-controlled Legislature were prepared to open a special session today for potential override votes once they get word on which bills the governor has vetoed.

She was not tipping her hand yesterday as to what she might reject.

"We try to make the (potential veto) list as expansive as necessary and yet make certain that we listen to people after that list comes out as to why they think certain bills should or should not stay on," Lingle said yesterday. "In the past, the average has been up to about 20 percent of the bills come off the list that were on originally.

"I suspect it will be in that range this time as well."

Overrides require two-thirds approval from both the House and the Senate, and Democrats outnumber Republicans 4-to-1 in both chambers, making it possible to override a veto on any measure they agree on.

As of yesterday there was no formal agreement on whether the bodies would return, with both sides taking a wait-and-see approach.

Rep. Kirk Caldwell, House majority leader, said colleagues hope to get the veto list early enough to meet and discuss concerns. He declined to speculate on what might get overridden.

"We'd have to look at what the veto messages say first," said Caldwell (D, Manoa).

Three noteworthy bills that lawmakers were following did not make the veto list and will become law.

Those proposals allow for public funding of political campaigns on the Big Island; provide a process for landowners to change agricultural land designations; and require solar water heaters in new homes starting in 2010. Lingle already has signed that bill.

Bills still on the potential veto list include a proposal to establish a statutory plan for the regulation of interisland air carriers, provided that federal legislation is enacted to permit implementation; a proposal to allow voters to permanently register for absentee voting; and a measure requiring manufacturers of electronic devices, such as televisions and bulky computer equipment, to collect and recycle such devices.