Legislature leans toward session to override vetoes
| • | Audit veto puts focus on Lingle's motives |
By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
The call for a special session of the Legislature grew louder yesterday with Senate leaders indicating that they would return this summer to address $3.6 million in cuts to nonprofit health and social service programs and the veto of a bill to give broader authority to state Auditor Marion Higa.
A decision on a special session could come Monday.
While the majority Democrats in the Senate met Tuesday, their counterparts in the House won't meet until Monday.
During the past two days, Democratic leaders in the House have decried both the vetoes of Senate Bill 1305, which trimmed money for nonprofits, and House Bill 282, which requires state agencies to reimburse the legislative auditor for the cost of financial audits conducted by or contracted by the auditor.
"Our position right now is open for an override session," said Senate President Robert Bunda, D-22nd (N. Shore, Wahiawa). "The question now is for us to figure out which bills should come forward."
Besides SB1305 and HB282, Bunda said Senate Bill 255, which would provide that all private restrictions on agricultural activities that are not for protecting environmental and cultural resources are voidable, is also among the bills most mentioned as one senators might want to override.
Under the constitution, any override vote would have to be taken before noon on July 8. For an override to be successful, two-thirds of both houses would need to support it.
In the Senate, Democrats hold a 20-to-5 majority. In the House, there are 36 Democrats and 15 Republicans.
House Speaker Calvin Say yesterday said he and others are willing to look at an override, but noted that any move would require all Democratic representatives to buy into it since two of the 36 are on military leave, giving Say 34 votes, or exactly two-thirds of the House.
