Monday, May 25, 2009

Overriding Vetoes in Texas

Perhaps the most consequential piece of legislation in the Texas Legislature is HJR 29, the proposal to allow the legislature to override the Governor's vetoes of bills. Here's info from the House Research Organization:

HJR 29 would amend the Constitution to require the Legislature to convene after the 20-day post-session deadline for filing veto proclamations to reconsider vetoes by the governor. The period for reconsidering vetoes would begin at 10 a.m. on the day after the veto deadline and could not be more than five consecutive days. Unless the Legislature had been called into special session by the governor, it could not consider any subject except the reconsideration of vetoes of bills or of line items in the appropriations bill. During the reconsideration session, the Legislature could override the veto of a bill or appropriation line item that the governor had returned within three days before or anytime after sine die adjournment of a session.

This would greatly strengthen the legislature and is almost certainly a response to Governor Perry's zealous use of the veto in past legislative sessions. Since the bill adjusts the constitutional manner in which bills become laws, it requires a change in the constitution, which requires in turn approval by the voters of Texas.

From the Chron: Is Lt. Gov. Dewhurst holding up the veto-override proposal?