Assembly still mulling overrides
Assembly Republicans are examining Gov. Jim Doyle's vetoes in the budget repair bill to determine if they can override any portions of his handiwork.
Of particular interest to the Assembly Republicans is the maneuver of about $100 million from the transportation fund to the general fund the governor vetoed into the bill.
"We are still looking at veto overrides," says Assembly Majority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon. "The Governor took his veto pen to dozens of areas in the bill and we are looking through the specifics of those changes. We replaced hundreds of millions of dollars that Governor Doyle raided from the transportation fund in the last budget with his veto pen. Now he is trying to do it again."
The Assembly and Senate will hold skeleton sessions on Tuesday, the first of two days the Legislature has next week for veto review. Both houses will be on the floor Wednesday to approve state worker contracts.
An override attempt would have to pass through the Assembly first, where it would need a "yes" vote from two-thirds of its 99 members.
The Senate Chief Clerk's office sent out a notice today for the skeletal session Tuesday which includes language for two possible overrides. The clerk's office said the notice was sent out to abide by Joint Rule 82 (2)(a), which sates: "Any vetoes of regular or special session bills not previously on a calendar in the house of origin shall be shown as pending business on the calendar for the veto review session's first day."
Senate Org will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday to approve a calendar for the floor session on Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston, has said he doesn't expect an override vote in his house because he doesn't believe the Assembly has the votes to pass one.
Labels: Budget_Repair_Bill, Veto
