Latest news with #veto
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Oklahoma lawmakers override record number of vetoes, remove Stitt appointee in dramatic end to legislative session
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Oklahoma lawmakers have officially wrapped up their work for the year, ending the 2025 legislative session with late-night drama and a flurry of veto overrides, capped off by the removal of a high-profile Stitt most of the session's final days, it looked like things might end more smoothly than bills were being held calls for a special even the typical budget appeared the House, Senate and Governor were all, in large part, getting then Governor Kevin Stitt began issuing vetoes.'This is stuff that I know is bad for Oklahoma, bad for taxpayers,' Stitt said in a Facebook video, after vetoing 68 bills—a the bills vetoed, was one authored by State Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa), who is battling breast cancer. Lawmakers upset after Gov. Stitt brings family member into Friesen fallout It would have required insurance companies to cover diagnostic mammograms, and received bipartisan, near-unanimous support in the legislature before Stitt vetoed it. 'I just want to say, did you read the bill? Did you understand what it was we're trying to do?' Provenzano also vetoed bills that supporters argued would strengthen DUI laws and open records laws, require ethics training for state department heads and put resources toward solving the state's backlog of missing Indigenous people leaders initially said they would override a handful of the responded by threatening to back primary opponents against them in their next elections in a video posted to his official state Facebook page. Legislators called his bluff, and upped the ante, by placing all 68 vetoed bills on the table for overrides. In total legislators overrode 47 of them—a new state drama came late Thursday, after Stitt learned a representative and senator had introduced a resolution to remove embattled Mental Health Commissioner Allie Friesen—a Stitt appointee—from office. Lawmakers override majority of Gov. Stitt's vetoes Stitt issued a statement suggesting, without evidence, the senate author's wife may actually be to blame for the department's prompted a furious response from senators across party lines.'I'm very, very, very disappointed in our governor, that he would put out a press release as disrespectful and disingenuous as this one,' Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) said.'I haven't teared up the whole session, until I read that,' said Sen. Christi Gillespie (R-Broken Arrow). 'We're better than that, we all are.''We keep family out of it. The fact that it was put out in a statement, it's disturbing,' said Sen. Aaron Reinhardt (R-Jenks). 'I will cut your throat to protect my district, but there are standards,' said Sen. Casey Murdock, (R-Felt). 'We need to leave family out of it. That is crossing a line.''A line was crossed with a false, baseless accusation against a spouse of a member of this body, and I will not stand for it,' said Sen. Bill Coleman (R-Ponca City).The resolution to remove Friesen passed both chambers overwhelmingly in the middle of the that, the legislature officially will return next February for the 2026 legislative session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Veto ban would mean the end of EU
A reported EU plan to scrap member states' veto power on matters of foreign policy would spell the end of the bloc and could become 'the precursor of a huge military conflict,' Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned. Slovakia and its Central European neighbour Hungary have long opposed the EU's approach to the Ukraine conflict, criticizing military aid to Kiev and sanctions on Russia. Both governments have repeatedly threatened to use their veto powers to block EU actions they view as harmful to national interests. To bypass dissent, Brussels is reportedly weighing a shift from unanimous voting, a founding principle of EU foreign policy, to qualified majority voting (QMV), arguing that it would streamline decision-making and prevent individual states from paralyzing joint actions. Fico, however, condemned the proposal on Thursday during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Hungary. 'The imposition of a mandatory political opinion, the abolition of the veto, the punishment of the sovereign and the brave, the new Iron Curtain, the preference for war over peace. This is the end of the common European project. This is a departure from democracy. This is the precursor of a huge military conflict,' he said. EU sanctions on Russia currently require unanimous renewal every six months, with the current term set to expire at the end of July. Brussels is also preparing an 18th package of sanctions aimed at tightening restrictions on Russia's energy sector and financial institutions. Earlier this month, during a visit to Moscow for Victory Day commemorations, Fico assured Russian President Vladimir Putin that Slovakia would veto any EU-wide attempt to ban imports of Russian oil or gas. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has taken a similar stance. While Hungary has not formally blocked a sanctions package, it has delayed several rounds to extract concessions. Orban has also warned that removing the veto would strip smaller nations of their sovereignty. 'We want Brussels to show us, as all other member countries, the same respect, not only symbolically, but also by taking our interests into account,' he said last month. Both Slovakia and Hungary have resisted increased military support to Kiev, with Budapest blocking several key decisions citing concerns over national interests and the potential for escalation. Fico has emphasized the need for peace negotiations over continued military engagement.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Veto overrides could be on the way during final week of legislative session
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – With only one week left in the Oklahoma legislative session, lawmakers will be down to the wire to wrap up business by the end of day on May 30. There have been talks swirling at the State Capitol about possible veto overrides during the final days of session. Governor Kevin Stitt has turned down an overwhelming 49 bills so far. Last year, he vetoed only 26. Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) said he has already started conversations with legislators whose bills were vetoed about possible reversals.'The speaker and I will meet with the governor and go with all these requests with the Governor,' said Paxton. 'Just out of that, as a professional courtesy, (I will) let him know what we are considering.' Stitt surprised many lawmakers with his veto of House Bill 1389. It would have required insurance companies to cover additional screenings for mammograms. It was unanimously passed in the House.'That one's probably top of mind. The most important bill that I'd like to see on the override list,' said Minority Leader Rep. Cyndi Munson (D-Oklahoma City). The bill was authored by Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa). She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and said she had talked to patients who could not afford expensive follow-up tests. 'We've heard from lots of constituents who need those kinds of scans that the insurance has been making them pay cash for and we want to make sure people get that scan if they need it,' said Senator Julia Kirt (D-Oklahoma City). Lawmakers pass Reindustrialize Oklahoma Act to help fund aluminum smelting plant Governor Stitt released a statement after he vetoed the bill. 'This legislation imposes new and costly insurance mandates on private health plans that will ultimately raise insurance premiums,' said Stitt. Another bill that has received overwhelming support from both sides was House Bill 1137. It would eliminate the need for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations to ask for federal funding for its Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons unit. The bill was backed by law enforcement and Tribes across the gave his reason for using his veto power on the bill. 'Every missing person – regardless of race or background – deserves equal attention and urgency,' said Stitt. The Governor also vetoed House Bill 2048 that would have allowed rural hospitals and health centers to have more pharmacy options. Two republican lawmakers spoke out about the move; Senator Brent Howard (R-Altus) and Rep. Preston Stinson (R-Edmond) said the bill was beneficial for uninsured and low-income Oklahomans. 'Out-of-state and foreign drug companies and the dark money interests working for them successfully derailed the most important legislation introduced this year to help the health care providers who serve our most vulnerable communities. By lobbying for a veto of House Bill 2048, these deep-pocketed interest groups effectively undermined protections for essential medical services, including cancer treatments and obstetrical care, across our state,' said Howard and Stinson, in a joint statement. If lawmakers were to override any of Stitt's vetoes, they would need to be voted on by both the full House and Senate by the end of session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Overriding a Texas governor's veto can be impossible. Lawmakers are trying to change that.
The last time the Legislature overrode a governor's veto on a bill was in 1979, when William Clements was governor. It's not that members don't want to exercise their legislative authority — meant to be equal to the executive branch. It's that in almost every case, they can't. Lawmakers can override the governor's vetoes only during the session in which the bills are rejected, according to experts' interpretation of the law. But typically, governors veto bills after sine die – the last day of session. In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a nearly record-breaking 76 bills and one budget item— widely seen as his way to punish members for failing to pass his priority bills. Just two bills were vetoed during the session, in the window that lawmakers could have voted to override them. Now, some lawmakers want to change that process. A proposal by Sen. Brian Birdwell would amend the Texas Constitution to allow legislators to briefly meet after the regular session ends to reconsider bills that passed by more than two-thirds of members. The Republican from Granbury said at a March state affairs committee hearing that his resolution was not in response to Abbott's vetoes, noting that he submitted the same bill prior to the end of last session. But he did highlight the high number of bills that passed last session with more than two-thirds support in each chamber. According to an analysis by the Texas Tribune, 71 of the 76 bills that Abbott vetoed passed through both chambers with a veto-proof majority, or more than two-thirds support. 'My intent here is to restore the checks and balances of Texas government, and legislation that was passed by an overwhelming majority such as two-thirds reflects the importance of that issue to the constituents of the state,' Birdwell said. He acknowledged at the hearing that lawmakers may not want to return to the Capitol after the session ends, but that his proposal could also boost legislative efficiency by preventing the Legislature from bringing up the same bills again the next session. The infrequent overrides aren't too surprising, given that both legislative branches and the governor's office in Texas have all been led by Republicans since 2003, and are likely to share priorities — or at least refrain from challenging each other publicly. Abbott's vetoes in 2023 made up just over 6% of the 1,246 House and Senate bills passed during the regular session, but were the highest number since 2001, when then-Gov. Rick Perry vetoed 81 bills. Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, a Democrat from Austin, signed on as co-author because she wanted to get the 'right balance' between the executive and legislative branches, she said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. 'The massacre of bills was so broad, and it was all about retribution,' she said, referring to the Legislature's denial of the school voucher bill and and on property taxes. 'The governor didn't even use a fig leaf to disguise that it was about retribution … I don't believe that's what the framers of the Texas constitution intended.' Abbott vetoed 30 of the bills on one day, with a common message in many veto explanations: "At this time, the legislature must concentrate on delivering property tax cuts to Texans," he wrote. Last session's vetoes drew a rare public critique from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: 'It's not a very good image to veto bills for no reason other than he didn't get the property tax bill he wants.' If it became law, the practice would align Texas with at least 25 other states that allow veto overrides after the session – either through a reconvening such as the one Birdwell is proposing, or during the next regular session. Because it's a joint resolution, Birdwell's proposal doesn't require the governor's approval — but it will need support from at least a two-thirds majority in each chamber before being put to voters at a general election. The measure passed the Senate unanimously in mid-April, but hasn't been taken up by a House committee, with the end of session less than two weeks away. Time isn't the only challenge. Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, said he thinks the bill faces an uphill battle despite not needing the governor's approval, because of the pressure Abbott can put on lawmakers. The veto power is one of the clearest ways governors can flex their executive muscle, he said. 'The governor is as powerful as they're able to make themselves, and the extent to which they can leverage the modest powers they have under the Constitution,' he said in an interview. And even if it did pass, lawmakers could face retribution if they did vote to override a veto. Additionally, Rottinghaus said, it's rare to see major structural changes to the way the Texas government works. 'Texas' government is designed to be small government, so any changes from that are usually met with resistance,' he said. 'So even just inertia alone is enough to probably minimize this bill.' Disclosure: University of Houston has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
North Dakota governor vetoes $35M housing budget ... by mistake
When North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong took up an agency budget bill approved by the legislature, he vetoed a couple of line items. At least, that was his intention Monday. Instead, he accidentally vetoed $35 million for the state's housing budget. Now the state is figuring out how to deal with the unusual problem of a mistaken veto. "I have no recollection of anything like this happening in the 37 years I've been here," John Bjornson, legislative council director, said Thursday. "So, yeah, I'd say it's a little extraordinary." Armstrong wasn't the only governor to possibly flub a line-item veto this week. Late Wednesday, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced that he would be striking about $47 million in funding and cash transfers over the next two years from budget bills passed last week by the Nebraska Legislature. Those cuts included about $12 million over two years for the Nebraska Supreme Court. But on Thursday afternoon, the Speaker of the Legislature John Arch announced the body would be sending a letter to Pillen, a fellow Republican, informing him he had missed a 5-day deadline, which came at midnight Wednesday, to properly file the line-item vetoes and that the line items are now law. Pillen's office responded that it handled the veto properly and would consult with the state attorney general about next steps. In North Dakota, the governor's staff called his veto of the housing budget in Senate Bill 2014 a markup error. Armstrong's staff met with the legislative council Thursday morning to discuss options. "This was an honest mistake, and we will fix it," a statement from the governor's office read. Armstrong, a Republican who served three terms in Congress, was elected governor in 2024. The legislative session that adjourned earlier in the month was his first as governor. In a message accompanying the veto, Armstrong wrote he had intended to veto a $150,000 grant to fund a Native American homelessness liaison position. The budget veto would take effect July 1. What happens next is largely up to the governor, Bjornson said, but it is likely that the legislature will need to reconvene in Bismarck for a special session. The governor's office said it will call a special session if needed but hopes to "avoid the expense." If the legislature overrides the veto, that would include funding for the grant Armstrong had wanted to strike. If the legislature wants to only fund the $35 million housing budget, lawmakers may need to pass a new bill, which could take as long as three days, Bjornson said. The Legislature has six days available to use of its 80-day session limit, and a special session could open the opportunity to override other vetoes by the governor. The governor vetoed all or parts of four bills this session.
