There's a remedy to stifle late vetoes

It’s one thing to steer the ship of state.

But it’s quite another to throw everyone else overboard.

Gov. Butch Otter seems to have decided the Idaho Legislature is irrelevant to his own vision for doling out the state budget and choosing what statutes are needed going forward.

Otter unleashed eight vetoes of bills passed by the Legislature during the 2017 session — many striking down laws that were approved by huge majorities and several after the Legislature had adjourned — thus making it impossible for lawmakers to override any of the vetoes.

The final straw came Tuesday, Otter’s last shot in the 10-day period in which he could issue a veto. He fired it at the Legislature’s repeal of the state’s 6 percent grocery tax — a bill that passed 25-10 in the Senate and 51-9 in the House.

“It’s just hard to fathom,” said Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene. “The Legislature is obviously the branch of government closest to the people of the state, and for the governor to simply ignore all the work we’ve done on behalf of our constituents is almost unbelievable.”

THAT’S ONE word for Otter’s rulings.

But there are others ...

“I’d say he’s turned his role into that of a dictator,” fumed Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens. “He’s made himself the sole decision-maker for the state of Idaho, and that’s not how our government is supposed to work.”

The question now is just what angry legislators can do.

Obviously, they’re temporarily helpless to override any of Otter’s late vetoes — one of which struck down the invasive species bill that would have added one liaison position to help keep dangerous Quagga mussels out of Idaho waterways.

“There’s simply no justification for that veto,” said Rep. Ron Mendive, R-Coeur d’Alene. “Obviously, we have our lake to protect from contamination, but the entire state faces this very dangerous threat.”

Mendive couldn’t comprehend why the governor would kill an important bill that would add just one position to coordinate between his office and the Department of Agriculture.

As frustrated as most legislators indicated they were over the particular bills that were killed (the asset forfeiture bill that Otter vetoed passed unanimously in both chambers), they seemed livid over the fact that the governor waited until late in the session — or after it — to veto the bills.

LOCAL lawmakers already are talking about reviving a bill offered by Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens, during the 2016 session. [The Press will publish Sen. Vick’s proposal in this space tomorrow.]

Current law says the governor may recall the Legislature to consider changes or overrides if it is formally requested by the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

“Senator Vick’s bill changed one key word,” Souza said. “It changes the word ‘may’ to ‘shall’ — meaning that if the governor receives that request, he has no choice but to call us back into session.”

There actually might be a better way to limit any governor’s ability to completely bypass the Legislature.

Perhaps a law could be passed stating no governor can veto a bill that has passed with a two-thirds majority or better in both chambers — unless the Legislature is in session.

Such a statute would eliminate, say, a veto of the asset forfeiture bill that passed unanimously — which was ridiculous on the face of it.

“I really like that idea,” Souza said. “The best part is that it would be automatic. No governor could take political revenge for an override, and taxpayers would be saved the money of calling the Legislature back into session.”

A no-veto law like that would also have another benefit.

Unlike what we saw in this session just past, it would make some sense.

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Steve Cameron is a special assignment reporter for The Press. Reach Steve via email: [email protected].