Voters to Decide Fate of “Frankenstein Veto”
In an overwhelming 94-1 vote last week, the Assembly passed a constitutional amendment to kill the governor’s “Frankenstein Veto,” allowing voters to restore accountability to the governor’s veto pen at the ballot box on April 1.
Wisconsin’s partial veto is the most powerful in the nation, allowing the governor to create completely new sentences, intentions and laws out of unrelated words and fragments. In 2005, Governor Doyle erased 752 words from the budget bill to create a new 20-word sentence transferring $427 million from the segregated transportation fund to the Department of Administration. Governor Doyle has even used the partial veto to increase state spending.
“The voters have a great opportunity to reign in abuses of the partial line-item veto that's occurred under both Republican and Democratic Governors," said Rep. Brett Davis. “Successfully approving this amendment in April will restore the balance of power between the legislature and the executive branches of our state government, an important part of our government’s system of checks and balances.”
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While I support getting rid of the "Frakenstein" veto, I find it rather funny that the Republicans had no issue with it when Tommy was the Governor.
ReplyDeleteNot only was there no isuue. They called it by the endearing title of "The Vanna White Veto." Tommy made it a sort of budget game show that all of his donors could win.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I find funny? Watching a dog try to lick peanut butter off the roof of its mouth. Now we're cooking with gas.
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