September, 2010

How A Governor “Votes”

Most people don’t think of the Governor (or President) voting on bills in the same manner as the members of the legislature. But actually the Governor essentially “votes” by either signing or vetoing a bill. If the governor does neither within 15 days of receiving a bill passed by the legislature, the bill automatically becomes law.  So choosing not to act on a bill at all, for the Governor, is the same as signing or “voting for” the bill. 

Of the 202 bills passed by the legislature this year in regular session, the Governor signed 189. That means that the Governor “voted for” 93.5% of what was passed by the legislature. 

Most people believe that the two parties are often at odds with each other, but in reality the vast majority of bills are passed unanimously or with bipartisan support, because most bills do things that make sense to everyone. The House Republican leader, for example, voted the same way as the Democratic majority 90% of the time. His fellow Republicans usually vote the same way he does, although most legislators of both parties break with our leadership at times. (For example, I voted with my own party 93% of the time.)

Governor Rell vetoed an unusually large number of bills this year.  A Governor’s veto carries a lot of weight. The Governor generally issues a statement with each veto, explaining the rationale for the veto. Sometimes this highlights issues that were not previously raised, so legislators re-think their earlier votes. To over-ride a veto requires a 2/3 majority of all legislators, not just a 2/3 majority of those present. Consequently, an absent legislator is equivalent to a “no” vote on an over-ride. So, it is a challenge to muster the votes to over-ride a veto, even if a party has a super-majority.

Of the 14 bills the Governor vetoed, only seven were brought up for re-consideration and over-ride. All seven were passed, but only one bill was passed into law because of a veto over-ride by a partisan super-majority, of which I wasnot a supporting member.The other six veto-over-rides all passed with a majority of Republicans and a majority of Democrats voting to over-ride the Governor.

In this time of apparent divisiveness, I think it’s important for folks to understand that there is a lot more consensus between the parties than one might conclude from listening to the media. Indeed, when the parties work together to reach solutions to the problems of the state, rather than sniping at each other to grab sensational headlines, then we get a lot more done! Given the magnitude of the issues facing Connecticut, we need more collaborative problem solving, and less finger-pointing!

If you are interested in discussing the legislative voting or any other matter, please do not hesitate to email me or call me at 860-240-8635.