Democrats eye overrides in January

[Judi Lynn]

Friday, December 26

Democrats eye overrides in January

By KEN MAGUIRE
Associated Press Writer

BOSTON --
Democrats gave themselves an early holiday present last month, and it will come in handy in the new year when they consider overriding Republican Gov. Mitt Romney's vetoes.

Lawmakers at their year-end formal session passed bills containing $211 million in spending designed to create jobs and ease some of last year's budget cuts, then broke their own rules by carrying override authority into next year. Usually, they can't act on a spending bill after the calendar year.

Romney vetoed about $80 million in spending contained in the bills, and now it's up to the Democratic-controlled Legislature to overrule him. The first opportunity is Jan. 7, when the House is scheduled to meet in its first formal session of 2004.

Romney vetoed about half of the $100 million job stimulus bill and cut $30 million from a $111 million supplemental budget. Cuts were needed, he said, to make sure the state doesn't spend too much as it faces a projected $1.5 billion shortfall in next year's budget.
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http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031226/APN/312260777