House Republicans have changed their proposed chamber rules to let Democrats know that veto override votes may be imminent after the House Democratic leader protested a provision that would have allowed snap votes to cancel the governor’s vetoes.
The earlier proposal for snap override votes drew a rebuke last month from House Democratic leader Robert Reives, who said providing no advanced notice of override votes was unfair to House members and undermined government transparency.
The new proposals are a marked change from previous House rules this decade that called for two days advanced notice of an override vote.
Rather than having House Republicans call for veto overrides with no notice, the new proposal the House Rules Committee discussed Tuesday would allow override votes if one of three conditions is met, Rules Chairman Destin Hall explained.
- The vote to override is on the printed House calendar – what most people would call an agenda.
- If the Senate votes to override a veto and sends it to the House, the House can vote to override that day.
- A vote on the day that the governor sends a bill he has vetoed bill back to the House.
While Republicans in the Senate have a veto-proof majority, House Republicans are one vote shy of that.
None of the 47 bills Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed over the past four years have been overridden. Chances of overrides are much greater this session.
The votes of 3/5 of members present and voting in each chamber are needed to override a veto.
Democrats on the Rules Committee questioned the newest proposal, and it drew a smattering of votes in opposition.
Hall said he negotiated the changes with Reives and Rep. Brandon Lofton, a Mecklenburg County Democrat. But, Hall said, the negotiation doesn’t necessarily mean they agreed with the results.
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