SENATORS OVERRIDE GUBERNATORIAL VETO OF AUDITOR FUNDS, SUSTAIN OTHERS

LINCOLN- Senators stuck with Gov. Pillen, only overturning one of his line-item vetoes. State Auditor Mike Foley had asked for additional funding, arguing that he was losing auditors to other state agencies because they could offer $20,000 to $30,000 more a year. Pillen originally denied the office the increase in money, but the legislature overrode the governor granting the office an additional $1.2 million.

A large part of the argument on the chamber floor was the delay of audits. The auditor's office has decreased in size from about 60 to 40 employees, largely delaying audits. The vote to override the veto was 31-14 with Sens. Hunt and Fredrickson switching their votes from 'not voting'. Other senators warned overriding any veto could spoil the package of bills that the body passed this year.

Pleas from some senators that the Legislature was a “separate branch of government” and that overriding a gubernatorial veto wasn’t anything out of the ordinary or in any way “personal” didn’t resonate. The body upheld vetoes for an increase in provider rates, workforce housing dollars, a reinstatement of the Court Appointed Special Advocates System, and an increase in wages for legislative staff.

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