Some people talk like Gov. Jim Douglas has already vetoed the Legislature's prize energy bill. He hasn't. In fact, he still hasn't received it from the Legislature for review. Now it's not because House Speaker Gaye Symington, D-Jericho, has held off signing it. She made a special dawn stop at the Statehouse last week to afix her signature to the bill. No, it's that bills are sent over slowly so the administration's legal staff has time to carry out its review without being under a five-day gun on 30 or 40 or 50 bills simultaneously. The governor has five days after receiving a bill to decide whether to sign or veto it, or it becomes law without his signature.
According to Jason Gibbs, Douglas' spokesman, the administration expects to receive all the rest of the bills by the end of the week -- including the energy measure. So the long-awaited veto could happen by the weekend, Gibbs said.
Still out there are a prescription drug bill, which Douglas has. Gibbs said the review is underway, but not complete. Douglas had raised some concern about the provisions in the drug bill that gave doctors the opportunity to restrict access to the record of their prescription-writing. A federal judge in New Hampshire struck down that state's law banning the sale of this kind of data to drug companies that use it to help market drugs.
The budget for state government also awaits a Douglas decision.
By the way, if you are counting vetoes, the energy bill will be number three this year. Early in the session Douglas vetoed the budget adjustment bill because it didn't include scholarship money. Then he vetoed the campaign finance bill.
-- Nancy Remsen
