The rumble around Montpelier is that legislators could come back June 2 and adjourn to the following week to take care of the 2010 budget that the governor promises to veto if it ever makes it to his desk. Mind you this is rumble, which is different from fact. I think the fact is that no one under all the sun, stars and clouds quite knows what will happen.
There are at least a couple possible theories for why they might do that stutter-step special session thing. If:
a) The Democratic majority has a member or members who can't make it June 2, but can be there the week after to give them enough allow for an override of the veto.
or
b) The Democratic majority doesn't have the votes to override and will need that extra week to work out a budget compromise with the governor.
House Republican Leader Patti Komline of Dorset said today that she has the votes to sustain the governor's veto. We don't, however, know what kind of reconstructive surgery Democrats have planned for any wayward members between now and whenever a vote might take place.
Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin also claimed today that Democrats would have the votes to override.
- Terri Hallenbeck
Labels: legislature, politics, Vermont