Senate President Mike Haridopolos is talking with senators about the possibility of overriding some of Gov. Charlie Crists 18 vetoes from this year during the coming organizational session, raising the possibility of the first veto reversals in more than a decade.
Haridopolos said, however, that lawmakers will steer clear of the most controversial vetoed bills, such as the teacher merit pay proposal (SB 6) that Crist rejected and a bill (HB 1143) that would have required more women seeking abortions to see ultrasounds.
"There's been a lot of discussion about it," Haridopolos told the News Service. "We've asked for input from senators about it.
We wouldn't try to overrride anything that passed on a close vote, said Haridopolos, who is expected to take over as Senate president following the Nov. 2 election. But something that went through in the high 30s to nothing, yeah, we'd look at it."
Haridopolos acknowledged that the scope of the attempt at overriding the governor's vetoes would be hinged on whether Republicans successfully increase their current 26-13 lead in the Senate. The outcome of the governor's race also will affect the strategy, Haridopolos said.
To override a veto would take a two-thirds vote of each chamber, which would be 26 votes in the Senate and 79 votes in the House.
The Legislature hasnt overridden a veto since 1998 when it reversed Gov. Lawton Chiles on a bill banning the procedure sometimes known as partial-birth abortion. Before that, it was also 12 years since a gubernatorial veto had been overridden.
Other measures lawmakers are looking at as possible targets include a bill (HB 981) that would have let large property owners keep agricultural tax breaks while trying to sell their property for potential nonagricultural uses. The Florida Farm Bureau has asked lawmakers to override that veto, which Crist had said favored developers too much. The Farm Bureau also would like to see an override of another measure (HB 7103) that passed easily that would have, among other things, kept local governments from imposing fees on ag land already regulated by the state.
Legislators also have their eye on a $9.7 million line item in the budget for Shands, the University of Floridas hospital and medical center, which Crist had earlier included in his own proposed budget, but vetoed. Other GOP legislative favorites vetoed by Crist included a measure (SB 2044) making it easier for insurance companies to raise some rates and a bill (HB 5611) reorganizing the Department of Management Services to put it under the full Cabinet instead of the governor. Thats one that Republicans may take a wait-and-see approach on moving it under the Cabinet if Democrat Alex Sink wins the governors race, keeping it under the governors office if Republican Rick Scott wins.
Little love remains in either the Senate or House between the ruling GOP and Crist, who broke with the party in April. The expected incoming House speaker, Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, hasnt addressed potential vetoes recently.
The organizational session is scheduled for Nov. 16.
