California senate president pro tem Darrell Steinberg announced that he will sue California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger over his alleged liberal use of line-item veto authority.
Following the announcement of Steinberg v. Schwarzenegger, the senator said in a release, “We elected a governor, not an emperor. In making these line-item vetoes the governor forced punishing cuts on children, the disabled, and patients that he couldn’t win fairly at the bargaining table. And in doing so, he overstepped his constitutional authority.”
Schwarzenegger’s cuts would have a major impact on health and welfare programs; some determine state-funded HIV/AIDS support.
While California faces major budget deficits, the state’s Legislative Counsel Bureau issued an opinion that said the governor violated the system of checks and balances outlined in the state’s constitution. The bureau said Schwarzenegger could use the line-item veto on appropriations, but only current ones, not those that had already passed through the legislative process—which were the kinds of cuts the governor made.
The suit will address the governor’s constitutional authority and will be paid for by Steinberg’s campaign funds.
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