On July 30, the Connecticut legislature came into one-day special session and passed SB 551, a bill designed to eliminate the unconstitutional parts of the public funding law. But on August 2, Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed the bill. See this story.
The legislature may override her veto. If it does not, the entire public funding law will cease to exist, because the old law does not have a severability clause. The bill put a severability clause into the law. The bill also eliminates the extra public funding for certain candidates; lets lobbyists give contributions; increases the amount of money gubernatorial candidates may receive; and reduces public funding for candidates who don’t remove their lawn signs from previous elections. The Governor says she vetoed the bill because of the increase in public funding for gubernatorial candidates. The bill increases their funding from $3,000,000 to $6,000,000. The governor has other criticisms of the bill also. Here is her veto message.
Guv vetoes are an EVIL vestige of the EVIL era of so-called *divine right of kings*.
One more EVIL thing to abolish — akin to slavery, minority rule, etc.
P.R. and App.V.
She said that it was welfare for politicians. It is but so was the initial bill that she signed to put the program in place.
If the veto is not overridden what will happen to the money all ready given out under a law that was deemed unconstitutional at the time that the money was being given out? Nothing! The Dems and Reps will be able to keep my tax dollar and no minor party candidate or independent will be able to get any of it.
As stipped (initally) of its discriminatory provisions by Federal District Judge Underhill, it would have been
welfare for the politicians but also light, air, and a
level playing field for those challenging the politicians. And of course the politicians won at the
Court of Appeals.