Coffee: Line-item Veto Powers Lawsuit Due

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee said today he and House Speaker Chris Benge will file a lawsuit to clarify the governor's line-item veto powers.

Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, said he and Benge, R-Tulsa, will file the friendly suit within the next two weeks with the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Coffee said he believes that Governor Henry's line-item vetoes last year of budget limitation bills dealing with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and Ethics Commission were in error. The line-item vetoes allowed the agencies to spend money for purposes not prescribed by the Legislature, he said.

Coffee said he believes Henry can only use the line-item veto on appropriations bills and not budgetary limitation bills.

He said the lawsuit was not an effort to pick a fight with the governor's office, but to protect the powers and duties of the legislative branch.

Coffee said he is seeking guidance from the court on future appropriations processes.

Henry said, "I strenuously object to their position." He said he believes the drafters of the Constitution intended for the governor to have the power to use a line-item veto to address special or pork projects.

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