Push for Line Item Veto in RI
By John DeLuca
A grass roots effort to reform the budget process in Rhode Island is underway.
Former Gubernatorial candidate Ken Block is looking to change the balance of power at the State House by giving the Governor the ability to veto specific things in a budget, but he needs a lot of help to get it done.
Currently, Rhode Island is one of six states in the country where the Governor does not have the ability to get rid of specific things in a budget, known as a line item veto.
Block says, “So many other states operate with some form of this check and a balance…it doesn’t make any sense that we shouldn’t have it. In fact it will empower our Governor in a way that will help balance power.”
Ken Block is the force behind this push for reform. He’s been down this “up hill battle” road before, getting the state to abolish the master lever and now’s taking on an even bigger challenge.
“There’s no question that members of the General Assembly, especially leadership would prefer not to change this particular aspect of RI Law…and the budget process…but this is where the involvement of the voting public is so important” said Block.
The ultimate goal here for Ken Block is to have this issue on the 2016 ballot and let voters decide if the Governor should have line item veto power, but in order for that to happen, it has to make its way through the General Assembly. In reality, that means the Speaker of the House has to be on board, which raises another question—how interested is he in moving power from his office to the Governor?
“I am not interested at all. I don’t think the case has been made that we need to have the Governor have that. The framers of the Constitution set up a certain balance of power and I think it works relatively well in RI,” says Speaker Nicholas Mattiello.
Mattiello also said he senses no groundswell of support from average folks to make changes and it’s really only special interest groups…i.e. Ken block stirring this up.
As for Governor Raimondo, she spoke in favor of line item veto power during the election, and still supports it now.
“I am in favor of the line item veto. Most states have it. I think it’s a good tool that Rhode Island should have” said Raimondo.
The Governor was quick to point out that she’s currently focused on working with the General Assembly to get her current budget proposal passed.
To find out how you can help make a line item veto possible in Rhode Island, visit lineitemveto.org.
© WLNE-TV 2015
