Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Tuesday announced that he had vetoed seven bills, including legislation that would have allowed crime victims to participate in restorative justice programs and would have clarified the line of succession for lieutenant governor.
Abercrombie, in a statement, said he objected to the crime victims bill because he did not believe it provided adequate protection for victims of domestic violence, child sexual assault or elder abuse from intimidation by offenders.
The line-of-succession bill would have clarified that a lieutenant governor vacancy be filled by a member of the same political party as the governor. Abercrombie objected, according to a statement, because it did not provide for succession in the event that the governor’s office and the lieutenant governor’s office become vacant at the same time and the state Senate president and House speaker belong to a different political party than the governor.
The issue of succession became ripe for lawmakers when Shan Tsutsui, the Senate president, ascended to lieutenant governor in December 2012 after Abercrombie appointed Brian Schatz, his former lieutenant governor, to replace the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye.
In addition to the seven vetoes announced Tuesday, Abercrombie issued a line-item veto in the state budget in June to help correct a bond declaration mistake.
Abercrombie, a Democrat, issued four vetoes last year, 14 vetoes in 2012 and 17 vetoes in 2011. The Democratic-controlled Legislature has not overridden any of Abercrombie’s 42 vetoes during his four-year term.
By comparison, Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican, issued 148 vetoes during her first term. The Legislature overrode 25 of Lingle’s vetoes in her first term. In her second term, Lingle issued 199 vetoes, and the Legislature overrode 85.
Before Lingle, the Legislature had only overridden one governor’s veto since statehood, Gov. Ben Cayetano’s rejection of an age-of-consent bill in 2001.
