Senators approved in second reading on Thursday a Senate Joint Resolution that would remove the Secretary of Interior’s veto override power.
The Senate Government Operations Committee held a brief discussion of the measure without any witnesses.
Currently, a bill that is vetoed by the Governor can be repassed by both chambers by a two thirds majority. If the Governor does not sign the bill into law within 15 days, it shall end the bill together with his comments to the Secretary of the Interior. If the secretary approves the bill within 90 days after its receipt, it shall become law. If the Secretary doesn’t act on the bill, it dies.
The change being proposed in the Senate Joint Resolution removes the part where the Governor submits the bill to the Secretary of Interior for final approval. So once the Fono repasses the bill, it becomes law.
Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean said a good example of when the Fono could have exercised the veto override power was when the Governor vetoed the $1 million that the Fono approved in the supplemental bill for the Fono’s 75th anniversary.
Committee Chairman Togiola Tulafono said the change is necessary to ensure balance of power between the Executive branch and Fono.
The veto override change was passed by the Constitutional Convention however it was not approved by voters in the 2022 general elections, as was the case in previous elections where it was on the ballot.
The Senate President believes the reason why voters keep rejecting the change is because it wasn’t adequately explained, and voters didn’t understand it.
