Comptroller Hegar: Were Abbott’s budget vetoes legal?
AUSTIN — Comptroller Glenn Hegar, saying he must respect the state constitution’s separation of powers, has asked for a legal opinion on whether Gov. Greg Abbott’s June budget vetoes were kosher.
Hegar announced Wednesday he is requesting a nonbinding opinion from Attorney General Ken Paxton.
At issue is whether Abbott has the power to cut out more than $225 million from the two-year state budget that was in the form of paragraphs instructing agencies on how to spend money. Abbott says he does. Some lawmakers, though, say a governor only is allowed under the 1876 Texas Constitution and subsequent court decisions to veto ledger-like “line items” — dollar amounts.
If Abbott’s actions go unchallenged, some lawmakers and legislative budget staffers have warned that the Legislature would yield power to the governor — and would have to drastically revise the template it uses in budget writing.
Read more: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/08/hegar-were-abbotts-budget-vetoes-legal.html/
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