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Judge Shoots Down Schweitzer's Line-Item Vetoes

By KFBB News Team

Story Created: Feb 6, 2012 at 11:53 PM MDT

Story Updated: Feb 6, 2012 at 11:53 PM MDT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - A Helena judge says Gov. Brian Schweitzer's
vetoes of some local infrastructure spending were unconstitutional.
Six local governments sued Schweitzer last year to undo the
governor's vetoes of funding for their bridge and water projects.
The local governments argue that Schweitzer exceeded his
line-item veto authority when he struck down their projects,
allowing the money to flow to other projects.
District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock said in a Monday order that the
move did not reduce state spending since it was just allocated to
other projects on a waiting list. He says the vetoes went beyond
the constitutional line-item veto power give the governor.
Schweitzer says he vetoed the particular projects because
Republican legislators representing each of the areas voted against
the overall bill authorizing the spending.

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