Alaska Senate Pushes for Easier Veto Overrides

0:00Alaska Senate just passed the resolution to make it easier for lawmakers to override the governor's vetoes on spending bills. Right now, they need a three-force majority that's 45 out of 60 votes for revenue and budget stuff. The change would drop it to two-thirds or 40 votes, matching other veto overrides. It sailed through on party lines Tuesday, with the bipartisan majority hitting exactly the 14 votes needed in the 20 member Senate too. Advance a constitutional amendment. If the House follows suit with its own two-thirds approval, it'll hit the ballot for voters in the 2026 general election. Senator Matt Klamin, a Democrat from Anchorage, and the sponsor, says the high bar has thrown off the balance between lawmakers and the governor. He's running for governor too, but insists this is about fixing the system, not targeting anyone. Republicans in the minority fired back, calling it a short-sighted power grab that weakens the Constitution's checks. Alaska stands alone with the toughest override rule for budgets.

1:00Since statehood, only five successful overrides on fiscal vetoes versus 40 on other bills. Governor Mike Dunleavy has wielded the veto pin heavily, like slashing $50 million in education funding last year, which barely got overridden. Now the resolution heads to the House for hearings, where leaders from both sides say they haven't caucused on it yet. If it clears there, Alaskans could reshape executive power come election time. I'm Cory with the story, that's your Anchorage News today update AI-powered and always on.