Pubdate: Tue, 24 Jul 2007
Source: New Haven Register (CT)
Copyright: 2007 New Haven Register
Contact:  http://www.nhregister.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/292
Author: Gregory B. Hladky, Capitol Bureau Chief
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

DEMS LET VETOES STAND ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA, COLLEGE TUITION BREAK

HARTFORD -- Democratic lawmakers made no effort Monday to use their 
"super majorities" to override Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell's vetoes 
of bills that included medical use of marijuana and tuition breaks 
for illegal immigrants. The only time the Democrats managed to muster 
the votes needed for an override came in May and involved an obscure 
measure that would give the legislature a say in state requests for 
waivers from federal social service requirements.

Rell used her veto power six times this year, including one rare 
line-item veto.

Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, said the vetoes 
up for possible action Monday didn't involve highly partisan bills 
where a two-thirds vote in each chamber seemed possible.

"There were not the kinds of party-line issues that you'd expect to 
have for a veto override," Looney said. He added that none of the 
measures were approved by both the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities.

The Senate's top Democrat, Donald E. Williams Jr. of Brooklyn, 
agreed. "The hot button issue ... really didn't break down along 
party lines," Williams said.

Williams insisted Democratic leaders never really expected their 
super majorities in the House and Senate would allow them to push 
through whatever they wanted over Rell's objections.

The two highest profile measures vetoed by Rell concerned medical use 
of marijuana and offering children of illegal immigrants in-state 
tuition rates at Connecticut colleges and universities.

In May, House lawmakers voted 89-53 to approve the medical marijuana 
measure and the Senate approved the bill 23-13 June 1.

The legislation would have permitted people suffering from major, 
long-term diseases such as cancer to possess or grow small amounts of 
marijuana for personal medical use.

But Rell said that, while she sympathized with the intent of the 
measure, the medical profession hasn't recognized it as medically 
useful, and that the bill would send the wrong message about drug use 
in general.

The other major veto killed a bill that would have allowed children 
of illegal immigrants who graduate from Connecticut high schools to 
qualify for lower in-state college tuition rates.

Rell said the legislation, which would have required those students 
to apply for legal immigration status, could have backfired by 
calling federal attention to their current illegal status.

She also said she didn't want to encourage people to try to 
circumvent federal immigration laws, which she also said needed to be reformed.

The other bills vetoed by Rell this year included legislation to:

. Require the state comptroller to change accounting procedures for 
state finances, a move Rell said could cause serious budget difficulties.

. Enact a Democratic tax package that would have increased state 
income tax rates on the wealthy to provide tax breaks for 
middle-class and working-class families.

Rell said there was no need for significant tax increases when the 
state had major budget surpluses. Rell announced Saturday that the 
final estimate for the fiscal 2007 surplus is about $1.04 billion.

. Provide funding for two energy programs.

Rell said she used a line-item veto on the money sections of the 
overall energy legislation because lawmakers hadn't at that point 
passed a comprehensive two-year budget plan.

Virtually all of the funding involved was restored when the General 
Assembly passed a bipartisan budget several weeks later. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake