There will not be an override veto session as a majority of state senators voted to cancel the session, which was scheduled to begin on Saturday. Jonesboro Representative and chairman of the House Conservative Caucus, Jack McFarland, pushed for a veto session. He says many of the 27 bills the governor vetoed received super majority support by the Legislature.
“Obviously the Legislature on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers, felt strongly about this legislation so that’s the disappointing part,” said McFarland.
McFarland says he’s most disappointed with the governor’s vetoes over the Education Savings Accounts bills that set up a way to provide more school options for disabled and special education students.
“We need to give those parents and most importantly those children the options at where they can get the best opportunity at a quality education,” said McFarland.
McFarland says he’s also disappointed with the vetoes on bills pertaining to criminal justice reform and religious freedom.
Twenty-five of the state’s 38 senators voted against an override session, which was the majority vote needed to cancel the session. Some state senators called it a waste of taxpayer dollars. McFarland says he heard from other senators who had other plans.
“There were some senators that had medical issues as well as some military obligations, some work obligations that was going to require one or two to be out of the country,” said McFarland.
The Louisiana Legislature held its first override session in modern history and failed to override any of the governor’s vetoes, including a bill that would ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. That measure was approved by legislators this year and Governor John Bel Edwards allowed it to become law without his signature.
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