Veto Day is one of the most consequential days of the legislative year. It is the Legislature’s final opportunity to override bills vetoed by the Governor. Because an override requires a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, every vote matters.
Many legislators were stunned to learn that this year’s Veto Day was scheduled for Aug. 19, with only two weeks’ notice.
The timing is unprecedented in modern legislative history. For decades, Veto Day has been held in September, with a handful of sessions meeting in October or, under extraordinary
circumstances, in January or December. Based on available legislative records, this is the first August Veto Day in at least 40 years.
The official House Calendar, the document legislators rely on to plan vacations and other
commitments, states that there will be no legislative activity in July or August “except under special circumstances.” No explanation has been offered for what those special circumstances are.
When the outcome of a vote depends on who shows up, changing the date changes the playing field. Scheduling one of the most important voting days of the year during peak vacation season, with only two weeks’ notice, predictably makes attendance more difficult. Whether by design or not, the effect is the same: fewer legislators are able to participate in decisions that affect every New Hampshire resident.
So why was August chosen for Veto Day?
This scheduling represents the manipulation of an important legislative session that should have been scheduled to ensure that the maximum number of people could attend.
Respectful inquiries from minority party members about moving the date so that more representatives could be present were met with mocking and derision online and in correspondence to all House members.
Veto Day should focus on the merits of legislation, not on who is out of state, unable to rearrange family plans, or unable to absorb the cost of an unexpected trip to Concord. A two-thirds threshold is deliberately difficult to reach. It should not be made more difficult by manipulating the circumstances under which legislators can participate.
The practical effect is simple: by making it harder for legislators to attend, the majority party gains greater control over the outcome of Veto Day. A constitutional check on executive power should not depend on who can rearrange a vacation, change a flight or get to Concord on two weeks’ notice.
Rep. Anita Burroughs represents Carroll 2 in the State House. She lives in Bartlett.