Cecily Zamora
The line-item veto, also known as the partial veto, is a type of veto that allows the president or governor to reject specific provisions or items in a bill without vetoing the entire bill. While the line-item veto has been sought by many US presidents, including Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, it has been opposed by Congress, which argues that it would give the president too much power over the legislative branch. Despite this, 44 out of 50 US states currently give their governors some form of line-item veto power. The types of laws that can receive the line-item veto vary depending on the state and can include spending or appropriations bills, tax bills, and revenue or tariff bills.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of veto | Line-item veto, reduction veto, digit veto, editing veto, Frankenstein veto, Vanna White veto |
| Who can use it? | Governors, the President, the Mayor of Washington D.C. |
| Who it affects | Congress, the executive branch, state governors, state legislatures, citizens |
| Limitations | Cannot be used to write-in veto monetary figures which are not appropriation amounts |
| Location | United States, Brazil, Panama, Philippines |
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What You'll Learn
Governors can veto specific items from a piece of legislation
Governors in the United States can veto specific items from a piece of legislation, known as a line-item veto. This power is held by governors in 44 of the 50 US states, with Indiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Vermont being the exceptions. The Mayor of Washington, D.C. also has this power.
The line-item veto allows governors to strike out words, numbers, or entire sentences from appropriations bills, without vetoing the entire bill. This power is intended to control "pork barrel spending" or earmark spending, where individual members of Congress add projects to the annual federal budget. Governors can use the line-item veto to reduce or cancel spending on specific items, such as when Governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin used 1,500 line-item vetoes to cancel $150 million in spending during his first two terms.
In some states, there are limitations on the line-item veto. For example, in Wisconsin, there are restrictions on the "Frankenstein veto" and the "Vanna White veto". In Minnesota, the governor can only use the line-item veto on appropriations bills. Additionally, any veto by the governor can be overridden by the state legislature, similar to how Congress can override a presidential veto.
The line-item veto has been a controversial power, with opponents arguing that it gives too much power to the executive branch of the government at the expense of the legislative branch. In the case of Clinton v. City of New York in 1998, the US Supreme Court ruled that the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 was unconstitutional, as it violated the Presentment Clause of the US Constitution. Despite this, the prospect of granting the President of the United States line-item veto power has occasionally resurfaced in Congress.
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Governors can delete budget-related items
Governors in the United States can exercise the line-item veto to delete budget-related items. This power is not held by the President of the United States, despite repeated requests for it by presidents including Ulysses S. Grant, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. Clinton was the only president to receive this power, but it was later deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
The line-item veto, sometimes called the partial veto, allows a governor to cancel individual provisions, or line-items, in spending or appropriations bills without vetoing the entire bill. Governors in 44 out of 50 states have some form of line-item veto power. Indiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Vermont are the exceptions.
The line-item veto has been used by governors to strike out words, numbers, and even entire sentences from appropriations bills. This has resulted in reduced spending in certain areas. For example, in Wisconsin, Governor Tommy Thompson used 1,500 line-item vetoes to cancel a total of $150 million in spending during his first two terms.
There are different types of line-item vetoes that governors can use to delete budget-related items. One type is the ""digit veto", where a governor can veto a specific digit in a number, resulting in a reduced appropriation. Another type is the "editing veto", where a governor can remove a word or phrase to change the meaning of a sentence. For example, by removing the word "not" in the phrase "not less than 50 percent", the desired effect of the legislature was changed.
While the line-item veto can be a powerful tool for governors to control spending, it has also faced legal challenges. In Wisconsin, the "reduction veto" used by Governor Thompson resulted in eight lawsuits and amendment proposals. The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the governor's absolute partial veto power as long as a workable, complete law remained. However, in the case of Risser v. Klauser, the court prohibited the "reduction veto", stating that it violated the constitution by vetoing monetary figures that were not appropriation amounts.
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Governors can amend parts of legislation
Governors have a wide range of powers and responsibilities, including the power to veto legislation. While the scope of gubernatorial power varies from state to state, 44 states give their governors some form of line-item veto power. This means that governors can strike a general item from a piece of legislation, allowing them to amend parts of the legislation.
The line-item veto power of governors has been a source of controversy in some cases. For example, in 2023, Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin used a line-item veto to extend a two-year temporary funding increase for schools to last over 400 years. This unprecedented usage of the line-item veto led to several lawsuits and amendment proposals. Despite the controversy, the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the veto in 2025.
The type of line-item veto power available to governors can vary. For instance, governors may have the power to strike out words, numbers, or entire sentences from appropriations bills. This has been referred to as the “digit veto,” the “editing veto,” or the more extreme “pick-a-letter” or “Vanna White veto." Governors may also have other types of veto powers, such as the reduction veto, which allows them to delete a budget item, or the amendatory veto, which enables them to revise legislation.
The process of amending legislation through a line-item veto can be complex and is often subject to legal scrutiny. Governors must carefully navigate the specific laws and traditions of their respective states while also considering the potential impact of their actions on the state's policies and programs. In some cases, governors may face limitations on their line-item veto power, such as in Wisconsin, where there are restrictions on certain types of vetoes.
In conclusion, governors in many states have the power to amend parts of legislation through the use of a line-item veto. While this power can be a valuable tool for governors to influence policy and control spending, it has also been the subject of debate and legal challenges. As such, governors must exercise their line-item veto power with caution and within the boundaries set by their state's laws and traditions.
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Governors can strike out words, numbers, and sentences
Governors in the United States can exercise a line-item veto, which allows them to strike out words, numbers, and sentences from a piece of legislation without vetoing the entire bill. This power is held by the governors of 44 US states, with Indiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Vermont being the exceptions.
The line-item veto, also known as the partial veto, gives the governor the ability to cancel specific provisions, known as line-items, in spending or appropriations bills. This means that governors can strike out particular words, numbers, or sentences that they disagree with while allowing the rest of the bill to become law. For example, in Wisconsin, governors have used what is known as the "digit veto", where a governor vetoed the digit "2" in an appropriation for $25 million, resulting in an appropriation of $5 million. Another type of veto used in Wisconsin is the "editing veto", where the word "not" was removed from the phrase "not less than 50 percent", resulting in the opposite effect intended by the legislature.
The line-item veto power of governors is not without limitations and restrictions. For instance, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has prohibited the "reduction veto", which involves arbitrarily reducing legislatively-appropriated amounts, stating that it violates the constitution by vetoing monetary figures that are not appropriation amounts. Additionally, some states have limitations on specific types of vetoes, like the “Frankenstein veto” and the "Vanna White veto".
The line-item veto has been a topic of debate at the federal level as well. While most US presidents since Ulysses S. Grant have sought this power, it has been opposed by Congress due to concerns about the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches. The Line Item Veto Act of 1996, granting the president this power, was passed during Bill Clinton's presidency but was later ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 1998.
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Governors can reduce legislatively-appropriated amounts
Governors in the United States have a variety of powers and responsibilities, including the implementation of state laws and the oversight of the state executive branch. In most states, governors have some form of line-item veto power, which allows them to exert control over the state budget and spending.
The line-item veto, also known as the reduction veto, is a power that enables governors to reduce or eliminate specific provisions of a bill, typically budget appropriations, without vetoing the entire legislative package. This power gives governors the ability to independently pass judgement on individual pieces of legislation within an appropriation bill. Governors can use this veto to remove or reduce budget items that they object to, thereby playing a significant role in establishing priorities for the allocation of state resources.
The Governor of Wisconsin, for example, has a sweeping line-item veto power. This allows the governor to strike out words, numbers, or even entire sentences from appropriations bills. In his first two terms, Governor Tommy Thompson used 1,500 line-item vetoes to cancel a total of $150 million in spending. Similarly, in 2023, Governor Tony Evers used a line-item veto to extend a two-year temporary funding increase for schools to over 400 years.
While the line-item veto empowers governors to make significant changes to legislatively-appropriated amounts, it is not without limitations. The Wisconsin Supreme Court recognised the governor's absolute partial veto power as long as a workable, complete law remained. However, in the case of Risser v. Klauser, the court prohibited the "reduction veto", stating that the constitution does not allow a write-in veto of monetary figures that are not appropriation amounts.
In conclusion, governors in the United States have the ability to reduce legislatively-appropriated amounts through the use of the line-item veto. This power allows them to shape state spending and policy while being subject to judicial limitations and the possibility of legislative override.
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Frequently asked questions
A line-item veto gives the president of a country or a state governor the power to cancel individual provisions, or line-items, in spending or appropriations bills without vetoing the entire bill.
44 out of 50 US states give their governors some form of line-item veto power. Indiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Vermont are the exceptions.
There are three types of vetoes: line-item, reduction, and amendatory.
Yes, like traditional presidential vetoes, a line-item veto can be overridden by Congress.
