Here’s the legislation Gov. Matt Bevin vetoed Tuesday. Will lawmakers override him?

Gov. Matt Bevin issued his first vetoes Tuesday for this year’s law-making session, striking down parts of the budget bill and a measure dealing with administrative regulations.

Lawmakers will return to the Capitol Thursday on the last day of the 2019 session to consider any vetoes by the governor and pass last-minute legislation. They can override Bevin’s vetoes or let them stand.

The Republican governor vetoed two items in House Bill 268, the so-called budget bill.

One involves how universities dispose their property and another deals with the flexibility of area development districts to spend money. The state’s 15 districts provide planning and project funding for counties.

Bevin said it has been determined since the budget bill was passed that the provision dealing with university property “will create an unnecessary burden on those universities that have already adopted a specific statutory process for disposition of property.”

Bevin said the flexibility provision for area development districts was vetoed “because the current budget language passed by the General Assembly is more fiscally sound in maximizing resources by prioritizing federal matching dollars.”

He said the veto was requested by more than half of the 15 area development districts in the state. “This veto specifically addresses an unfortunate misrepresentation to the legislature that the ADDs collectively supported this change,” said Bevin.

Bevin vetoed all of House Bill 4, sponsored by Rep. Ken Upchurch, R-Monticello. It basically would give legislators more oversight of the state’s regulation-making process.

In his veto message, Bevin said the bill “serves as a solution for a problem that does not exist.”

He said Kentucky’s current regulatory process functions well and predicted the bill would extend the time needed to create an administrative regulation by 60 days.

“Extending the regulatory process for an additional 60 days could put executive branch agencies at risk for losing federal funds,” he said.

Bevin also said the measure violates “the strong separation of power established by” the Kentucky Constitution “and will serve to usurp the traditional constitutional power and authority of the executive branch.”

He has until midnight Tuesday to issue any other vetoes.

Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said he will recommend the legislature override Bevin’s veto of HB 4 on Thursday.

He said legislators will have to discuss the veto of HB 268 “to determine the impact of the line item vetoes.”

This story was originally published March 26, 2019 at 3:40 PM.