Huntsman will veto any limits to power

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. says he will veto a Senate bill that would restrict his ability to make interstate agreements — like he did last year with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger over climate changes.

"I don't like that idea," reflected in SB144, Huntsman told the Deseret Morning News.

So, he was asked, legislators had better get two-thirds' vote in both houses — needed for a veto override?

"Yes, in a nutshell."

Both Huntsman and Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, sponsor of SB144, said the issue is not personal.

"It is a question of power, of balance of power" between the legislative and executive branches of government, Jenkins said.

SB144 has already passed the Senate by more than two-thirds' vote — and so is veto-proof there unless some senators change their minds.

The bill is now in the House, where Jenkins said he will start explaining his bill's reasoning to members soon. The bill was amended last Friday to exempt any agreements that cost $50,000 or less.

House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said he has not counted votes in his body. "But we are going to run it and see where it goes." If it becomes a partisan issue, House Republicans have five more votes than needed among themselves to reach two-thirds.

Huntsman, who seeks re-election this year, has been relatively successful in battling such "separation of power" bills before.

Perhaps his largest possible defeat in that area is how the Legislature changed its budget-setting process — adopting base-budget bills early in each session so that lawmakers could adjourn with at least base state government programs funded, if later budget battles with the executive prove unworkable.

"I have no problem with Gov. Huntsman; he's a great guy," Jenkins said. "But what about the next guy" who sits in the governor's office? What if he is not as reasonable as Huntsman?

While denying that Huntsman's climate agreement, made with Schwarzenegger and other Western governors, is not the basis for SB144, Jenkins did say it was that agreement last year that got him and other senators thinking about what kind of interstate agreements a Utah governor could adopt.

"Originally, the senators wanted Senate President John Valentine to sponsor the bill over there and me to sponsor the bill here," Curtis said. But after some thought, it was decided it would be best if Valentine, R-Orem, and Curtis did not appear to be in such a faceoff with Huntsman, since the issue is not personal.

"It is a clear separation of powers issue," Curtis said. "He is obligating us (the Legislature and citizens) to budget for these" agreements without legislative approval.