Gov. Rick Perry has vetoed 275 bills since he took office in December 2000 — including two in the past week. Now, dozens of bills from the 83rd Legislature's regular session are on his desk for review. They will either go into law — with or without the governor’s signature — or suffer a veto. In three of Perry's seven sessions as governor, he vetoed 50 or more bills. What was surprising the first time he did it — nixing 83 bills after the 2001 session — has become less surprising over time. It’s the particulars that confound lawmakers, who never seem to know which bills are on the chopping block.
2 Vetoes (and counting...)
This year — so far, anyway, since the governor’s veto list won’t be complete until June 16 — the headline-grabber was Perry’s veto of a bill that would require nonprofits that get involved in elections to reveal the names of their otherwise secret donors.
Bill | Caption | Veto Proclamation |
---|---|---|
SB 346 | Relating to reporting requirements of certain persons who do not meet the definition of political committee. |
25 Vetoes
In 2011, the veto of a ban on texting-while-driving got the headlines. A similar bill died in a Senate committee this year.
Bill | Caption | Veto Proclamation |
---|---|---|
HB 242 | Relating to the enforcement of public safety, including the privileges and duties of certain types of law enforcement officers. |
39 Vetoes
After the 2009 legislative session, Perry vetoed an expansion of pre-kindergarten in public schools and a bill that would have allowed state highway officials use state funds to advertise and promote toll-road programs.
Bill | Caption | Veto Proclamation |
---|---|---|
HB 130 | Relating to an enhanced quality full-day prekindergarten program provided by public school districts in conjunction with community providers. | |
HB 2142 | Relating to the promotion of toll projects by the Texas Department of Transportation. |
56 Vetoes
The 2007 surprise was the governor’s veto of an eminent domain bill pushed by fellow conservatives. That fueled a political split between Perry and one of his original institutional backers — the Texas Farm Bureau. He also killed a bill that would have extended special pension benefits — the benefits extended to elected officials — to a couple of non-elected House employees. He had signed a similar bill two years earlier.
Bill | Caption | Veto Proclamation |
---|---|---|
HB 2006 | Relating to the use of eminent domain authority. | |
HB 3609 | Relating to membership and service credit in the Employees Retirement System of Texas for certain employees. |
20 Vetoes
In 2005, Perry was back in the budget, vetoing $35.3 billion in funding for public education. That forced a special session, a revision to the state’s business franchise tax, and a round of property tax relief that turned out to be more short-lived than the politicians hoped as value increases ate up the property owners' tax savings.
Bill | Caption | Veto Proclamation |
---|---|---|
SB 1 | General Appropriations Act. (Line item veto.) |
50 Vetoes
After the 2003 session, he whacked 50 bills, but the vetoes that got attention were in the state budget. At the time, then-Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said lawmakers had spent more money than they had available and threatened not to certify their work, as the Texas Constitution requires. Perry made some cuts, the budget balanced, and Perry and Strayhorn were on their way to a feud settled when he won the 2006 race for governor and she went home.
Bill | Caption | Veto Proclamation |
---|---|---|
HB 1 | General Appropriations Act. (Line item veto.) |
83 Vetoes
In 2001, the governor vetoed legislation that would have banned the use of the death penalty on convicted killers with profound mental disabilities. Another veto went to a bill that would have allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.
Bill | Caption | Veto Proclamation |
---|---|---|
HB 236 | Relating to the applicability of the death penalty to a capital offense committed by a person with mental retardation. | |
HB 396 | Relating to the requirement that an applicant for a driver's license provide certain identification information to the Department of Public Safety and to the duty of the department to provide a voter registration application form to an applicant. |
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Comments (16)
Stephanie Busby via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Governor Perry puts Texas first. So he vetos what he thinks is bad! Go Perry!
Andrew Goldberg via Texas Tribune on Facebook
"veto" sounds cool when he regales his buddies with tales of governatin' during hunting trips at N*ggerhead.
Cecil Floyd via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Contrary to others, he thinks he is king
Tim House via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Must be nice to live in a bubble like you right wing tea baggers. Firstly, king perry only won 36% of the vote in the last election, cockroaches are more popular than he is. Second, vetoing school funds and bills making it illegal to text while driving isn't putting texas first.
Marc Salazar via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Bad job, Perry! You may think you put Texas first, but look at Texas rankings on health care, education, and children in poverty, among many other things, and see how close to #1 you really are. Your people have done everything to gerrymander the state in your favor, to shelter the state from accountability to ADA violations, to waste millions on a ridiculous bid for President in which the rest of the country sorely rejected you, and you have not listened to hundreds of thousands of people who need medicaid because you have no heart for those who less fortunate than you and power has corrupted your humanity. I feel sorry for you.
Jake Edel via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Um.... Perry got 55.2% of the Texas vote for governor...
Tim House via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No he didn't. He got 39% of the vote in 2006. Which I accidentally put 36. It sure wasn't 55% in the last election. if texas had run off rules he would have lost. Nice try at rewriting history though.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The last election was in 2010 not 2006!! LOL!!
Furthermore, Chris Bell would have lost the election!!
Tim House via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well I guess you win the internets because I made a mistake. I honestly forgot 2010, but so did everyone else with that whopping 38% voter turnout. Dick Perry still barely squeaked by when everyone stayed home and you bubble boys act like he is Sam Houston. As for 2006, the watered down field helped perry, not vice versa. I can't wait until that arrogant douche is voted out next election. He has run this state into the ground.
Kay Golden Eissler via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Cannot believe that there are still people that have had their heads up their a&&. Perry is a joke!! He has run our state into the ground.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No Tim, he is no Sam Houston. But you would be hating on Sam Houston just as you are on Perry.
doesn ot matter what voter turnout was. The only people who count during an election are those who actually vote. The rest matter not!
The "water downed" field is of no consequence because in a strait pairing Perry beats Chris Bell all week long and on Sunday and Holidays!
You claim that Perry ran the state into the ground and yet Texas is economically one of the if not the strongest state despite a crippling recession. In Fact Houston and Dallas are the top Job creators in the Country and that Austin and San Antonio were other Texas Cities who were part of the first cities to recover from the Recession. No Tim, Perry has done a fine job as Governor.
Denise Beckman via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Marc Salazar, Perry has lied time and time again. As I call them out, people refuse to see it! "KKK" just took off their outfits and now run around speaking like white racists trash! Look, I am vampire white as they get, and I can tell you the horror stories I've seen and been subjected to because I asked for accountability. In doing so, being disabled and living with chronic pain. No health insurance, I pay my own way. Interestingly enough, after asking, I have to pee in a cup because they want to make sure I am not selling my meds. Joke is on them! My neighbor, hispanic family, wonderful people, he has been subjected to the racists cops in our town. Hey, my godparents, hispanic, my "older brothers," hispanic. I guess my liberalism followed me from the military and California! This state needs a new Party, and the Tea Baggers who follow, don't even know half of the history or constitution of this state or the country! I just love whipping out my knowledge, and if necessary, my pocket size constitution of the UNITED STATES! Bring it on!
Denise Beckman via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Oh yeah, it is so strong on jobs! That's why I did data entry for the homeless count in Dallas. People who have fallen of the count of the "unemployed" many hold master's degrees...go ahead, tell ME AGAIN HOW STRONG IT IS? As I am one soon to not count either! KING GEORGE W. Put this state in the highest debt, then hit the federal government with his logic as well...sorry, loosers, plain and simple.
Doug Fraser via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Not all of us...
Leigghh Newsom via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Majority implies over 50% - a number Perry hasn't hit in an election in over a decade. Your ridiculous claim has no more basis in fact than the faulty math upon which it's based.
liz reichman
If he vetoes HB 5 he will be toast.