In an interview yesterday, Press Secretary Angel A. Demapan said the governor stands by his decision to veto House Bill 17-165 which will allow him to settle government debts.
He said they’re hoping members of the House will heed the concerns of the administration.
There is already a law that allows for the Legislature to appropriate funds for the intent of the bill, Demapan said.
All H.B. 17-165 would do, he said, is open doors for claimants to circumvent the law and in effect, take hold of the Legislature’s appropriation authority while impacting the general fund through offsetting and crediting tax obligations.
Fitial also noted that the language of the bill is broad and sets no definite boundaries for settlement negotiations. This may result in more harm to the general fund and other government agencies, the governor said.
The administration also reiterated the governor’s reason for vetoing Senate Bill 17-20 which increases the driver’s license fee from $30 to $40 and makes attending the driving school — currently a requirement for new drivers —optional.
The Senate on Monday enacted the bill into law by completing the override process began by the House.
The new law will supposedly create a driver education program within the Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Motor Vehicle.
The governor said BMV is neither ready nor equipped to run the program.
BMV, Demapan said, needs to establish a feasible program that will include training instructors, drafting an approved curriculum, acquiring vehicles, insuring them, and factoring in the cost of fuel for the driving instruction portion of the program.
The administration, he added, had hoped that the Legislature would have taken such concerns into consideration.
Students and their parents have complained about the $350 fee charged by the driving school and lobbied for the bill’s passage.
Demapan said “rectifying discrepancies in the measure allows for the passage and enactment of a quality bill, rather than having to come back with numerous amendments down the line.”
