Governor Greg Abbott's office released a statement regarding his recent veto of the state's budget that funds the legislature, and the lawsuit filed by Texas Democrats and legislative staffers.
"“The governor’s veto power is granted by the Texas Constitution, and the Texas Supreme Court has recognized that ‘the Governor has power to disapprove any bill," said Press Secretary Renae Eze in the statement. "Also, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has made clear that the Constitution does not 'impose any restriction on the [governor’s] veto power.’ More to the point, that court also ruled that ‘the governor’s power to exercise a veto may not be circumscribed by the Legislature [or] by the courts."
The statement is addressing a petition for a writ of mandamus that Texas legislative democrats filed on Friday, that claimed Abbott's veto was 'unconstitutionally invalid and therefore void'.
"This is not the first time, and undoubtedly will not be the last time, that a governor vetoes funding for government positions and salaries," said Eze in the statement response. "Any limitation on that authority directly contradicts the Constitution and decades of vetoes by governors."
The response from Gov. Abbott's office states that Democrats can continue to legislate despite the veto.
