Does the Georgia governor have the authority to exercise a line-item veto?

Does the Georgia governor have the authority to exercise a line-item veto?

• A. No line-item veto
• B. Yes, can veto line items but only as part of a total veto; overrides require a 2/3 vote in both chambers
• C. Yes, they can strike line items for budget measures; overrides require a simple majority in both chambers
• D. Yes, they can strike specific line items; overrides require a 2/3 vote of both chambers

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that the Georgia governor has a line-item veto: the ability to strike specific spending items in an appropriation (budget) bill while leaving the rest of the bill in place. This lets the governor shape the budget by removing particular expenditures without killing the entire bill. If the governor uses this power, the Legislature can override the veto, but only with a two-thirds vote in both chambers, not a simple majority. That two-thirds requirement acts as a strong check on executive power over spending. The other descriptions don’t fit because Georgia does authorize line-item vetoes (so saying there’s no line-item veto is inaccurate), and the override threshold isn’t a simple majority for budget items nor is the veto limited to being part of a total veto.

The key idea is that the Georgia governor has a line-item veto: the ability to strike specific spending items in an appropriation (budget) bill while leaving the rest of the bill in place. This lets the governor shape the budget by removing particular expenditures without killing the entire bill. If the governor uses this power, the Legislature can override the veto, but only with a two-thirds vote in both chambers, not a simple majority. That two-thirds requirement acts as a strong check on executive power over spending. The other descriptions don’t fit because Georgia does authorize line-item vetoes (so saying there’s no line-item veto is inaccurate), and the override threshold isn’t a simple majority for budget items nor is the veto limited to being part of a total veto.