Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoes 9 bills on penultimate day of special session

Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed nine bills Thursday evening, including ones seeking to update the state’s corporate income tax; implement new protections for minors undergoing psychiatric care; allow pharmacists to prescribe some medications; and tax e-cigarettes. The vetoes came as lawmakers on Friday face the final day of a 30-day special session called by Dunleavy to consider a tax break he proposed for a long-sought natural gas pipeline project. Dunleavy, who issued the vetoes at 6 p.m. Thursday, had until midnight to veto two dozen measures that had passed during the regular session, or allow them to become law. Among the measures not on the governor’s veto list that will go into law at midnight is a permanent increase to the state’s spending on public schools. Legislative leaders previously said they would schedule a joint session of the House and Senate on Friday to consider overriding some or all of the governor’s vetoes. Lawmakers said earlier in the week that there were no direct negotiations with the governor meant to stave off vetoes in exchange for passing Dunleavy’s desired Alaska LNG tax policy, but that the vetoes could impact legislators’ willingness to work with him during the special session. “People tend to get attached to their bills,” Anchorage Democratic Sen. Bill Wielechowski said Wednesday. Vetoes, he said, have “the potential to create some ill will and create some more friction that you probably don’t need at this point.” The House passed a version of the governor’s proposed tax cut for the Alaska LNG project June 12, sending it to the Senate. Members of the Senate majority have been deliberating on the bill behind closed doors, but have yet to indicate what changes they are looking to make to the bill, and whether they will support its passage before the special session must end Friday night. Dunleavy has said that he will call another special session if lawmakers fail to pass his desired policy. Legislators overrode Dunleavy’s vetoes three times last year — including twice during a summer special session called by the governor. But since the beginning of the year, they have failed to override the governor three times, including on a bill that would update the state’s corporate income tax law; a measure to create a new public pension plan; and expansive legislation to modernize the state’s election laws. All three times, lawmakers failed to reach the threshold needed to override the governor — 45 votes for revenue-related provisions, and 40 votes for all other bills. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.