View source for Line-item veto

The '''line-item veto''' is the power of the top executive in government, either the president or a state governor, to sign a budget into law while striking out (lining out) certain expense items that the executive disfavors.  Many state governors have this power.  However, the power only allows the governor to remove items from a budget bill; s/he cannot add items s/he favors.  Also the veto power only applies to budget bills, not to other legislation.

While this is favored by some [[conservatives]] to reduce overall spending, but the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], including solidly [[textualist]] judges such as [[Clarence Thomas]], held it to be unconstitutional at the [[federal]] level.<ref name="NotAGoodIdea">Byas, Steve (March 26, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/item/28582-trump-call-for-line-item-veto-not-a-good-idea Trump Call for Line-item Veto Not a Good Idea]. ''The New American''. Retrieved March 26, 2018.</ref>  

Part of the controversy around the line item veto is in the [[separation of powers]] in government.  The line item veto can be used to change the meaning of passages in a law.  Vetoing a 'not' can drastically alter the meaning of a sentence.  It has also been used to selectively veto letters and make new law – a power that should not be in the hands of the executive branch.

For example, the passage:
:"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
Could be vetoed
:"A <s>well regu</s>late<s>d</s> mil<s>itia, b</s>e<s>ing necessa</s>r<s>y to the security</s> of a free state, <s>the right of the people to keep and bear arms,</s> shall not be infringed."
Which would now read:
:"A late miler of a free state, shall not be infringed."

While many conservatives support a line-item veto in order to reduce spending, a liberal Democrat could just as easily use it to advance left-wing policies. The line-item veto would also give even more power to the [[executive branch]] than it has already acquired.<ref name="NotAGoodIdea"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==

* [http://www.legis.state.wi.us/senate/sen10/news/FrankensteinVeto.pdf Frankenstein Veto - an example of Jim Doyle using line-item veto on the Wisconsin budget]

[[Category:United States Politics]]
[[Category:United States Government]]