Can the Legislature override the veto?
Fox appealed to state Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams Jr., D-Brooklyn, to see if the governor’s veto could be overturned. A two-thirds majority vote in the state House and Senate is needed to override the governor’s veto. The override session starts and ends June 21. “I was very surprised,” Williams said Monday. He added that the veto is surprising coming from a governor who previously proposed Keno in restaurants and bars statewide. Williams said off-track betting would have only affected three restaurant locations, versus hundreds of locations with Keno. “It’s not consistent,” he said. Williams said an override is “rare and difficult to achieve” in general, but he hasn’t had a chance to poll other legislators since the bill’s veto late last week. “I was shocked,” said state Rep. Susan Johnson, D-Willimantic, who said she feels badly for Fox. She also said she sees off-track betting as a way to keep the Thirsty Frog afloat. Johnson also said Gov. Rell’s explanation for th
