The Senate has recessed until 1:30, after a contentious procedural dispute between the majority and minority leadership over a possible override vote on the governor's vetoes. Senate Minority Leader Kate Kelly, D-Boise, objected to simply sending the vetoed budget bills back to the finance committee to die, and argued that the state Constitution and legislative rules require that they go to an override vote. Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, then moved to lay the bills on the table, a procedural move that kills them unless a two-thirds vote is taken to revive them. Kelly disputed the move as improper, and said she's working on a formal protest; the motion passed, 28-6, on a party-line vote.

"What we're seeing now is a pattern of vetoes," Kelly said. "We would like to see a straight-up vote on these, and we feel under the Constitution and the rules that that's proper." She said minority Democrats feel an override vote is important to "getting a voice as senators," and said, "Our caucus has expressed an interest in attempting to override the governor's vetoes. We're frustrated with the process. We want to move on." Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs, said his caucus doesn't support an override vote. "We have met as leadership with the majority caucus and there was not two-thirds willing to override the governor," he said, noting that the transportation bill at the heart of the dispute with the governor passed the Senate by nearly a two-thirds vote. Kelly said, "Well, let's see what kind of support there is and let's air it in the light of day. ... If that requires someone to go on record, then so be it." Geddes maintained senators already went on record when they voted to pass the transportation bill.

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