JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE -- LINE ITEM VETO (This proposed amendment to our state Constitution grants the governor a line-item veto on the budget and other appropriation bills.)

Rhode Island Line-Item Veto Constitutional Amendment

This bill proposes an amendment to Rhode Island's state Constitution that would give the governor a new power called a "line-item veto." Right now, when the state legislature sends the governor a budget bill, the governor must either approve the entire budget or reject it all at once. A line-item veto would allow the governor to reject specific individual spending items within a budget bill while still approving the rest of it — essentially crossing out particular lines in the budget without throwing out the whole thing.

Because this is a proposed constitutional amendment — not just a regular law — it cannot simply be passed by the legislature alone. If the General Assembly approves this resolution, the proposal would then be placed on the ballot for Rhode Island voters to decide. Everyday Rhode Islanders would have the final say on whether to add this new power to the state Constitution.

This change would primarily affect how the governor and the state legislature interact when passing the annual state budget. It would give the governor more direct control over specific spending decisions, while the legislature would have somewhat less final authority over individual budget items. Supporters of such measures often argue it reduces wasteful spending, while critics sometimes worry it shifts too much budget power away from the legislature — but the bill itself simply puts this question in the hands of voters to decide.

Currently, the bill has been referred to the House State Government & Elections Committee and has been scheduled for a hearing, though the committee has recommended it be held for further study.