Posted on 11/07/2007 10:30:16 AM PST by Clintonfatigued
Governor Carcieri has vetoed legislation — passed during last week’s special legislative session — that would have moved Rhode Island’s presidential primary up from March 4 to Feb. 5, 2008.
With other states scrambling to move their primaries and caucuses to earlier in the year, the drive to make sure Rhode Island didn’t get “left out in the cold” began last February with the introduction of a bill to move the Rhode Island date up by a month. As it stands, 36 other states will have voted before Rhode Islanders get their chance to have a say in the presidential sweepstakes.
But after clearing the state Senate in May, the bill stalled in the House.
Had it cleared the General Assembly during the regular session that ended in June, Carcieri — a supporter of Republican presidential aspirant Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor — said he would have allowed it to become law without his signature.
But with no opportunity for public testimony, voter and candidate-action deadlines bearing down this week, and “unexpected and difficult burdens on local boards of canvassers,” Carcieri’s veto message said: “I have no choice but to object.”
“Although some may believe that a February presidential preference primary might allow Rhode Island primary voters to feel more relevant to the nomination process, changing the date [at] this late hour would create an excessive burden on the local boards of canvassers,” said Carcieri, making public 21 letters of concern he received since last Tuesday’s special session from town officials.
(Excerpt) Read more at projo.com ...
Hey, why don’t we just hold the election tomorrow? lol This is getting ridiculous.
why not move the date to January? or December? hell.. move it to the past!. I hear Rove is working a time machine.
LOL
They could have it next week and it still wouldn’t make Rogue’s Island relevent, for which we should be grateful.
Carcieri deserves credit for this sensible stand.
He’s a Great Governor, even in Extremely Democratic Rhode Island they realize that. Managed to win re-election in the worst Republican year in decades in the least Republican state in the Union.
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