OK Senate Overrides Gov’s Veto Of Salary Bill
Senate overrides Fallin’s veto of salary bill
By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate on Friday overrode Gov. Mary Fallin’s veto of a bill that would decouple the pay of statewide elected officials from that of judges.
The vote was 36-0 to override the veto of Senate Bill 549. Only 32 votes were required.
The Oklahoma House must also vote to override the veto for the measure to become law. Sixty-eight votes are needed in the 101-member lower chamber.
For years, the salary of the governor was tied to that of the chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The governor earns $147,000 a year. Likewise, the salary of the attorney general was tied to that of the presiding judge of the Court of Civil Appeals. The attorney general earns $132,825.