The Governor’s Office at the State Capitol was a very busy place a year ago as Governor Bob Holden held numerous bill signing ceremonies … and news conferences to discuss vetoes of other bills. Such is not the case this year. Those Capitol ceremonies and news conferences haven’t been as numerous in 2004. Governor Holden, who vetoed several budget bills in 2003, has signed them all this year. And, this year’s budget bills were signed without any fanfare … without the legislative sponsors present … and without the media present. Holden says he decided to sign the budget bills as soon as possible to allow state workers and administrators know how much money they had at their disposal. As for Republican suggestions the Governor is signing many bills in private in a bid to deny the GOP sponsors their credit, Holden says some of the bills are being signed in private in an effort to streamline the process and get them signed quickly. He adds the sponsors – Democrat or epublican – have been invited to all public bill signing ceremonies.
