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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Latest on one Maryland lawmaker casting votes on a bill in two chambers during an effort to override a veto of a measure allowing felons to vote while on probation or parole as (all times local):
11:45 a.m.
The Maryland General Assembly has voted to override a governor's veto with the help of a senator who was able to vote twice due to his recent change in seats.
The Senate voted 29 to 18 on Tuesday to override Gov. Larry Hogan's veto of a bill allowing felons to vote while on probation or parole.
Last month, Del. Craig Zucker was one of the 85 votes in the House for the override, the bare minimum needed to reach a three-fifths majority. Zucker, a Democrat, was sworn in last week to replace a retiring senator, whose departure left that body one vote short of the 29 needed for the three-fifths majority. The Senate waited until Zucker was sworn in to vote on the measure.
While Democrats say recent legal advice of counsel indicates it was OK for Zucker to vote again in his new role, Republicans still aren't so sure.
Zucker was officially appointed to the Senate by none other than the Republican governor.
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6:15 a.m.
Maryland lawmakers have a potential quandary on their hands that's rare, if not unprecedented: Can one of their own vote twice on the same bill?
At issue is a measure allowing felons to vote while on probation or parole. Supporters say the measure will help reintegrate felons into society, but opponents say those felons haven't yet paid their debt to society.
Republican Gov. Larry Hogan has vetoed it. The House barely overrode the veto.
Here's where it gets tricky: the lawmaker who will likely be the deciding Senate vote was recently appointed to his seat after already voting for the override as a member of the House. While Democrats say recent legal advice of counsel indicates it's OK for the new senator to vote in his new role, Republicans aren't so sure.
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