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Balance-of-power struggle set for next showdown in veto override session Wednesday

The Utah Legislature is now scheduled to hold a veto override session on Wednesday beginning at 1 p.m., according to a call issued by House Speaker Greg Hughes and Senate President Wayne Niederhauser.

Legislative leaders had announced last week that they would call the session soon, after polling of their rank and file showed they had the two-thirds majority support needed to do so.

They aim to override two vetoes by Gov. Gary Herbert of bills that are part of a yearlong turf war between him and lawmakers over proper separation of powers.

SB171 — which passed 61-8 in the House and 20-3 in the Senate — would allow lawmakers to intervene in court to defend the laws they pass, no longer depending on the state attorney general’s office to do so.