Did Gov. Abbott go too far?
But Abbotts spokeswoman, press secretary Renae Eze, said the governors veto was legal and well within the power granted by the Texas Constitution to disapprove any bill.  This is not the first time, and undoubtedly will not be the last time, that a governor vetoes government funding for government positions and salaries, Eze said. Any limitation on that authority directly contradicts the Constitution and decades of vetoes by governors.  Chad Dunn, a lawyer for the Texas Democratic Party, suggested that the Supreme Court might think about what might happen if it lets stand Abbotts veto of one of the three supposedly equal branches of government outlined in the constitution. If the governor is permitted to zero out the budget of the legislative branch until he gets what he wants, he similarly will be able to eliminate the budget of the judiciary until he gets what he wants, Dunn said. He warned that history has shown that once an executive gets power, it will be used forever.