This proposed constitutional amendment would alter the State's budget process.

Under current provisions of the State Constitution, the Governor annually submits for approval by the General Assembly a proposed operating budget, which contains the planned funding levels for all three branches of State government – the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches. In approving the operating budget, the General Assembly may not increase or add funding for the Executive Branch, but it may increase funding for the Legislative and Judicial Branches. Except for expenditures required by the State Constitution, the General Assembly may decrease funding in the operating budget for each of the three branches of State government. Once the General Assembly approves the operating budget, it becomes law immediately without further action by the Governor.

Under this proposed constitutional amendment, the General Assembly, beginning with the 2023 Legislative Session, would be authorized to increase or add funding in the operating budget, so long as the total level of funding approved by the General Assembly for the Executive Branch does not exceed the total level of funding proposed by the Governor for the Executive Branch. The Governor would be authorized to use a line item veto to reject an individual budget item where the General Assembly increased or added funding to the Governor's proposed budget for the Executive Branch. The General Assembly would be authorized to override such a veto with a three-fifths vote of the membership in each chamber. If the Governor vetoes a budget item that was increased by the General Assembly and the General Assembly does not override that veto, then the level of funding for that item would revert back to the amount proposed by the Governor. If the Governor vetoes a budget item that was added by the General Assembly and the General Assembly does not override that veto, then that item becomes void.