What mechanism allows governors to reject specific items in budget bills?

The line-item veto is a critical mechanism that empowers governors to selectively reject specific provisions or items within budget bills while allowing the rest of the legislation to become law. This ability to target particular appropriations enables governors to exercise control over state spending by eliminating funding for certain projects or initiatives that they may find objectionable or unnecessary.

This power is particularly significant in managing budget priorities and ensuring that taxpayer funds are allocated in a manner aligned with the governor's policy goals. States that grant their governors the line-item veto provide them with a tool to encourage fiscal responsibility, as it allows leaders to refine budget proposals without rejecting entire budgets outright.

In contrast, other options like the full veto permit governors to reject entire bills but do not provide the same granular control over individual budget items. The post-adjournment veto applies to situations where a bill is vetoed after the legislative session has ended, while a pocket veto occurs when a governor takes no action on a bill during a legislative recess, effectively allowing it to die without a formal veto. Each of these mechanisms serves different functions in the legislative process, but the line-item veto stands out for its specificity concerning budget management.