Governor Easley’s spokesman said the Governor plans to spend this month reading all the bills enacted by this year’s legislature and deciding whether to sign them or veto them.

For which he can thank my old boss Jim Hunt.

Jim Hunt first took office as Governor 30 years ago this year – in 1977. Back then, the Governor had no veto power. North Carolina was the only one of the 50 states without the gubernatorial veto. And the Governor could run for only one four-year term.

His first year in office, Governor Hunt passed a gubernatorial-succession amendment. How? By not repeating the mistake other Governors made. They all, trying not to look too ambitious, said they supported succession, but only for their successors, not for themselves.

Not Hunt. He said it would apply to him. So all of his supporters around the state – who wanted another four years in power – worked for the amendment. And it passed.

Hunt didn’t get the veto until his third term. And only after Republicans won a majority in the House. House Democrats had always opposed the veto. Republicans had supported it since Jim Martin, a Republican, had been in office. So when Republicans took the House, Hunt took them up on it. The veto passed in 1997.

But Hunt never used the veto as Governor. He didn’t need to. The threat was enough.

Governor Easley has used it. And, given his unwillingness to personally lobby legislators, he needs it. He should raise a toast to his predecessor.

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