Governor Brian Kemp has used his first veto after this year’s legislative session.

Under the vetoed bill, any tuition hike more than 3% would have had to be approved by the legislature.

Representative Chuck Martin presented it in the final minutes of day 40. “We thank the regents for the conservative way they’ve run tuition in years past, and this will allow us to work with them.”

The bill passed with only one against in the House and unanimously in the Senate.

In his veto statement, Kemp said that the Georgia constitution makes plain that the authority to raise tuition lies with the Board of Regents. Therefore such a cap could not be implemented unless voters approve a constitutional amendment limiting the powers of the Board of Regents.

“The Georgia Constitution makes plain the authority to govern, control, and manage the University System and all system institutions is vested in the Board of Regents,” Kemp wrote.