| Capitol Briefing: Month of September 2014 | |
Another Veto Session for the Record Books |
|
JEFFERSON CITY – For the second year in a row, Missouri lawmakers voted to override a historic number of vetoed bills. The General Assembly convened at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 10 for the annual veto session. By the time both chambers adjourned in the early hours of Sept. 11, 10 vetoed bills and 47 line-items within the budget had been successfully overridden. A motion to override a veto must be made by the bill’s primary sponsor in the originating chamber. If approved by the constitutionally required two-thirds majority in that chamber, the bill then moves to the other chamber for consideration. A two-thirds majority requires 23 votes in the Senate and 109 votes in the House. Senate Bill 523, sponsored by Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, prohibits school districts from requiring students to use an identification device that utilizes radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to identify students, transmit information regarding students, or monitor or track students’ locations. The governor vetoed SB 523 stating that local school officials, not the Legislature, are in the best position to determine the appropriate use of RFID technology within their schools. The Senate voted to override the veto with a vote of 25-7, and the House followed suit. A measure sponsored by Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville, which modifies provisions relating to nonpartisan elections, received the necessary votes in the Senate (25-7) and House to override the governor’s veto. The governor vetoed Senate Bill 593, citing how the rights of Missouri citizens to support write-in candidates would be limited. Another vetoed Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, was overridden in the upper chamber (23-8) and approved by the House. Senate Bill 656 addresses open-carry ordinances, school protection officers, healthcare professionals and firearms, and the unlawful use of weapons. In the governor’s veto letter, he stated that arming teachers as a means to keep schools safe is the wrong approach. Senate Bill 727, sponsored by Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, grants a sales and use tax exemption for products sold at farmers’ markets, among other provisions. Senate Bill 829, sponsored by Sen. Kraus, modifies provisions relating to the burden of proof in tax liability cases. In his veto letters for both SB 727 and SB 829, the governor stated, among other reasons, that neither bill had been accounted for in the Fiscal Year 2015 budget, leaving it out of balance. The Senate overrode the governor’s veto of SB 727 with a vote of 27-3 and again on SB 829 (26-6). The House subsequently approved both vetoes. Sponsored by Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, Senate Bill 731 modifies provisions relating to nuisance ordinances and actions. While stating that SB 731 began as a well-meaning measure, the governor ultimately vetoed the bill due to the addition of an amendment providing a broad new immunity for those who damage the property of others. However, both the Senate (25-3) and the House overrode the veto on the bill. By a vote of 26-6 in the Senate and approved by the House, vetoed Senate Bill 841 was successfully overridden. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa, prohibits the sale of alternative nicotine or vapor products to persons less than 18 years of age. The governor stated in his veto letter that SB 841 only creates the illusion of regulation and is harmful to Missourians because of the special exemptions it allows for these products. Another measure sponsored by Sen. Wasson preempts local laws that would modify current law governing the manner in which traditional installment loan lenders are allowed to make loans. The governor indicated that because Senate Bill 866 creates a new term to describe short-term lenders not licensed as banks or credit unions, it would ultimately interfere with local governments by restricting their authority over such entities. The upper chamber voted 27-5 to override the governor’s veto, with the House following suit. House Bill 1132, handled by Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington, is a measure that changes the law regarding a tax credit for contributions to a maternity home, pregnancy resource center or food pantry. In his veto letter, the governor stated that HB 1132 would increase the caps on three tax credit programs and thereby grow the state’s total tax credit expenditures. The House overrode the governor’s veto and the Senate agreed to do the same with a vote of 27-2. Finally, the Senate (23-7) and the House voted to override the governor’s veto on House Bills 1307 & 1313, handled by Sen. Sater, which extends the current waiting period to have an abortion from 24 to 72 hours. The governor’s veto letter listed, among other reasons, that the legislation does not contain exceptions for rape and incest victims. Ceremony Held to Honor Former and Current Senators During a ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 9, lawmakers bid farewell and honored the service of colleagues who were either voted out of office during the primary elections, are simply retiring from public service or were required to leave due to term limits. Senators recognized at the event included:
Look for next month’s Capitol Briefing for a summary of the upcoming November ballot issues.
|
