Gearing Up for Veto Session
Each year from January to mid-May, members of the General Assembly are hard at work trying to pass legislation before the end of the legislative session. This part of the legislative process can be exhausting, involving long hours that go well into the next day. It’s like a sprint and a marathon all in one. But even after the legislative session ends, the Legislature’s work is still not done. That is why in the coming weeks, lawmakers will be returning to Jefferson City to carry out some of their additional legislative responsibilities.
On Sept 11, the General Assembly will hold its annual veto session. This session provides lawmakers the opportunity to consider whether or not to overturn any of the governor’s actions on bills he vetoed following the 2019 legislative session. Since the end of session, the governor has exercised his ability to veto legislation passed by the General Assembly six times. These bills cover a range of topics, including a partial repeal of Missouri’s helmet law, mining royalties and even outdoor cremations, also known as “Viking funerals.” During the upcoming veto session, lawmakers will have the chance to reconsider these six bills and possibly override the governor’s decision to veto them. If two-thirds of both the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri Senate agree to overturn a veto, the bill will become law, otherwise, it remains vetoed.
Running concurrently with veto session will also be an extraordinary session, which the governor specifically called to address a recent Missouri Supreme Court decision regarding vehicle tax credits. Missouri’s highest court ruled existing state statute only allowed one vehicle to be sold to offset the sales tax on another vehicle. Previously, it was thought – and more importantly, practiced – that multiple vehicles could be sold to offset the sales tax. The governor is now asking the General Assembly to clarify this issue in state law. This session also provides the Missouri Senate the opportunity to consider gubernatorial appointments to various boards and commissions that serve our state.
With these tasks ahead of us, I look forward to working with my colleagues to keep moving Missouri forward and making this state a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Please feel free to contact my office at (573) 751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.