The General Assembly reconvened last Wednesday for the 2015 veto session. The legislature considered 16 bills, 10 of which were successfully overridden. Members of the legislature placed a priority on overriding vetoes of bills that will boost and protect Missouri’s economy.

Senate Bill 20 was the only bill I sponsored that was vetoed by the governor. The bill is designed to correct the wrongful double taxation of commercial laundries. For years, these businesses were taxed on the supplies to clean items that are regularly rented out—uniforms, linens, etc.—in the final price of the product. A recent court ruling changed the interpretation of sales tax law, and allowed the Department of Revenue to tax the cleaning supplies an additional amount. When taxes are levied by court rulings, it raises costs for businesses and those costs are passed on to consumers, which hurts Missouri’s economy. The legislature successfully overrode the veto of Senate Bill 20, protecting these businesses from double taxation, as well as their role in Missouri’s economy.

The General Assembly also voted to override the veto of House Bill 722, a bill particularly important to protecting Missouri’s economy. This bill prohibits political subdivisions—including cities, towns and counties—from raising the minimum wage above the statewide level. Raising the minimum wage in a non-uniform manner will cause negative outcomes for businesses and workers alike. A higher minimum wage in a specific area will cause businesses to move out of that area, cut down on employees and hours, or raise prices to compensate for increased expenses. All of these negative ramifications are passed on to workers in the form of less available jobs, fewer compensated hours and higher consumer prices. House Bill 722 is essential to protecting the jobs and businesses already participating in Missouri’s economy.

House Bill 150, also approved during veto session, provides a practical plan for preventing Missouri’s Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund from going into debt, as it has in recent recessions. The bill ties the length of time an individual can receive benefits to the state’s unemployment rate. The state will provide more weeks of benefits during a recession, and fewer weeks of benefits when jobs are plentiful.

The following bills were also overridden during veto session:

Senate Bill 142: Requires the Department of Natural Resources to take certain actions when submitting certain plans to the Environmental Protection Agency

Senate Bill 224: Requires a student to be a United States citizen or permanent resident in order to be eligible to receive reimbursements from the A+ Schools Program

Senate Bill 345: Modifies provisions relating to financial transactions

House Bill 618: modifies provisions of law regarding the disposition of deceased human remains and the electronic vital records system

House Bill 878: modifies provisions relating to the licensing and commissioning of corporate security advisors by the Department of Public Safety

House Bill 1022: Authorizes a return of premiums paid by insureds

House Bill 1098: Modifies provisions relating to trust companies