JEFFERSON CITY— Majority Floor Leader Ron Richard, R-Joplin, said after hours of work and bipartisan cooperation, he is disappointed with the governor’s decision to veto the student transfer bill. The measure contained a statewide, long-term policy that would have made some systemic changes to Missouri’s education system.

“I’m pleased the governor has signed bills to increase economic development like the measure that will help keep the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in the Show-Me state, and legislation that will help veterans and military members,” said Richard. “However, after two years of work, we still cannot guarantee every child in Missouri has equal access to a quality education.”

House Bill 42 addressed transfer options for students attending unaccredited school buildings and districts. The legislation also included ways to support additional local options for students in failing districts and added important accountability measures for charter schools.

“The Senate spent more hours on this subject than any other issue in the past few years. I’m proud of the work the members of the Education Committee and Chairman Sen. David Pearce, Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, Rep. David Wood, and the Legislature have done over the past two years. Together they have crafted legislation we thought the governor would sign and ultimately reduce the number of students transferring out of the home districts so they can receive a good, quality education close to home.

My staff and I will be taking a good look at the governor’s veto message to see what he claims is wrong with the bill. In the coming months, I will be looking for leadership from both parties and leaders in the education field, particularly Sen. Chappelle-Nadal, to craft another plan. Our kids are too important to let this legislation go by the wayside. I will also be speaking with the Speaker of the House Todd Richardson about a possible veto override attempt,” said Richard.

The Senate will convene again for the annual veto session on Sept. 16, 2015. At that time, a decision whether to override the governor’s veto will be made. To learn more about this bill or to track its progress, visit www.senate.mo.gov.