| JEFFERSON CITY— Tuesday, July 14 marked the last day the governor could either sign or veto the bills passed this year by the Legislature. Rather than just an arbitrary deadline, July 14 is the 45th day since the Legislature constitutionally adjourned for the year (May 30). Under the Missouri Constitution, the governor has 45 days from that date to sign or veto the passed bills or they will automatically become law.
Thirty-seven Senate bills were signed and 12 were vetoed and 92 House bills were signed and 11 were vetoed by the governor (11 budget bills also contain line-item vetoes).
(Click here to see which bills were signed and which were vetoed.)
Every bill the governor vetoes is sent back to the sponsoring chamber with his objections. The General Assembly may consider any of the vetoed bills during its annual veto session in mid-September. If lawmakers decide to try to override a veto, it will be put to a vote. To overturn a governor’s veto, a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers is required.
Most bills not receiving a veto become law August 28, the default effective date for new laws. However, some took effect immediately upon receiving the governor’s signature and others will become law at another specified date. Individual bill provisions may also have different effective dates than the rest of the bill.
Most of the high-profile bills this session were signed by the governor, including House Bill 191 , the economic development bill handled in the Senate by Sen. John Griesheimer (R-Washington). The measure, which was signed and took effect on June 4, contains several provisions designed to create jobs and spur economic development (i.e. increasing the annual cap on the Quality Jobs program), while reforming the state’s tax credits system (i.e. capping the amount of tax credits the Missouri Development Finance Board can issue annually).
Several crime-related bills also received the governor’s signature. Omnibus crime bill House Bill 62 , handled in the Senate by Sen. Matt Bartle (R-Lee’s Summit), was signed and became effective July 9. Some of the provisions of HB 62 include prohibiting certain alcohol-related activities on Missouri’s minor rivers (Sen. Delbert Scott, R-Lowry City); banning texting while driving for those 21 and younger (Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City); and expanding the crime of cattle rustling (Sen. Dan Clemens, R-Marshfield).
The state’s DNA profiling system will also be expanded after the governor signed HB 152 into law (it takes effect Aug. 28). The bill, also handled in the Senate by Sen. Bartle, requires anyone arrested for certain violent felonies, sexual offenses and burglary to provide a DNA sample for the database. Previously a sample would be taken at the point of conviction.
Sen. Jeff Smith’s (D-St. Louis) two bills addressing family and child support issues, SBs 140 and 141, received the governor’s signature. Senate Bill 140 allows non-violent defendants in criminal non-support cases to receive education, training or treatment in an effort to encourage them to resume their child support payments. Senate Bill 141 protects men from false paternity claims and ensures they know their right to contest paternity and request genetic testing. Both are enacted into law on Aug. 28.
Other signed bills include:
- HB 154 , handled by Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields (R-St. Joseph), which establishes the Foster Care Education Bill of Rights and changes the laws regarding the placement of children and the appointment of stand-by guardians (becomes law Aug. 28).
- HB 481 , handled by Sen. Jim Lembke (R-St. Louis), which makes several changes to the Missouri courts system, including protecting public entities and employees from frivolous lawsuits by adding claims—within the scope of the Missouri Human Rights Act—to which public entities are protected against punitive or exemplary damages (becomes law Aug. 28).
- HB 683 , handled by Sen. Bill Stouffer (R-Napton), which is a large transportation bill that among other things, extends the exemption period for the required safety inspections of new vehicles from two years to five years of the vehicle’s manufacture date (became law July 1).
- SB 1 , sponsored by Sen. Scott, which establishes licensing and contract requirements for pre-need funeral contract sellers, providers, and seller agents (becomes law Aug. 28).
- SB 36 , sponsored by Sen. Jack Goodman (R-Mt. Vernon), which increases the penalty for child rape from life in prison without eligibility for probation or parole for at least 30 years of the sentence to life in prison without ever being eligible for probation, parole or conditional release in certain cases (becomes law Aug. 28).
- SB 376 , sponsored by Sen. Brad Lager (R-Savannah), which allows electric companies to implement and recover costs for developing energy efficiency programs (becomes law Aug. 28).
On the budget front, the $23.1 billion fiscal year 2010 state budget was enacted on July 1 and runs through June 30, 2010. The governor signed most of the budget bills on June 25 after cutting $105 million through line-item vetoes and restricting an additional $325 million in spending until revenue improves.
Click here to listen to a report on the FY 2010 budget from This Week in the Missouri Senate.
The Joint Interim Committee On Oversight of Federal Stimulus and Stabilization Funds, which was created following the General Assembly’s approval of Senate Concurrent Resolution 27 , held its first meeting on June 29 in St. Louis. The committee will study ways to maximize the amount of federal funds received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and provide oversight to ensure that the funds are properly spent.
Also holding its first organizational meeting was the Missouri Senate Educated Citizenry 2020 Committee, which gathered on July 1. Senator David Pearce (R-Warrensburg) was elected chair and Sen. Smith was elected vice-chair by the committee members during the meeting.
The committee is responsible for creating long-term plans and strategies for developing an educational system where Missouri students learn to be productive and successful citizens that are prepared for global competition.
Click here to listen to a report on the 2020 education committee from This Week in the Missouri Senate.
The Missouri Senate General Column is written on a regular basis. To follow these and other issues being addressed by the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov . Visitors can research legislation and learn more about their Senate district and the legislative process. For more legislative news, please visit the Senate Newsroom . There you will find various audio and video programs, such as:
- Missouri Legislative Update (MLU) A video program produced periodically that provides an overview of the news in the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives. The program features news interviews with lawmakers and stories on issues concerning Missouri.
- Capital Dialogue Missourinet's Bob Priddy hosts this monthly half-hour roundtable program bringing legislators together from the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives from different political parties to discuss their positions on legislation.
- This Week in the Missouri Senate A weekly five-minute audio program that wraps up the week’s news in the Missouri Senate. Programs are posted online every Friday in .mp3 format. Listeners have the option of subscribing to the program via podcast.
- Senate Minute A condensed, one-minute audio report of current Senate news. Programs are posted in .mp3 format and available through podcast.
- Daily Audio / Video Clips Throughout the year, Senate Communications posts audio and video highlights from Senate committee hearings, floor debate, press conferences and other legislative events.
Subscribe / Unsubscribe
-END- |
