This article originally appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, July 15, 2013: Excluding line item budget vetoes, Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed 29 bills this session – more than his previous five years in office. Below are brief description of the bills – as well as a link to Nixon’s veto letters.
HB 110: Among other election-related changes, former House Speaker Jason Smith's bill changes how a lieutenant governor is replaced in the case of vacancy.
The bill also bars the governor from making any interim appointments to the St. Louis County Election Board. The amendment was written so that it does not apply to any other election boards. The provision had been sought by some county Republicans, including House Majority Leader John Diehl, who are still angry with Nixon about last summer's removal of the GOP elections director, Joseph Goeke, a retired judge. (View Nixon's veto message.)
HB 253: State Rep. T.J. Berry's and state Sen. Eric Schmitt's legislation would cut the state's personal income, business and corporate taxes over a period of time. It also contains "triggers" to delay cuts in tax rates if general revenue doesn't go up by a certain amount. (View Nixon's veto message.)
HB 278: State Rep. Rick Brattin's bill bars any state or local governmental entity; public building, park, or school; or public setting or place from "banning or restricting the practice, mention, celebration, or discussion of any federal holiday." (View Nixon's veto message.)
HB 301: State Rep. Kevin Engler's bill changes the categories of people who must be added to the state's sex offender registry. It also removes information of sex offenders whose offense was committed when they were under 18 years of age. (View Nixon's veto message.)
HB 329:Among other things, state Rep. Tony Dugger's bill would have increased fees that creditors could charge customers. (View Nixon's veto message.)
HB 339: State Rep. Paul Wieland's bill would prohibit an uninsured driver from collecting non-economic damages in a civil action against an insured motorist at fault for an accident. (View Nixon's veto message.)
HB 436: State Rep. Douglas Funderburk's bill declares that "all past, present, or future federal acts, laws, orders, rules, or regulations that infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms" are "invalid, will not be recognized, are specifically rejected, and will be considered null and void and of no effect in this state." The legislation would also allow school districts to designate "school protection officers" who can carry concealed weapons and lowers the conceal and carry age from 21 to 19. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 28 & HB 611: These bills change the definition of "misconduct" and "good cause" for people seeking unemployment compensation. (View Nixon's veto message.)
HB 650: Legislation that began as a bill renaming a building morphed into a multi-faceted environmental bill. Included in state Rep. Robert Ross' bill was language to limit punitive damages to $2.5 million for injuries at mines operated and maintained by the Jefferson County-based Doe Run Company. (View Nixon's veto message.)
HB 1035: State Rep. Mike Kelley's bill makes a host of changes to political subdivisions. Among other things, it altered the law "regarding amended property tax rate filings with the office of the state auditor" and would have repealed "the expiration date" of the provision requiring certain counties and St. Louis to deduct a percentage of property taxes collections for assessment costs. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 9: State Sen. David Pearce's wide-ranging agricultural bill includes a provision effectively eliminating the state's ban on foreign ownership of agricultural land. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 29: State Sen. Dan Brown's legislation would require public-employee unions to get approval of members annually before dues could be automatically deducted. Separate approval would be needed for any union political contributions. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 34: State Sen. Mike Cunningham's legislation would require the Division of Workers' Compensation to develop and maintain a database of workers' compensation claims. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 43: State Sen. Brian Munzlinger's wide-ranging transportation bill includes a provision that dubs a portion of Interstate 70 in Montgomery County as “Graham’s Picnic Rock Highway.” (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 51: Among other things, Munzlinger's bill doubles the fees charged by the private “fee offices’’ that give out driver's licenses. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 60: State Sen. Scott Rupp's bill, according to a bill summary, makes changes "regarding the accreditation requirements for reinsurance companies" and "specifies when insurers can take credit or reduce liability due to reinsurance." It is similar to a bill --HB 133 -- that Nixon signed. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 73: State Sen. Kurt Schaefer's legislation would prohibit law enforcement from establishing roadside checkpoints based upon a particular vehicle type, including the establishment of motorcycle-only checkpoints. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 77: State Sen. John Lamping's bill would have allowed for certain neighborhood youth programs to be exempt from child-care licensing requirements. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 110: Brown's bill establishes procedures for child custody and visitation cases for military personnel. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 129: State Sen. David Sater's legislation established the "Volunteer Health Services Act" to allow for licensed health-care professionals to provide volunteer services for a sponsoring organization. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 170: State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal's bill would allow public officials to cast roll call votes if that person is participating through videoconferencing in such meetings. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 182: State Sen. Mike Kehoe's bill would have allowed some counties and municipalities to collect sales tax on certain vehicle purchases. After Nixon vetoed this bill in April, another version of this proposal was passed and signed into law. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 224: State Sen. Kiki Curls' bill would have reduced the penalties for minors who use a false ID to get into a casino. It also would have allowed somebody to expunge a first felony offense of criminal nonsupport from a criminal record. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 240:State Sen. Brad Lager's bill would have increased the amount a gas corporation may recover through infrastructure system replacement surcharges – or ISRS -- from 10 percent of the gas corporation's base revenue level to 13 percent. The bill also extends the time a gas company can have an ISRS from three to five years. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 265: State Sen. Brian Nieves' legislation prohibits state or local jurisdictions from "implementing any policy recommendations that infringe on private property rights without due process" and is traceable to the United Nations, among other things. Nieves' bill also bars any state and local agencies from partnering with "any organization accredited and enlisted by the United Nations to assist in the implementation of Agenda 21." (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 267: Nieves' legislation stipulates that any ruling isn't enforceable if it's based on a foreign law that "is repugnant or inconsistent with the Missouri and United States constitutions." (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 342: State Sen. Mike Parson's bill features a number of agricultural-related items, including one that removes a prohibition against mining operations within 1,000 feet of any school property in Cape Girardeau County. (View Nixon's veto message.)
SB 350: Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey's bill would have ended the circuit breaker tax credit used by low-income seniors and disabled individuals, to subsidize their rent. (View Nixon's veto message.)
