Veto session sees several bills enacted into laws

Nevada Daily Mail

The Missouri House and Senate reconvened Wednesday, Sept. 16, at noon and by the time it was finished 12 hours later, the House and Senate had combined to override the governor's vetoes on 10 pieces of legislation. Heading into the day, the legislature had successfully completed 94 veto overrides.

The annual Veto Session is required by Article III, Section 32 of the Missouri Constitution, which calls for the General Assembly to convene each September to consider vetoed bills. Overrides have typically been rare in the state's history because a successful motion requires two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers -- 23 votes in the Senate and 109 in the House of Representatives.

Override efforts begin in a given bill's chamber of origin. If the originating chamber fails to override, the other chamber can take no action on it.

The House entered the day with 10 vetoed bills and one vetoed budget line-item to consider. The Senate began deliberations with six vetoed Senate bills to consider, as well as one override motion on HB 150 that had already been approved by the House during the regular session.

When their work was done shortly after midnight Thursday morning, the two chambers had combined to override vetoes on six House bills and four Senate bills.

Legislation that was passed:

HB 150 -- Reforms Unemployment Bill.

SB 224 -- Prevents undocumented immigrants from receiving A+ Scholarships.

HB 722 -- Preserves uniform minimum wage (in municipalities throughout Missouri at a rate that does not exceed the state standard).

HB 618 -- Changes the laws regarding the disposition of human remains. Expands the types of medical professionals who can attest to a cause of death, to include physicians' assistants, assistant physicians and advance practice registered nurses.

HB 878 -- Specifies that the Department of Public Safety must have the authority to commission corporate security advisors and establishes procedures to do so.

HB 1022 -- Authorizes a return of premiums paid by insureds.

HB 1098 -- Changes the laws regarding trust companies.

SB 20 -- Creates a state and local sales and use tax exemption for material, machinery, and energy used by commercial laundries in treating or cleaning textiles (thus clearing up a double taxation issue currently in place).

SB 142 -- Requires the Department of Natural Resources, when developing a state implementation plan, state plan, or non-point source management plan for submission to the Environmental Protection Agency, to prepare an implementation impact report in lieu of a regulatory impact report in collaboration with certain other state entities.

SB 345 -- Increases the fee that banks can charge consumers for loans of 30 days or more, to a maximum of $100. Limit now is $75.