General Assembly

12 bills that could come up in House during veto session

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– House Speaker Tim Jones said Sunday there are nearly a dozen bills to watch as lawmakers head to Jefferson City for veto session on Wednesday.

Jones said the list – which included the nullification bill and controversial tax cut legislation that engulfed the political debate over the summer – was simply highlighting bills of interest, and that the final decision about which bills to actually bring up will be made when lawmakers meet for caucus on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.

Nixon vetoed 13 House bills over the summer, a part of his personal record of 29 vetoes. The only bill Jones did not mention was House Bill 110, which included a provision that would change how a vacancy in the lieutenant governor’s office is filled.

The 12 bills that could come up in the House this week include:

  • House Bill 7: The bill appropriates money for the departments of Economic Development; Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration; and Labor and Industrial Relations. Nixon line-item vetoed a $25,000 line for development of a community improvement district in Springfield saying that “state funds should not be used to support such entities.”
  • House Bill 10: The bill is an appropriation for the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the Department of Mental Health, Board of Public Buildings, and Department of Health and Senior Services. Nixon vetoed part of the bill, claiming that $30,000 in funds for Boone County Legal Fees are not able to be used as lawmakers hoped to do.
  • House Bill 19: The bill includes funding for building improvement projects. Nixon line-item vetoed a $1,000,000 item for the reconstruction of the Pike-Lincoln Technical center in Eolia, Missouri.
  • House Bill 253: The controversial income tax cut bill may come up for a vote – but lawmakers likely do not have the votes to override Nixon’s veto. The bill, which aims to slash corporate taxes and provide a fractional break for most other Missourians, has been the target of an aggressive, campaign-style push by Nixon, who has said the bill includes damaging drafting errors and could harm the state’s coffers. (The bill was originally supported by 103 lawmakers, but that number is in flux as at least six Republicans have changed their position over the summer.)
  • House Bill 278: The bill aims to prohibit 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. In his veto letter, Nixon said the bill would bar localities from enforcing firework bans. (The bill originally pulled 114 votes — including support from 16 Democrats.)
  • House Bill 301: The bill would allow sex offenders who committed crimes while under the age of 18 to petition a court to have their names removed. The effort is being pushed by a wealthy couple whose son’s name is on the list. Nixon has said repeatedly that it could allow hundreds of offenders to remove their names from the list and that the language of the bill is “overbroad”. (When it originally passed, the bill had support from 150 members, including 48 Democrats.)
  • House Bill 329: The bill would change laws regarding financial institutions, including a section that would actually raise the fees that payday loan companies could charge consumers. “Missourians need payday loan reform, not the expansion and higher fees provided” in the bill, Nixon wrote. It would also change rules regulating funeral contracts.
  • House Bill 339: The bill would require uninsured drivers to waive the ability to have a cause of action or otherwise collect for noneconomic loss against an insured motorist alleged to be at fault for an accident. Nixon said the bill is vague and would “generate excessive litigation” if passed. The bill originally pulled support from 104 members.
  • House Bill 436: The bill would establish the “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” which aims to nullify some federal gun laws when they are deemed to violate a Missourian’s constitutional rights. The bill also includes a provision that would bar a name of a gun owner from being published, which has drawn the opposition of the Missouri Press Association. Nixon raised similar qualms in his veto message. When it first came up, the bill had support from 116 members (including 12 Democrats). Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, was the lone Republican dissenter.
  • House Bill 611: The bill aims to broaden the definition of “misconduct” for the jobless seeking benefits. Nixon laid out a string of scenarios in his veto message, noting that “Missouri law already allows the employer to terminate the employee. However, this legislation goes a step further, also disqualifying the employees from receiving unemployment benefits while they look for other jobs.” 140 members supported the bill originally, including 35 Democrats.
  • House Bill 650: The bill aims to shield The Doe Run Co., of St. Louis, from punitive damages related to their old lead mining facilities. In his veto message, Nixon expressed constitutional qualms about the bill attempting to retroactive cap liabilities and the bill’s focus on only one company. The bill came up 15 votes short of the two-thirds requirement when it was originally passed, but with the support of some in the St. Louis labor community, some believe St. Louis Democrats may end up favoring the bill.
  • House Bill 1035: The bill changes the law regarding political subdivisions, by establishing the Rebuild Damaged Infrastructure Program to help localities recovering from a presidentially declared disaster and allows a taxing authority to submit an amendment filing with the state auditor’s office if it included a clerical errors. Nixon noted that the bill could “deprive voters of their right to be heard before their property is annexed into a city.” (The bill, backed by State Auditor Tom Schweich’s office, originally passed with support from 144 members.)