An economic development bill vetoed by the governor has been pared down and the House Speaker wants a special session called soon, so he can seek a veto over-ride if the revised version isn’t approved.
How soon would House Speaker Rod Jetton want the special session called? Jetton replies he’d be ready tomorrow. Jetton says House leadership has pared the bill down from a price tag of $200 million to $70 million when fully implemented in two years. Jetton says all the provisions that the governor objected to have been removed. He says it’s a bill that should find support both in the Senate and with the governor’s office.
But Jetton wants an option, should agreement not be reached. Jetton says any legislative special session on economic development should be called as early as next month, well ahead of the annual September veto session. That would give the House opportunity during the veto session to vote to over-ride Governor Blunt’s veto. Jetton says he wouldn’t want to go against his fellow Republican, but believes that would be a better route than going without the economic tools contained in HB 327 .
Special sessions are often called during the September veto session when the legislature has to returned to Jefferson City so the costs of a special session can be kept down.
The governor’s office is not commenting on Jetton’s proposal.
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