Vetoes on two key pieces of legislation were not overturned, but House Republican leaders say the veto session was still a victory for their party over Governor Jay Nixon.
Those GOP lawmakers say the victory comes in the form of 10 veto overrides. That’s the most ever in one session and it brings to 12 the number of times Governor Nixon has had a veto overridden, making him the most overturned Governor in state history if one excludes vetoes of divorces in the 1830s. Governors’ vetoes have now been overturned 22 times in Missouri history.
House Speaker Tim Jones (R-Eureka) Photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications.
House Speaker Tim Jones (R-Eureka) calls the day “historic.”
“The Missouri General Assembly governed during veto session like never before.”
Majority Floor Leader John Diehl (R-Town and Country)Â thinks the Governor won’t be able to claim momentum from the sustained vetoes of bills to cut Missouri income taxes and to nullify federal gun laws.
“If he wants to call momentum getting overridden than all prior governors … I think that’s wrong.”
Jones says the bills and line item the legislature overturned the Governor on are substantive.
Majority Floor Leader John Diehl (R-Town and Country)Â Photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications.
“You have good government, you have good policy, so they may not be the ones that were of the most interest to the media and the pundits throughout the summer but they’re bills that are going to affect the lives of all Missourians in a positive way not that they’ve passed.”
Diehl says the day sends a message to the Governor.
“Come work with us on our legislation. Don’t sit back, wait ’till it’s done and then try to pick it apart and find mistakes or errors on it, so I think what we’re doing today is sending a message that if you want to have a say in the legislative process you better get involved while we’re writing the bills.”
During the evening House Republican caucus, Diehl was elected the next Speaker of the House. He will take over the role in the 2015 legislative session.
