The state Supreme Court will consider next week whether the senate did override Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of a bill to reduce unemployment benefits.
The Missouri Supreme Court
The 2015 legislation would reduce the length of time a person could receive unemployment benefits to as few as 13 weeks depending on the state’s unemployment rate, from 20 weeks.
The Court is being asked to consider whether the Senate could override the veto of that bill in the September veto session, or if it could only have done so before the end of the regular session last May.
Plaintiffs argue the Constitution only allows overrides to be considered on bills vetoed in the final five days of the session, but a lower court said the Senate could override this veto.
The state argues that the Constitution says there will be a veto session if the governor vetoes a bill in the final days of the regular session, but doesn’t limit what vetoes can be taken up for overrides.
If the Supreme Court finds with the plaintiffs, the passage of the unemployment bill could be ruled unconstitutional.
The Court will hear those arguments Wednesday and could then issue a ruling at any time.
