May 23, 2012

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Gov. Nixon signs farm nuisance lawsuit bill, after vetoing initial bill (AUDIO)

May 11, 2011 By

Governor Nixon has signed a bill limiting nuisance lawsuits against agricultural operations, after vetoing the legislature’s initial offering.

Sen. Brad Lager (R-Savannah) re-drafted HB 209 into SB 187, clarifying that punitive damages could be awarded and restricting the law only to farm settings, not the city.

“So, it was those two clarifications in 187 that gave the governor the comfort level necessary to sign the bill,” Lager told the Missourinet.

The governor’s office issued a written statement after Nixon signed the bill without ceremony.

“In my veto message on House Bill 209, I expressed my concerns about two provisions of the law: first, that it was too broad; and second, that it would have precluded the neighbors of nuisances relating to crop or animal production from obtaining punitive damages. Punitive damages are an important legal tool: they send a strong message to bad actors to clean up their act. Senate Bill 187 addresses both these concerns and as a result, has earned my signature.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Agriculture, Legislature Tagged With:

State legislators override Gov. Nixon’s veto of redistricting map (AUDIO)

May 5, 2011 By

Rep. John Diehl (left) talks with House Speaker Steven Tilley prior to override vote/House photo

State legislators have overridden Governor Nixon’s veto of the congressional redistricting map.

The Senate completed the legislative override, voting 28-to-6 to enact the bill containing the map over the objections of the governor. That vote came on the heels of a House vote that just met the two-thirds majority requirement; 109-to-44.

The House was the key. The Senate had earlier approved the map 27-7, more than enough votes to override a gubernatorial veto. Sen. Chuck Purgason, a Republican from Caulfield, voted against the bill earlier, but voted for the override. Sen. Bill Stouffer, a Republican from Napton, stuck with his opposition to the map and voted with five Senate Democrats against the override. No debate took place in the Senate prior to the vote.

House Speaker Steven Tilley, a Republican from Perryville, acknowledges he worried whether he had the votes needed when he brought the veto override before the body.

“Yeah, I mean, because we had 109. If one person flips on you, then you don’t quite get there,” Tilley tells the Missourinet, “but I’m thrilled with the result.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Elections, Legislature Tagged With: ,

General Assembly overrides Gov. Nixon’s veto of congressional redistricting map

May 4, 2011 By

The legislature has overridden Gov. Nixon’s veto of the congressional redistricting map.

The Senate follow action begun in the House this morning. The Senate voted 28-6 to complete the override. No senator spoke on the motion made by Sen. Scott Rupp, a Republican from Wentzville, who chaired the Senate redistricting committee. One Republican senator, Bill Stouffer of Napton, voted against the override motion. Stouffer has been critical of the 5th Congressional District, which incorporates Kansas City, but stretches out to take in three rural counties.

The Missouri House has voted 109-44 to override Nixon’s veto earlier. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Legislature Tagged With: ,

Missouri House overrides Gov. Nixon redistricting veto [UPDATE: FLOOR DEBATE AUDIO]

May 4, 2011 By

House Chamber electronic voting board/House photo

The Missouri House has voted 109-44 to override Gov. Nixon’s veto of the legislature’s redistricting of Congressional districts.

The legislature approved the new map last week. The governor vetoed it Saturday and asked the legislature to approve a new map. The map reflects Missouri’s loss of one Congressional seat due to the 2010 Census.

The House received the minimum votes needed to approve an override; a two-thirds vote of the body. The task became more difficult when Rep. Sally Faith, a Republican from St. Charles, left the legislature when elected as mayor of St. Charles. That reduced the Republican to 105. Three Democrats had voted for the measure initially, leaving House Republican leaders a vote short of the two-thirds needed. Democrat Jonas Hughes of Kansas City joined fellow Kansas City Democrat Michael Brown and St. Louis Democrats Jamilah Nasheed and Penny Hubbard in voting to override the veto of Nixon, a Democrat.

The override attempt now shifts to the Senate, which had more than enough votes on initial approval to complete the override.

AUDIO: Floor debate on redistricting veto override [18 min]

Filed Under: Legislature Tagged With: ,

Sponsor of ag nuisance lawsuit bill says he will work with governor to resolve issues

May 2, 2011 By

The House sponsor of an agriculture nuisance lawsuit bill has stated he’s willing to work with Governor Nixon to resolve the issues that led the governor to veto it.

Rep. Casey Guernsey (R-Bethany) said he’s disappointed the governor vetoed the bill, but will work with the governor’s office to craft a bill he can sign. HB 209 passed the House on a 110-to-45 vote. To override a governor’s veto, the House must pull together at least 109 votes.

Guernsey said he would rather try to work with the governor on the bill rather than attempt a veto override.

“I would like to try to pursue this avenue first,” Guernsey told reporters. “If the governor’s willing to work with us on this language, then I’d be more than willing to try that first.”

Though the bill received enough votes to override a veto, it isn’t known whether all the Democrats who voted for it would stick with the majority and override Nixon, a fellow Democrat.

In a news release sent by his office, Nixon indicated the bill was written too broadly. He said that the provisions of the bill relating to standing and successive lawsuits would apply to nuisances beyond crop or animal production.

“My office has communicated with the House sponsor, and we are working with legislative leaders to clarify and improve the language of the bill in the time remaining in this legislative session,” Governor Nixon said in the statement.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Legislature Tagged With:
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