State Senator Shipping Out For Cuba

Republican leaders in the Legislature have vowed to override some of Governor Bob Holden’s vetoes from the past session this year during the veto session in September. But, their task might have been made a little tougher. Sometime in early August, Republican Senator Jon Dolan of Lake St. Louis will ship out for up to a year to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to become Major Dolan in charge of a mobile public affairs detachment made up of soldiers from the Missouri and Arkansas National Guards. That means Dolan won’t be available for the veto session in September. And with Republicans holding 20 of the 23 votes needed for an override of the Democrat Governor’s veto, the Senate Leader Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau is painfully aware he has to convince four Democrats to vote against the Governor. Kinder still believes there is a chance at overrides on certain issues, but he’s not naming who he can get to cross party lines to make that happen.