House Majority Floor Leader Mike Cierpiot believes the House will override Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) vetoes on gun and photo ID legislation.

Mike Cierpiot (left) and House Speaker Todd Richardson (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Mike Cierpiot (left) and House Speaker Todd Richardson (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

“I think there’s a good chance we’ll override the Governor on about seven or eight House bills and probably seven or eight Senate bills. That’s what it looks like right now,” Cierpiot says. “The priority for the House obviously is the voter ID bill. It’s something we’ve worked on for a long time. We’ll take it up first, it’s a House bill. And I’m pretty confident we’ll override here (the House) and then send it on to the Senate.”

Lawmakers will consider overriding 20 of Nixon’s vetoes on Wednesday at the Legislature’s annual veto session.

Republicans control the Missouri Senate 24-7 and the House 114-45-1, both veto-proof majorities. Overrides require a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

Cierpiot tells Missourinet the veto session isn’t about politics.

“We’re trying to do things that we think are a priority for the state. And, I’m not doing it because I want to beat Governor Nixon, I’m doing it because our members (GOP House members) think it’s important and we think it’s important to move the state forward, and that’s why we’re doing it,” Cierpiot says.

Cierpiot also believes the House will override Governor Nixon’s veto of comprehensive gun legislation. Nixon is urging lawmakers to sustain his veto, saying the bill would eliminate any training requirement for a concealed carry permit.

While Republicans have veto-proof majorities in both chambers, Cierpiot says 109 votes is a “big number” in the House. He notes some members of the Caucus have had some injuries and others who have been “out of pocket”.

The veto session begins Wednesday at noon in Jefferson City.

Missourinet will cover both chambers during the veto session.