Governor also vetoes eight other bills, signs seven bills
JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Jay Nixon today vetoed House Bill 722, which would strip Missouri voters and local governments of the right to make decisions on local issues. The bill was one of nine that the Governor vetoed today; he signed another seven bills into law.
“House Bill 722 is a clear example of unwarranted government intrusion – in this case, interference with the policymaking of local governments and the abandonment of the principle of local control,” the Governor wrote in his veto letter. “Local voters ought to have the right to decide these issues. Just as there should be an appropriate allocation of responsibilities between federal and state governments, so too should the precept of local control apply to the relationship between state and local governments. The power grab embodied by House Bill 722 clearly violates that principle.”
A copy of the Governor’s veto message for House Bill 722 can be found here.
The Governor also vetoed eight other bills today, including:
n Senate Bill 20, which would carve out a special tax exemption for commercial laundries, and reduce state and local revenues by $4 million annually. The Governor’s veto of a similar bill in 2014 was upheld. A copy of the Governor’s veto message can be found here;
n Senate Bill 67, which would increase court fees and use these fees as a form of taxation to fund local capital projects. A copy of the Governor’s veto message can be found here;
n Senate Bill 142, a bill relating to the Department of Natural Resources that contains drafting errors that would cause uncertainty for companies doing business in the state. A copy of the Governor’s veto message can be found here;
n House Bill 326, which would eliminate the board member educational requirements of certain public employee retirement plans, including requirements pertaining to Missouri’s Sunshine Law. A copy of the Governor’s veto message can be found here;
n House 618, which would weaken the security measures currently in place to ensure the accuracy of death certificates. A copy of the Governor’s veto message can be found here;
n House Bill 799, which, like Senate Bill 67, which would increase court fees and use these fees as a form of taxation to fund local capital projects. A copy of the Governor’s veto message can be found here;
n House Bill 878, which would allow private corporate security advisors to be given broad new police powers, including the power to arrest, the power to search, and the power to seize property anywhere in Missouri, and potentially subject Missouri companies to civil liability. A copy of the Governor’s veto message can be found here; and
n House Bill 1022, which would take away the rights of consumers to information regarding their insurance policies. A copy of the Governor’s veto message can be found here.
Gov. Nixon signed seven bills into law today, including:
n House Bill 947, authorizing the conveyance of state property in nine Missouri counties;
n Senate Bill 164, modifying certain provisions regarding insurance and investments;
n Senate Bill 317, authorizing the conveyance of state property in four Missouri counties;
n Senate Bill 340, relating to the determination of heirship;
n Senate Bill 435, authorize the conveyance of state property in St. Louis County;
n Senate Bill 497, modifying provisions relating to special purpose districts; and
n Senate Bill 500, modifying provisions relating to the sellers of honey.
