Legislative update: Sept. 13, 2024

Both chambers of the General Assembly convened on Sept. 11 in veto session.

A two-thirds “yes” vote in both chambers is required to override a governor’s veto. In the House, that number is 109. In the Senate, that number is 23.

The only bills vetoed by Gov. Mike Parson were appropriations bills, and he line-item vetoed the following, in part:

- HB 2002: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

- HB 2003: Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development

 - HB 2004: Missouri departments of Revenue and Transportation

- HB 2005: Missouri Office of Administration; the Missouri departments of Transportation, Conservation, and Public Safety; and the Chief Executive’s Office

- HB 2006: Missouri departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Conservation

- HB 2007: Missouri departments of Economic Development, Commerce and Insurance, and Labor and Industrial Relations

- HB 2008: Missouri departments of Public Safety and National Guard

- HB 2010: Missouri departments of Mental Health, and Health and Senior Services

- HB 2011: Missouri Department of Social Services

- HB 2012: Chief Executive’s Office and Mansion; Lieutenant Governor; Secretary of State; State Auditor; State Treasurer; Attorney General; Missouri Prosecuting Attorneys and Circuit Attorneys Retirement Systems; and the Judiciary and the Office of the State Public Defender; and the State Senate and the House of Representatives

- HB 2019: Planning and capital improvements including but not limited to major additions and renovations, new structures, and land improvements or acquisitions for state departments; Office of the State Public Defender; and the Missouri Senate and the House of Representatives

- HB 2020: Purchase of equipment; for planning expenses, for capital improvement projects, including major additions and renovation of facility components, equipment or systems for state agencies (American Recovery Plan Act Appropriations)

The only motion made to override the governor’s veto was to restore § 10.830, in HB 2010, which would have provided $2.5 million to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for the Long-term Care Ombudsman Program. While the governor recognized this supports the important goal of helping seniors throughout the State, he stated there was insufficient funding from the appropriated source to support the item. That motion was defeated.

Therefore, the Missouri House of Representatives sustained all the governor’s vetoes. The House having so sustained, there was no need for the Senate to take up any overrides, leaving the governor’s budget cuts in place.