Ex-governor from region still reigning veto king

P Gov. Bob Holden, however, outpaced Gov. John Dalton of Kennett in terms of percentage of bills vetoed.

By Marc Powers

Southeast Missourian

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The same year Roger Maris broke baseball's single-season home run record, Missouri Gov. John Dalton of Kennett set the mark for most vetoes from one legislative session.

Maris' epic 1961 feat was eventually surpassed by Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1997 and subsequently by others. After 42 years, Dalton's record remains intact.

But in terms of the percentage of bills approved by the legislature to be vetoed, Gov. Bob Holden outpaced Dalton this year.

Holden, a Democrat, vetoed 30 bills, or 11.8 percent of the 254 measures passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

Dalton, also a Democrat, rejected 35 bills. But because lawmakers sent 386 proposals to his desk, his veto rate was only 9.1 percent.

Dalton was governor from 1961 to 1965. He died in 1972 at the age of 71.

The number of bills lawmakers approved in Dalton's first year in office would be hefty by today's standards. But back then the legislature met only biennially, so legislative sessions lasted about six weeks longer.

Although Dalton, unlike Holden, had a legislature controlled by his own political party, he still found much fault in their work.

In a number of the explanatory messages that accompanied his vetoes, Dalton chided lawmakers for attempting to pass unconstitutional "special legislation."

Although the Missouri Constitution prohibits laws that selectively apply only to certain parts of the state, lawmakers -- then and now -- have always looked for ways to circumvent the restriction. Dalton would have none of it, rejecting various bills that specifically targeted St. Louis and Kansas City.

One such measure would have allowed voters in unincorporated areas of St. Louis County to reject annexation attempts by neighboring municipalities, something they weren't empowered to do at the time. Dalton found it a fine idea but said it should apply statewide or not at all.

Some of the vetoes were reflective of the times, such as one that would have required candidates for state representatives to file for election in person at the Secretary of State's Office in Jefferson City rather than in their home counties as had been the practice.

Dalton wrote that such a requirement "would undoubtedly have a deterrent effect upon persons who wish to file for that office."

However, that was when every county had its own state representative, who in some respects were considered county, rather than state, officeholders. Within a few years, legislative districts would be drawn based on population with multiple sparsely populated counties often sharing a single representative. Today those seeking the office must file in the capital, and the negative impact on participation Dalton feared hasn't come to pass.

Some topics, however, are seemingly timeless.

Dalton vetoed numerous bills that would have allowed heavier, longer and taller trucks to operate on Missouri highways. He wrote that larger trucks would endanger other motorists and damage state roads. Lawmakers continue to argue about the impact of large trucks to this day.

And like many governors, Dalton had disagreements with the legislative branch on turf issues.

He spiked one bill that would have given lawmakers control of parking on the Capitol grounds instead of an executive branch agency. He also took umbrage at an attempt to limit the number of honorary "colonels" and "naval captains" he could appoint to 200. Bestowing ceremonial military titles on supporters was a common practice at the time.

In vetoing a proposal to regulate the sale of pre-need funeral services because it provided no mechanism for enforcement, Dalton made an observation that is applicable to the modern legislative process.

"We have had too many examples which show that merely passing a law does not solve all problems," Dalton said.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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