Holden prolific with veto power

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- He didn't quite break the single-season gubernatorial veto record this year, but Gov. Bob Holden came within striking distance.

Missouri governors on average reject only about a dozen bills approved by the legislature each year, mostly on technical grounds or due to drafting errors that could have created unintended consequences. Vetoes because of policy differences are few.

As expected with the executive and legislative branches controlled by opposing political parties for the first time in 11 years, however, philosophical disputes became more common this year.

Holden, a Democrat, vetoed 30 of the 254 measures the Republican-dominated legislature passed during this year's regular legislative session, which ended in May. He finished signing the other bills into law Friday.

Initiatives important to Republicans -- on abortion, reform of the civil legal system, small business regulatory relief and concealed weapons -- were among those rejected, as were several other bills of substance that passed with strong bipartisan support.

Some of the vetoes had been anticipated. But others on bills related to foster care reform, limiting lawsuits against firearms industry over the social cost of gun violence and changes in traffic regulations, to name a few, came as a surprise to Republican leaders.

"It looks like he is going out of his way for a confrontation with us," said Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau. "It is sort of a sharp-stick-in-the-eye approach rather than trying to work together with us."

Holden said they were "good, common-sense" vetoes.

During his first two years in office, Holden rejected just 15 bills, none of major significance. But that was when the governor's party still held a majority in the House of Representatives.

His tally this year marks the second-highest number of vetoes from a single legislative session. Gov. John Dalton of Kennett set the record in 1961 by rejecting 35 bills.

Attempts to overrride

Republicans say they will attempt to override Holden on a half-dozen or more bills when they reconvene in September for their annual veto session. Two-thirds majorities in each chamber are required to bypass the governor.

A few of the rejected measures, such as those on the gun lawsuits and imposing a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and appear a virtual lock for override.

The fate of a proposal to allow Missourians to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons is less certain. Although the House likely has sufficient support to override, the measure is one vote short in the Senate, where one Republican from suburban St. Louis could provide the swing vote.

Though lawmakers are sometimes reluctant to go against a governor of their own party on override attempts, Holden may not be able to count on conservative rural Democrats standing by him on abortion and guns.

However, successful veto overrides have been rare. Since 1820, it has happened only seven times. The most recent occurrence was in 1999 when a Democratic-controlled legislature overruled Gov. Mel Carnahan's veto of a bill banning so-called "partial birth" abortions.

While most veto sessions have been humdrum affairs, this year promises to be more lively.

"If the vote was there or close to there in the regular session, I think it's a pretty safe assumption we will attempt to override," said House Speaker Catherine Hanaway, R-Warson Woods.

License plates, foster care

Although Holden has thwarted, at least for the moment, some of the more politically controversial proposals, many of his vetoes targeted less obvious measures.

For example, he rejected bills that would have created about 20 more specialty license plates. The state already more than 100 such plates, some of which have never been issued because no one has applied for them.

Holden said the nearly $150,000 cost to the state for offering even more plates wasn't justified in light of the state's budget problems. Law enforcement concerns were also an issue.

"We starting to get a lot of comments from the highway patrol and other that with all these different varieties of plates out there, it makes their job tougher," Holden said.

And though he did so reluctantly, Holden also spiked what had been one of the greatest bipartisan successes of the session -- foster care reform. Holden praised Republican leaders for a sincere effort to protect children in the state system but said the bill was riddled with flaws that could have caused more problems than it would have corrected.

"The risks of signing this legislation and enacting a law that may not be repaired is too great," Holden said.

He said he would consider asking lawmakers to try again during a special legislative session that will run concurrently with the veto session. If not, he wants them to tackle the issue next year.

Hanaway, who sponsored the measure, agreed it had problems but said Holden should have signed it and let lawmakers follow up with cleanup legislation later.

"I don't understand it," Hanaway said. "I think it is extraordinarily bad for kids in our state who are abused and neglected and for parents who would be wrongfully accused."

mpowers@semissourian.com

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