Rep. Swan talks about state legislative, veto sessions

State Rep. Kathy Swan, R-Cape Girardeau, spoke Friday afternoon at the Cape County Republican Women's Club meeting about the recent Missouri legislative and veto sessions and what lies ahead in the 2015 session.

In the legislative session that concluded in May, 190 bills were passed, many focusing on taxes, health and education. Of those bills, 33 were vetoed by Gov. Jay Nixon. He also vetoed 120 budget items.

During the veto session, which began Wednesday and concluded in the early hours the next day, the General Assembly managed to override 10 vetoed bills and 45 budget line-item vetoes.

Among the vetoed bills that were overridden were Senate bills that modify requirements to obtain a concealed-carry permit, create a sales and use tax exemption for items sold at farmers markets and modify provisions relating to e-cigarettes.

The Legislature also overrode a veto on a House bill extending the minimum waiting period before a woman can have an abortion to 72 hours. Swan said mounting an override on that particular bill was important to pro-life legislators such as herself who believe life begins at conception.

"This does not prohibit an abortion; it gives extra thinking time," she said. "And what I said on the [House] floor was our decisions are most often made best when we have ample time to reflect upon the tough decision."

Like the abortion waiting period bill, the agriculture omnibus House bill was hotly debated among members of the public and legislators. Many supported the original provisions meant to assist dairy farmers, but the amended provision that would place captive deer under the control of the Department of Agriculture instead of the Department of Conservation was met with apprehension.

Most of that concern was related to fear of spreading chronic wasting disease -- an issue Swan said she doesn't take lightly. Others said moving deer from the conservation department's control was against Missouri's constitution, which also concerned Swan.

The effort to override the governor's veto of the measure failed by one vote. Swan said the sponsor of the original bill, Rep. Casey Guernsey, planned to file the bill again next year.

Vetoes on a number of sales tax-cutting bills also were not overridden. Many county and city governments supported those vetoes and reached out to legislators before the veto session to ask them not to attempt overrides on the bills they said would weaken local taxation control. In many counties, Cape Girardeau County included, a loss in sales tax revenue leads to an increase in property taxes.

Swan said the two bills that worried local governments most, including a bill that would have exempted sales taxes for motor vehicles at least 10 years old, were not brought up for debate during the veto session.

Swan is up for re-election in November with opposition from multiple parties. If re-elected, Swan said she plans to refile a number of bills, including an online learning bill. It would establish an advisory board to study digital learning and oversee a portal that would provide online access to take the GED, dual-credit classes and other educational or training classes that might not be available in students' areas.

Other issues she expects to gain attention in the 2015 legislative session are right-to-work, "paycheck protection" legislation requiring unions to seek annual permission to continue deducting dues from the workers' paychecks, legislation focused on abortion clinic inspections and agriculture and education bills.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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