Legislature reconvenes for annual veto session

Every year in early September, the Legislature gathers at the Capitol to hold the annual veto session, which gives us the opportunity to override any vetoes enacted by the governor, including legislation and line items. In past years, these sessions were often short, lasting a few hours at most.

Times are changing, though. The 16-hour veto session, that began on Wednesday, went into the early hours of Thursday morning. The governor vetoed 34 bills this year, and struck down funding for more than 100 line items within the budget. Those dollars would have gone to educational programs, mental health facilities, autistic children, people with brain injuries, asthma sufferers and other important state services affecting health and social services. We saw the result of those cuts here in our district, with the announced closing of the Cottonwood Residential Facility in Cape Girardeau. Legislators met during the veto session to enact laws that garnered bipartisan support and were beneficial to our state. To override a veto, a two-thirds majority is needed in each chamber. Most votes easily surpassed the required majority.

During the veto session, the Legislature overrode 10 of the governor's vetoes. Thanks to revenue collections steadily increasing, the General Assembly also had the opportunity to override vetoes on numerous line-items within the Fiscal Year 2015 budget, restoring valuable funding to a number of programs eliminated or reduced by the governor's cuts. All total, the Legislature overrode 57 vetoes, a historic number.

The bills overrode during the 2014 veto session included:

* House Bill 1132 changes the law regarding a tax credit for contributions to a maternity home, pregnancy resource center or food pantry;

* House Bill 1307 changes the minimum waiting period before a woman can have an abortion from 24 hours to 72 hours;

* Senate Bill 523 prohibits school districts from requiring a student to use an identification device that uses radio frequency identification to transmit certain information;

* Senate Bill 593 modifies provisions relating to nonpartisan elections;

* Senate Bill 656 modifies provisions relating to firearms, corporate security officers, and school protection officers;

* Senate Bill 727 grants a sales and use tax exemption for products sold at farmers' markets, among other provisions;

* Senate Bill 731 modifies provisions relating to nuisance ordinances and actions;

* Senate Bill 829 modifies provisions relating to the burden of proof in tax liability cases;

* Senate Bill 841 prohibits the sale of alternative nicotine or vapor products to persons under 18 years of age;

* Senate Bill 866 preempts local laws that would modify current law governing the manner in which traditional installment loan lenders are allowed to make loans.

Of the vetoes overridden, I was particularly proud to see my colleagues stand together to enact into law House Bill 1307, which extends the waiting period before a woman can have an abortion from 24 to 72 hours. It in no way restricts a woman's right to an abortion, as allowed by federal law. It simply gives them additional time to learn all the facts regarding the procedure, its implications, and possibly seek out other alternatives, like adoption. We want women to have informed consent and the time for deliberate and careful consideration. House Bill 1307 would just give them an additional 48 hours to weigh the decision.

I was also happy to see House Bill 1132 overridden and enacted into. The measure allows pregnancy resource centers and food pantries to receive more funding by encouraging charitable donations from taxpayers. Benevolent tax credit programs offer citizens a tax liability reduction based on donations to certain charities. They are a way to encourage communities to support the organizations that offer help to local citizens.

Demand has never been greater, especially at Pregnancy Resource Centers, which offer guidance, emotional support, and often provide expectant mothers with baby clothes, car seats, and other must-have items, and Food Pantries, which do an admirable job of keeping families from going without food. These programs are commendable and a great example of how government can work with citizens to help those in need in our state. The legislation also expands the Youth Opportunities Tax Credit to allow donations to programs that provide food for school age children to eat during non-school hours.

Now that veto session has concluded, legislators will continue working in interim committees to examine issues we'll likely address next year. I urge you to contact me with any questions or concerns you have about state government so that I can better represent you as we approach the 2015 session.

Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau, is the state senator for Missouri's 27th District.