Bipartisan votes send message to the governor

The Missouri Legislature recently handed Gov. Bob Holden a dubious place in state history. The governor is the first chief executive ever to be overruled by the legislature on more than one issue during the course of his administration.

During the recent veto session, the legislature gathered enough votes for three veto overrides that will:

Allow Missourians to obtain concealed-weapon permits.

Impose a 24-hour waiting period on women seeking an abortion.

Bar Missouri and its cities and counties from suing the firearms industry over the social costs of gun violence.

Before the recent veto session, there had been just seven successful veto overrides in state history. While Republicans lead both houses of the legislature, history was not just made by Republicans. A sizable number of Democrats stood up to Holden and voted for laws that make sense and are widely supported across the state. Legislators in both parties should be applauded for the bipartisan spirit of the veto session.

The overrides are also a strong indictment of Holden. The fallout from the vetoes has added more uncertainty to Holden's future.

The overrides are historically interesting and politically telling, but what the laws accomplish is more important.

The concealed-weapon law will allow Missourians age 23 and older who undergo firearms training and pass a background check to receive a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Individuals convicted of felonies or violent misdemeanors and those with a documented history of mental illness or substance abuse would be ineligible.

The right to carry a concealed weapon isn't a new concept, as 44 other states already have some form of the law. It's worth noting that Missouri's law is among the most restrictive.

On the abortion issue, the law will require a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion. Again, this is nothing radical. Missouri will join more than 20 states that require some sort of abortion waiting period, including Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky and Nebraska.

This is no threat to abortion rights. In any surgical procedure, it's standard medical care to inform people of risks associated with the procedure. As one person put it, 24 hours is not much time to ask a woman to wait before making a life-changing decision.

The last override bars city and county governments and the state itself from suing firearms manufacturers and dealers over the social costs of gun violence.

Supporters of that bill said it would put a stop to frivolous lawsuits like the one St. Louis filed against a group of firearms manufacturers in 1999. The city said it was attempting to recoup the costs of gun violence. Clearly, by suing gunmakers, the cities are trying to deflect responsibility for the crimes.