The Latest: Missouri budget veto override attempt fails

wireready_09-12-2018-21-24-02_04274_news_update


JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The Latest on the Missouri Legislature (all times
local):

4:15 p.m.

An attempt to override several line-item budget vetoes made by Missouri Gov.
Mike Parson has failed in the state Legislature.

The House voted Wednesday to override four vetoed budget items totaling about
$785,000 for services affecting hospitals, youths and the deaf. But the Senate
declined to vote on the measures, effectively killing the veto override
attempts.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dan Brown said he had assurances from
Parson’s administration $487,000 vetoed for juvenile public defenders and $100,000 vetoed for the Office of Child Advocate could be restored as supplemental budget items when lawmakers return for their regular session in
January.

Brown said $154,000 vetoed for a hospital certification program and $45,000 for
the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing was not necessary because
services can be provided through existing budgets.

___

2:20: p.m.

The Missouri Senate has a new member, and the House has one fewer.

Democrat Lauren Arthur was sworn into office Wednesday as a senator after
winning a June special election. She had represented a Kansas City area House
district since 2015.

Arthur defeated Republican state Rep. Kevin Corlew in the Senate special
election to flip control of a seat previously held by Republican Sen. Ryan Silvey.

Silvey resigned at the start of the year to accept an appointment to the
Missouri Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities.

Arthur’s addition means Republicans now have a 23-10 advantage over Senate
Democrats, with one vacancy.

Her subtraction from the House leaves Republicans with a 111-45 majority over
Democrats, with seven vacancies.

___

1:35 p.m.

The Missouri House has voted to override Gov. Mike Parson’s vetoes of about
$785,000 of budgeted expenditures for services benefiting hospitals, youth and
the deaf.

The votes Wednesday marked the first step in the process of overriding vetoes.
The Senate also would need to approve the veto overrides by a two-thirds vote
for them to be accomplished.

Parson made 21 line-item vetoes totaling more than $12 million when he enacted
the state’s $28.6 billion budget for the fiscal year that started July 1st. The
House voted to override four of those, including funding for a hospital
certification program and public defenders for juveniles.

It’s somewhat unusual for a Republican-led legislature to override vetoes of a
Republican governor. But House budget leaders said the programs at issue are
important.

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