Missouri lawmakers fail to override line-item budget vetoes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers failed in a bid Wednesday to override several line-item budget vetoes affecting services for critically ill patients, troubled youths and the deaf after senators declined to challenge the decisions made by Gov. Mike Parson.

The House had voted by large margins Wednesday to override four of Parson’s budget vetoes totaling more than $785,000. But the effort later died in the Senate, which declined to vote on the measures.

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 1. He also vetoed three other pieces of legislation, two of which he put on the agenda for a special legislative session dealing with an expansion of drug treatment courts and high school computer science courses.

The House override votes were somewhat unusual, because lawmakers don’t frequently override governors of their same party. Republicans hold two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate, though Senate Democrats picked up an additional member Wednesday when Rep. Lauren Arthur moved up following a June special election.

Parson is a Republican who previously served in the House and Senate and was lieutenant governor before taking over June 1 for Republican Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned while facing potential impeachment over allegations of sexual and political misconduct.

Parson said he was “pleased that Missouri’s fiscally responsible budget was upheld” by lawmakers. He also praised the House for voting Wednesday to pass new versions of the drug court and computer science legislation. Those bills are expected to be considered later this week in the Senate.

House Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick said the override votes weren’t meant as a rebuke of Parson, but he added that some of the vetoes were “made with not enough information.”

“I have a lot of respect for the governor. He came into office at a very turbulent time and did not have much time to review the budget before he had to take action on it,” said Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Cassville.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dan Brown, a Rolla Republican, urged colleagues not to override the governor. He said Parson’s administration assured him that the items either could be funded through existing budgets or resubmitted to lawmakers as supplemental spending requests during their regular session that begins in January.