51黑料

JEFFERSON CITY 鈥� Gov. Mike Parson鈥檚 decision to slash more than a half-billion dollars out of the state budget survived scrutiny from state legislators on Wednesday.

Meeting in their annual one-day fall session to consider whether to restore cuts made by the governor in July, the Senate did not take up 14 overrides approved by the House, leaving the governor with a spotless record when it comes to vetoes during his tenure.

Part of the equation came down to politics: Republicans who control the Legislature have been loath to shoot down actions by a chief executive of the same party.

The other piece of the puzzle focused on Parson鈥檚 warning that his spending cuts were designed to ensure the state has a healthy financial bottom line as the economy cools in a post-pandemic world.

Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the votes weren鈥檛 there to override.

鈥淚t kind of seems like an exercise in futility to me,鈥� Hough said as the Senate quickly adjourned without taking up the House changes.

The lack of action in the Senate was not a surprise.

Parson predicted last week the Senate would block the House efforts to override portions of his budget vetoes, arguing that his decisions will preserve revenue at a time when tax collections are beginning to flatten after three years of robust growth.

In the House, lawmakers voted to reverse Parson鈥檚 veto of $13 million for the planning, design and construction of a police center in 51黑料.

State Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, D-51黑料, led the push in the House to restore the police center funding.

She said the planned facility would allow city first responders and 911 dispatchers to work together in a single building, where child care will also be provided.

鈥淲e talk about public safety and how imperative it is in order for us to support our police departments,鈥� Bosley said. 鈥淭his will do exactly that.鈥�

House lawmakers also voted to restore $28 million that Parson cut for improvements to Interstate 44 and a 20% pay increase for members of the Highway Patrol and Capitol Police.

They also signed off on reversing Parson鈥檚 veto of $2 million for National Guard reenlistment incentives and $1.4 million for Missouri Task Force 1, an urban search and rescue team based in Boone County.

鈥淲e respect the governor and his veto decisions, but we believe these items are necessary for the good of the state, and can have a long-lasting, positive impact,鈥� said House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres.

Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, who is running for governor, bemoaned the failure to override a $5 million veto of a drinking water improvement plan for St. Charles, which is grappling with contaminated wells.

鈥淚 think the governor was punitive in his vetoes,鈥� Eigel said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating to me.鈥�

The Senate also did not take up an override of a sweeping criminal justice measure vetoed by Parson. The governor nixed the package over one provision that would expand the qualifications for restitution from those who are exonerated for crimes they did not commit.

The veto meant a separate provision of Senate Bill 189, known as 鈥淏lair鈥檚 Law,鈥� also failed. The proposal, one of the few gun-related bills to make it to Parson鈥檚 desk, is aimed at stopping the practice of people shooting bullets into the air, including on New Year鈥檚 Day, July Fourth and after other events.

Lawmakers are now on a break until January when they return for the start of their annual spring session.