General Assembly convenes for annual veto session

MO HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE, DALE WRIGHT CAPITOL REPORT

Missouri legislators will make our way back to Jefferson City on Sept. 11 for the annual veto session. As required by the Missouri Constitution, members of the House of Representatives and Senate meet each year to consider bills which were vetoed by the Governor.

Veto session provides legislators with the opportunity to debate the Governor’s vetoes and then either support his/her veto or override the veto. Overridden vetoes put bills into effect as law despite the Governor’s objections. A successful override requires the support of a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. For the 2024 veto session, no legislation was vetoed by the Governor, however, House and Senate members have the ability to attempt to override any 173 vetoes from the state operating budget that Governor Parson announced in July, citing concerns over future financial stability and the inclusion of special projects and interests.

The Governor cited the following as reason for his line-item vetoes:

• Firstly, Senate Bill 727 is projected to cost the state an estimated $400 million more annually once fully implemented.

• Secondly, necessary increases in the K-12 Foundation Formula are expected to cost $300 million over FY25 levels, beginning in FY26.

• Thirdly, the General Assembly spent nearly $300 million more in general revenue over Governor Parson’s FY25 recommendation.

• Lastly, the General Assembly over-appropriated Budget Stabilization Funds.

In the history of the state, the legislature has successfully overridden 119 vetoes. Of those overrides, 49 have been on budget line-items and 70 have been on non-appropriations bills. Prior to the administration of Governor Jay Nixon, veto overrides in Missouri had been extremely rare, with the legislature completing a total of only 22 overrides in its history. During the Nixon administration’s eight years in office from 2009 – 2017, the number of veto overrides increased dramatically as the Missouri General Assembly overrode 97 of his vetoes, which is a key factor for Missouri’s exceptional financial position today.

Missouri House to Hold Hearings Regarding Child Care Subsidy Backlog

Missouri legislators are investigating the horrendous backlog in payments in the state’s child care subsidy program. This disturbing deficiency has led to extraordinary financial struggles for many child daycare centers across the state, with some even being forced to close, including daycare centers in my district 116.  The delays in disbursing federal funds are attributed to technical issues at World Wide Technology, the outsourced vendor who manages the subsidy program after it was transferred from the Department of Social Services to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

We legislators have called for investigations in this terrible situation. The Office of Childhood within DESE is ultimately responsible for this disaster and are accountable for this crisis and the impact it has had on families and providers. DESI has hired additional staff and contractors to clear up the backlog and is committed to transparency during the upcoming hearings. In response to this disaster, two House committees—the Budget Committee and the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee—have scheduled hearings.

House Education Committee to Hold Special Hearing on DESE Child Care Payment Delays

The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee will convene a special hearing on September 10 at 2:00 p.m. to investigate the causes and impacts of delays in issuing childcare payments by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The session will take place in the State Capitol in House Hearing Room 3.  Members of the public are encouraged to attend and participate.

Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Cases Down More Than 80% This Year

Missouri has significantly reduced its backlog of unresolved child abuse and neglect cases by more than 80% since January, with expectations that the backlog will be fully cleared by the end of the year. Previously, there were over 10,000 open cases each month between September and January, mostly in St. Louis, which sparked concerns about child safety. By July, the number of open cases statewide had dropped to 1,869, with St. Louis cases reduced from more than 6,000 in January to just 74 in July. State law requires investigations to be completed within 45 days, involving assessments of child safety and determining if abuse or neglect occurred.

Federal Appeals Court Declares Missouri’s ‘2nd Amendment Preservation Act’ Unconstitutional

A federal appeals court in St. Louis unanimously ruled that Missouri’s Second Amendment Preservation Act, which declares certain federal gun regulations invalid, is unconstitutional because it violates the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause. The law, passed in 2021, penalized police for enforcing specific federal gun laws, including fines for law enforcement agencies that infringe on Missourians’ Second Amendment rights. The U.S. Department of Justice challenged the law, arguing it hindered federal investigations. The ruling upheld a district court decision which blocked the law’s enforcement, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied Missouri’s request to enforce the law.

Updates on Renovation Projects at the Missouri State Capitol

Restoration work is underway at the Missouri State Capitol. A major focus is the Great Window stained glass lay light, which was removed for restoration and sent to Pasadena, California. It is now being reinstalled, with completion expected by early this fall. Scaffolding is in place near the Grand Staircase and will be added to other areas for additional painting.

The Legislative Library is also undergoing restoration to return it to its historic design, with repairs to the plaster and dome completed. The library is expected to reopen by the end of 2024 after maintenance and flooring work are finished. The project will then focus on stone repairs, bookshelf adjustments, and restoring the space’s original finishes and furnishings. The total cost of these restorations is currently $3.8 million.

Preparation for a Potential Surge of COVID

The recent summer COVID surge in Missouri, driven by a highly contagious variant, appears to be waning. Health officials hope this decline will encourage more people to get the newly-approved COVID vaccine, expected in pharmacies next week. The vaccine is recommended annually for everyone aged 6 months and older, but with the end of federal emergency funding, concerns have arisen about the cost for uninsured individuals. Missouri has secured more than $1 million in federal aid to cover approximately 12,000 doses for uninsured residents. With colder weather approaching, another COVID wave is anticipated during the winter months. While the vaccine is widely available, including free options for some. While the public still debates the issue, state healthcare officials encourage Missourians to get vaccinated soon, especially for those at high risk. They also recommend testing and precautionary measures like mask-wearing.

New Law Expands Powers of the State Auditor

A new Missouri law has expanded the powers of the State Auditor’s office, allowing the State Auditor to initiate audits of local governments without needing consent from governing boards or a petition drive. Previously, the State Auditor could only audit local governments if their governing bodies agreed or if enough citizens signed a petition. This change was initiated by several instances, similar to the audit of the city of Excelsior Estates, where a former mayor was found to have misappropriated funds. The new law empowers the auditor to act when initial investigations suggest improper activity, such as fraud or legal violations.

Other instances for empowering the State Auditor were due to concerns over cost overruns at misc. organizations such as a school district project in St. Charles County, highlighting the limitations of the auditor’s previous powers to address such occurrences. The change is expected to streamline the process of holding local officials accountable, especially in cases where petition drives would not be practical.

The auditor’s office, which has seen a decline in the number of audits due to staffing shortages and increased workloads, is currently rebuilding its staff. The new authority is not expected to interfere with the office’s existing statutory responsibilities but will provide the auditor with the discretion to pursue audits when necessary.

Thank you for the honor to serve as your MO State Representative.  If you need assistance with any state matters, please contact my office at 573-751-3455 or via email at Dale.Wright@house.mo.gov