Nixon blames the state budget reductions for the legislature’s veto override of a bill that he says gives tax breaks to special interests. As a Democratic governor, overseeing a Republican General Assembly, he has been overridden 83 times combined in his past 7 sessions. An override requires a two-thirds majority in each chamber, which Republicans have in both the House and Senate without having to enlist support from across the aisle. After getting through the state senate on Wednesday night, the override moves on to the house where it is expected to succeed. Several lawmakers who originally supported the bill said they would switch their votes.
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Republican Rep. Eric Burlison of Springfield intends to bring the measure to a vote in the House in the event of a likely override in the Senate. Heading into Wednesday, lawmakers had successfully overridden Nixon on 83 bills and budget expenditures over his two terms in office – almost four times more overrides than the combined total for all other governors dating back to 1820 when Missouri was still a territory.
During his eight years as governor, Nixon had 96 vetoes overridden by lawmakers, a state record.
Ten other states already have similar laws on the books.
The bill also removes the training requirement, but supporters said a free Internet course is available.
Missouri law specifically outlines several places where weapons can not be carried concealed or openly, which will not be impacted by Senate Bill 656.
Backers of the override pointed to a provision that will allow people without the required government-issued ID to cast a regular ballot after signing an affidavit swearing to their identity. The bill also requires the state to pay for photo IDs for those lacking them.
The new budget cuts will be on top of $115 million of spending that Nixon blocked shortly after the budget took effect in July. It will go into effect January 1, 2017.
If that veto is overridden, Missouri would join 10 other states with laws that allow most people to carry concealed guns even if they haven’t gone through the training required for permits, according to the National Rifle Association.
State Sen. Kiki Curls, also a Kansas City Democrat, argued that allowing permitless concealed carry would negatively impact policing in the state, and lead to a more adversarial relationship between police and citizens. In the wake of that decision, the USA attorney general, an American Bar Association task force, and numerous state legislators urged states to rethink such laws, which permit citizens to use deadly force with no duty to retreat.
Opponents of the bill, however, have said the law disenfranchises young, minority and low-income voters who may not have government-issued IDs. The bill makes Missouri the first new Stand Your Ground state since Trayvon Martin’s death.
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The NRA said the bill “seeks to expand the fundamental right to self-defense of Missourians and strengthen their ability to protect themselves and their families”.
