Lawmakers return to State Capitol for veto session

Annual session offers legislators the opportunity to address any of the governor's vetoes from legislative session

Speaker Dean Plocher, R-St. Louis, presides over the Missouri House of Representatives during veto session. Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel/House Communications

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, lawmakers returned to Jefferson City for the General Assembly's annual veto session. This session offers lawmakers the opportunity to override any of the governor's vetoes of legislation passed during the regular session. While the governor did not veto any of the bills passed by lawmakers this year, he did issue more than 170 line-item vetoes, totaling $1 billion, to the state budget approved by the General Assembly.

During veto session, the motion to override a governor's veto must be made in the chamber where the bill was introduced. Since all budget bills begin in the Missouri House of Representatives, members of the House must approve any motion to override a governor's line-item veto to the state budget before the Missouri Senate can consider any such motion.

In this year's veto session, a motion was made in the Missouri House to override the governor's line-item veto of $2.5 million in oversight funding for the state's nursing homes. The motion to override the governor's budget veto failed by a 56-81 vote and was the only veto-related motion considered by the House. As a result, the Missouri Senate did not consider any override motions. Without any successful override motions, each of the governor's line-item vetoes to the 2025 state operating budget were sustained.

Barring an extra or special legislative session, lawmakers will return to Jefferson City in January for the start of the First Regular Session of the 103rd General Assembly.