Missouri Legislature fails to override vetoes of tax cut, gun legislation
JEFFERSON CITY • Gov. Jay Nixon scored two key victories as the Republican-controlled Legislature failed to override his vetoes of legislation that aimed to cut income taxes and nullify federal gun laws Wednesday.
The tax cut bill and the anti-gun control measure were among key priorities for Republicans as they returned to the Capitol this week to try to overrule the Democratic governor on more than two dozen bills that he struck down.
But despite holding historic supermajorities in both the House and Senate, Republicans couldn’t muster enough votes on the two high-profile override attempts after Nixon, a former attorney general, launched a summer-long campaign against the tax cut measure and raised several legal questions about the gun bill.
Still, lawmakers managed to hand Nixon a record number of defeats — overriding the governor on 10 bills including measures that will cap punitive damages in lawsuits against the Doe Run Co. at $2.5 million per lawsuit, make it harder for some drivers to sue after accidents, allow payday loan companies to raise their interest rates, and protect federal holidays like Christmas.
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