Missouri lawmakers override 10 Nixon vetoes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The latest on the Missouri legislative session occurring Wednesday to consider overriding vetoes made by Gov. Jay Nixon (all times local, newest summaries on top):

11:25 p.m.

Missouri legislators have wrapped up their annual veto session after overriding 10 vetoes by Gov. Jay Nixon.

The Republican-led House and Senate on Wednesday enacted laws banning local minimum wage increases and eliminating college scholarships for certain immigrants.

They also voted to cut the duration of unemployment benefits to one of the shortest periods nationally. But the Democratic governor is questioning the legality of that action, because the Senate vote on the unemployment bill came four months after the House initially voted in May to override the bill.

Republicans failed to override Nixon's veto of a right-to-work bill that would have barred mandatory union fees in workplaces. The House vote on that fell well short of the required two-thirds majority.

11:10 p.m.

Missouri legislators have voted to ban cities and counties from raising the local minimum wage.

The Republican-led House and Senate on Wednesday overrode Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a bill that he denounced as a state "power grab."

The legislation bans local laws setting higher minimum wages than state standards or requiring businesses to offer benefits such as paid sick leave. It also prohibits local governments from banning plastic shopping bags.

Business lobbyists contended that a patchwork of local requirements would be too great of a burden.

The House voted 114-46 for the override, and the Senate 23-9.

The new law could nullify a minimum wage increase that was to appear on Kansas City's ballot. St. Louis already faces a court challenge over a recently approved minimum wage hike.

9:10 p.m.

Missouri lenders now can charge higher fees to consumers on loans that last more than a month.

The Republican-led House voted 114-37 to overturn Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of the measure. Senators voted 26-6.

The measure will allow lenders to charge fees of up to 10 percent of the principal on a loan that lasts more than a month, up to $100. The current cap is at $75.

Democratic opponents criticized the bill as harmful to low-income families who need small loans. Supporters argued it will give banks more incentives to grant those loans.

The legislation also will increase a number of license and registration fees for finance companies.


8:40 p.m.

Missouri lawmakers have eliminated a college scholarship for immigrant students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

The Republican-led House voted 114-37 Wednesday to overturn a veto on the scholarship ban by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. The Senate voted 28-4 to override the veto.

The measure is aimed at stopping students brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents as children from receiving the state's A+ Scholarship. It targets students who lack legal status but have been deemed lawfully present in the U.S. under President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The scholarship provides two years of community college tuition for students who conduct community service, get good grades and meet other requirements.


8:35 p.m.

Missouri senators have voted to enact legislation reducing the state's unemployment benefits to one of the shortest periods nationally. But constitutional questions make it unclear whether the measure will be implemented.

The Republican-led Senate voted 24-8 Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of the bill. That comes four months after the House also voted for an override.

The bill links jobless benefits to the unemployment rate. If the unemployment rate remains below 6 percent, benefits would be cut from the current 20 weeks to 13 weeks in January.

But Nixon contends the Senate's override vote is unconstitutional. He says senators missed their chance when they didn't follow the House in voting to override the veto in May.

Senators say they expect the issue to be settled in court.


8 p.m.

Missouri lawmakers have enacted a tax exemption for some large-scale laundries.

The Republican-led Legislature voted Wednesday to override a veto by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon on the measure. House members voted 110-46 in its favor, and the Senate voted 28-4.

The measure will waive sales taxes on detergent and other materials used to clean linens for businesses that handle at least 500 pounds of clothes per hour and 60,000 pounds per week.

It's meant to help large-scale laundries that clean linens for hotels, hospitals and the food industry.

Nixon and some lawmakers criticized the legislation as an unfair tax break for a niche industry.

Supporters say it will end what they call a double taxation of laundries for both materials used to clean clothes and the sale of their services.


7:45 p.m.

Corporate security officers will gain greater powers as a result of a measure enacted by Missouri legislators over Gov. Jay Nixon's objections.

Legislators voted Wednesday to override Nixon's veto of the legislation that he had described as a "broad grant of police authority to private individuals."

The bill is a follow-up to one Nixon signed last year giving the state Department of Public Safety the authority to license "corporate security advisors." This year's bill expands that by giving the department director the authority to "commission" those corporate officers.

Bill supporters said trained officers on public transit and corporate grounds need the power to detain people.

Nixon said the bill would give them power to arrest, search people and seize property not only on corporate grounds, but anywhere in the state.


6:40 p.m.

Missouri senators have voted to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a bill eliminating college scholarships for some immigrants who are not U.S. citizens.

The Republican-led Senate voted 24-8 Wednesday for the legislation that would prohibit the state's A+ Scholarship from going to students brought to the country illegally as children.

The vote sends the measure to the House, where a similar two-thirds majority is needed to complete the override.

The bill targets students who lack legal status but have been deemed lawfully present in the U.S. under President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The A+ Scholarship pays for two years of tuition at a community college for students who meet GPA, attendance and service requirements.


4:28 p.m.

Lawmakers have rejected an effort to make Missouri the 26th right-to-work state.

The Republican-led House voted 96 to 63 for the right-to-work bill during a veto session Wednesday. The vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to overcome Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's veto.

The contested measure would have prohibited workplace contracts with mandatory union fees.

The Republican-controlled legislatures in Missouri's Midwestern neighbors of Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan have recently enacted similar policies with the help of GOP governors. Six of eight states bordering Missouri have the law.

The bill's failure is a national setback for the measure. Enacting it in a heartland state with a Democratic governor would have been a significant victory. But even with supermajorities in Missouri, Republican lawmakers couldn't muster enough support because of GOP division.


2:20 p.m.

Missouri House members have voted to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a bill that would block cities from raising the local minimum wage or banning plastic bags.

The Republican-led House voted 114-46 Wednesday to overturn the Democratic governor's veto. A two-thirds majority vote in the Senate is still needed to complete the veto override.

The measure would stop cities from setting wage or benefit requirements that are greater than the state minimum. It also would prohibit local ordinances banning the use of plastic shopping bags.

Supporters of the bill say a patchwork of varying local ordinances would hurt businesses.

Democratic opponents say cities and towns should have the option to adopt such policies.