Deadline for Bill Signing Approaches

From the desk of Senator David Pearce

Each year, the week of July 14 is a flurry of activity in the Capitol and around the state. That date marks the date set by the Missouri Constitution for the governor to sign or veto legislation passed by the General Assembly.

Needless to say, this week has been busy with bill signings and vetoes. Of the bills I sponsored or carried, three received the governor’s review late in the week. House Bill 1308, signed by the governor on July 12, repeals the current requirement of a letter of credit issued by a federal home loan bank to have the highest credit rating from a nationally recognized rating agency.

The governor vetoed Senate Bill 635, which would have required the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide staffing support for certain career and technical student organizations, including DECA, FBLA, FFA, FCCLA, HOSA, SkillsUSA and TSA. This particular provision, among the others, would have provided an important service to the schools throughout our state. I will continue my fight for this legislation in the future.

Finally, House Bill 1909, also signed into law on July 12, contains provisions that would extend the exemption on state and local taxes for any common carriers that transport or sell aviation jet fuel. This bill will certainly have a beneficial impact on our local airports found within the 31st District.

The process a bill takes through the legislature is the same every year. The governor has 45 days after the legislature adjourns on May 30 to take action on bills sent to his desk. When a bill is signed, it then goes to the Secretary of State’s office to be preserved and copied into the annual volumes of updated laws and statutes. If the governor chooses to veto a bill, as in the case SB 635 this year, it is sent back to its originating chamber with the governor’s objections. It can be brought up for discussion during veto session, held in mid-September. If the bill receives a two-thirds majority vote from both chambers, the veto will be overridden.

On an interesting note, occasionally, no action taken by the governor on a piece of legislation is still a positive action. In some instances, a bill receives neither a signature nor veto. When this happens, the measure will simply become law on its effective date, typically Aug. 28.

I enjoy observing the measures my colleagues and I discussed throughout the session completing their journey from bill to law. It remains important to me to know that these bills are of benefit to the citizens of the 31st Senatorial District and all of Missouri as they are enacted and take their place in the Show-Me State’s statutes.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381.

Senator David Pearce serves Bates, Cass, Johnson and Vernon counties in the 31st State Senatorial District.