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Gov. Nixon vetoes income tax bill, Republicans consider override

jay nixon
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KBIA
Governor J. Nixon

Some Republican lawmakers are vowing to try to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a bill that reduced income taxes. Shortly after the Democratic governor rejected the bill today, the leading sponsors of the legislation said they would attempt to get the two-thirds vote needed to override his veto when the Legislature convenes in September.

Republicans hold enough seats in the House in Senate to override Nixon’s veto without any Democratic support. They would have to hold all of the GOP members together in the House and could afford to have only one Republican defect in the Senate.

Republicans say the tax cut is important to keep Missouri attractive to businesses. Governor Nixon says the loss of tax revenues could jeopardize state services. He talked about the veto this morning in Kansas City, where just across state lines Kansas has passed a bill that might eventually eliminate income taxes in that state.

“The bottom line is this would not improve business opportunities in the Kansas City region or in Missouri and would endanger and put at risk necessary services at the same time. And it’s done so in a sloppy, unfair way that could have tremendously negative impacts for generations to come,” Nixon said.

Republican Senator Will Kraus of Lee’s Summit was one of the bill’s handlers.  He wants GOP leaders to attempt an override when lawmakers return to Jefferson City in September for their annual veto session.

“Every time we’ve passed the broad-based tax cut in the Missouri Senate, we’ve had 23 votes, which is enough to override the Governor’s veto…so assuming we don’t get an override, we’ll be back next year with another bill (and we’ll) put it on his desk again,” Kraus said.

An override in the Missouri House, though, may not be so easy, as three Republicans voted against the measure during the regular session.  House Speaker Tim Jones says he’s taking a wait-and-see approach.

“We’ll sit down and go through the entire list of all the bills with all of the bills’ sponsors – we want to obtain their opinion first – and then after we obtain a position as a caucus on all vetoed bills, we’ll share that sentiment with the Senate and then determine what we can move forward on in September,” Jones said.

The bill would gradually cut individual and corporate income taxes over the next decade, if annual state revenues continue to rise by at least $100 million. It also would phase in a 50 percent deduction on business income reported on individual tax returns.

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Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.