JEFFERSON CITY — Two Senate bills passed by the General Assembly and delivered to the governor for his signature in April were recently vetoed.
Senate Bill 188, sponsored by Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, and passed by the Legislature on April 13, would have changed the state’s law relating to the Missouri Human Rights Act and employment discrimination.
The legislation would have changed Missouri’s employment discrimination law to mirror the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, specifying that discrimination must be a “motivating factor” rather than “a contributing fact” in wrongful termination lawsuits.
The measure would have also allowed for summary judgments, guaranteed jury trials, limited awards as outlined in federal law and excluded managers and supervisors from being held individually liable. In addition, SB 188 would have addressed the state’s whistleblower protections, only applying those protections to those employees who call attention to wrongdoing that is illegal, rather than allegations of wrongdoing where no law was broken.
House Bill 193, ushered through the upper chamber by Sen. Scott T. Rupp, R-Wentzville, and passed by the General Assembly on April 27, was also vetoed by the governor. The legislation would have implemented a new congressional district map that included six Republican and two Democratic congressional districts.
Missouri currently has nine congressional districts. Despite the state’s 7 percent growth based on the 2010 Census, Missouri did not keep up with the rest of the country’s growth rate, resulting in the loss of a congressional seat.
According to Article III, Section 32 in the Missouri Constitution, every bill presented to the governor and returned with his objections can be reconsidered in the originating chamber. A two-thirds majority vote from both chambers is required to override a veto — 23 members in the Senate and 109 members in the House of Representatives.
If the governor returns any bill with his objections on or after the fifth day (May 8, 2011) before the last day the General Assembly may consider bills (May 13, 2011), the Legislature will reconvene in September to consider the vetoed legislation. A vote to overturn a veto is a rare occurrence and hasn’t taken place since 2003 when lawmakers voted to overturn three vetoes relating to concealed carry, lawsuits against gun manufacturers and abortion.
For more information about the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. To contact the Senate Newsroom, call (573) 751-3824 or e-mail newsroom@senate.mo.gov.
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