JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 Republican lawmakers rejected an attempt Wednesday to override Gov. Mike Parson鈥檚 veto of millions of dollars in spending in the state鈥檚 $50 billion budget.
In the Capitol for a one-day session to consider Parson鈥檚 vetoes, Republicans let the soon-to-retire governor鈥檚 financial maneuvers stand, opting to let the next crop of lawmakers and a new governor navigate state spending pressures when the regular session begins in January.
In June, Parson cut $1 billion out of lawmakers鈥 suggested spending plan, including trims to 狐狸视频-area projects like airport renovation plans, university building construction and regional bike paths.
In all, he vetoed 173 line items, saying the projects represent 鈥a lot of overspending.鈥
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Democratic state Rep. Deb Lavender of Manchester called for an override of a $2.5 million cut to a program that investigates seniors鈥 complaints of abuse and neglect in nursing homes.
The override attempt failed after receiving 56 鈥測es鈥 votes to 81 鈥渘o鈥 votes. Lavender said it was not a surprise that the GOP-controlled chamber sided with the Republican governor.
The Senate gaveled in for a short session and took no action, leaving Parson with an unblemished record of never having a veto overridden.
Both chambers spent time lauding members who are leaving or who have left office due to term limits, including Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, who came in second to Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe in the GOP primary race for governor.
Eigel, a leader of a disruptive conservative faction in the upper chamber, departed from his normal filibustering and offered a short speech of thanks to his colleagues.
The session also marked the end of the tumultuous tenure of House Speaker Dean Plocher, a Des Peres Republican who spent much of the past year defending himself against alleged ethics violations, as well as a harassment lawsuit filed by the chief clerk in the chamber.
Plocher reacted to the allegations by firing his chief of staff and bringing in former House Speaker Rod Jetton to help him fend off calls for sanctions.
The scandal came as Plocher was running a losing bid for secretary of state, despite having more money in his campaign coffers than his competitors.
A hearing on the workplace discrimination lawsuit is set for Tuesday.
Allegations in the lawsuit include possible discussions of campaign contributions related to a successful contract, as well as the clerk鈥檚 attempt to privately counsel Plocher about complaints she had received about his treatment of female Republican lawmakers, whom he called 鈥渟tupid鈥 and an 鈥渋nvasive species.鈥
Action in the House was delayed by an hour Wednesday when Plocher called on his colleagues to provide a letter explicitly exonerating him from an ethics probe conducted by a House committee, even though the matter was closed in May.
Among those signing a letter outlining the committee鈥檚 decision was House Ethics Committee member Robert Sauls, D-Kansas City. He said he was unsure why the speaker wanted to publicly raise the issue again.
鈥淚 was a little perplexed,鈥 Sauls said.
House Majority Leader Jon Patterson, R-Lee鈥檚 Summit, is poised to take over as speaker when lawmakers return in January following the November election.
In the Senate, Senate President Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, is term limited and will cede the top spot in the chamber to Majority Leader Cindy O鈥橪aughlin, R-Shelbina.
鈥淐indy is more than capable to lead this Senate,鈥 said former Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Kansas City.