Gov. Jay Nixon making final decisions on bills

With only the weekend left, Gov. Jay Nixon has to decide whether to sign, veto, or just let several bills become law. So far this summer, Nixon has vetoed more bills than he has since taking office in 2009. The veto record belongs to Gov. John Dalton in 1965, when he vetoed 35 bills. Nixon finished Friday with 29 vetoes.

Some lawmakers tell ABC 17 News they believe this could be a year where they override many of Nixon’s vetoes. But Nixon claims the bills he did veto were done for specific reasons like they had unintended negative impacts or tax increases. He says he isn’t going to let anything become law that will ultimately hurt Missouri families.

Nixon claims he and his staff review each bill passed by lawmakers the same. He says this isn’t the first time he’s vetoed more than 20, but has never had to do this many. Nixon claims he isn’t making these decisions based on politics.

“Some have violated our state and federal constitutions, other raised taxes and unnecessarily hiked fees, others sought solutions to problems that don’t exist,” Nixon said.

Nixon believes some of the bills were passed more as messages or statements rather than to benefit Missourians.

Some Republican lawmakers question some of Nixon’s decisions. They say there was a lot of support in the House and Senate for many of the vetoed bills. Lawmakers say there’s still time to talk and figure out which bills they want to target to override in the September veto session.

Nixon says it his responsibility to make sure bills he doesn’t seem fit to become law.

“To try to send a signal or message with it, but when it gets to the second floor and try to talk about making it law … Once you get a chance to look at them it’s pretty clear they shouldn’t be a law of the state,” Nixon said.

Nixon admits lawmakers did miss some opportunities during the session like expanding Medicaid. But that had nothing to do with any of these vetoes.