On Friday, some of the 15 Republicans who voted against overriding Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of the tax cut bill will meet in Ozark to discuss their path forward.

Rep. Lyndall Fraker, R-Marshfield, struck a hopeful tone when asked about his expectations about Friday's meeting.

"I think we're going to stand in unity with our caucus and come up with a plan to make the [income tax cut] bill a better bill for next year," Fraker said.

Rep. Don Phillips, R-Kimberling City, outlined what he wants to see in the next tax cut bill.

"I'd like to see something that has clarity in it, for one thing, not real cumbersome, something that's a little more broad-spread," Phillips said.

Rep. Nate Walker, R-Kirksville, explained what some of the 15 members hope to accomplish.

"We're trying to make sure that we give good, solid imput to the majority caucus so that they will bring forth good legislation in the future to address tax reform and tax cuts and various other issues that we may discuss," Walker said.

The meeting will take place at the corporate office of Rep. Lynn Morris in Ozark, Mo. Morris criticized Speaker Tim Jones and issued a warning to him.

"For me, unless I get a personal apolgoy and a handwritten statement to the media, I will not be able to forgive the Speaker at this time," Morris wrote in the memo inviting members to the meeting.

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A leading Republican lawmaker said that Governor Jay Nixon's decision to invest $400,000 in a Jefferson City child care center isn't the best way to fund early childhood education.

"Any money that he individually chooses to bestow upon someone may not be in the best interest of the entire state," Mike Lair, R-Chillicothe said. "To pick and choose winners and losers in this case in education funding is in my opinion counterproductive."

Lair, who is the chairman of the House Education Appropriations Committee, wants a comprehensive approach to fund early childhood education rather than individual grants.

The money was awarded to the Jefferson City Child Care Center as a part of the Missouri Smart Start program under the Department of Economic Development.

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Four years after the 2009 auto bailout, President Barack Obama will visit a Ford plant in Liberty on Friday.

Obama will be joined by Sen. Claire McCaskill and Gov. Jay Nixon.

The automotive plant Obama will visit produces parts that go into Ford's F-150 truck, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

This is Obama's second visit to Missouri in nearly three months. On July 24, he spoke to students at the University of Central Missouri about the affordability of a college education.

In a state where gay marriage is banned, the Missouri National Guard is providing benefits to same-sex spouses of military members.

The National Guard is following guidance from the U.S. Department of Defense. The DOD announced last month that same-sex couples are eligible to apply for the same identification cards and benefits that opposite-sex spouses receive as of Sept. 3, 2013.

The announcement is a response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.

First Lieutenant John Quin, a spokesperson for the Guard, said Missouri's national guard has currently issued IDs and benefits for one same-sex couple.

"If you have a valid marriage certificate and you bring it to an ID center, then you can get your ID card the same as anybody else," Quin said.

The governors of Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana have directed the National Guard in their states to refuse to process requests for military benefits for same-sex couples. All four states have gay-marriage bans.

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Rep. Jay Swearingen, D-Kansas City, plans to run for Missouri state auditor.

On the Facebook page titled Rep. Jay Swearingen for State Auditor, Swearingen said “Missouri deserves a tough, tenacious auditor who puts people before politics.”

He told the Associated Press he decided to enter the race just before last week’s veto session.

Swearingen called the position of Missouri auditor “the best job in politics” on his Facebook page.

No other Democrats have publicly expressed interested in running for state auditor. Republican Auditor Tom Schweich is completing his first term and told the Associated Press he looks forward to a spirited debate.

The position will be the only statewide official on the ballot in the November 2014 election.

He plans an official campaign announcement for October.

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If you’re looking to lead a long healthy life, you may be better off moving Venezuela than to St. Louis.

A report by the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) said the life expectancy for St. Louis areas and southeastern Missouri is now less than in Third World countries. Once ranked 24th in statewide health, Missouri dropped to the bottom 10 in the past two decades.

MHA pushed to expand Medicaid eligibility, to which spokesperson Dave Dillon attributed the poor ranking. A U.S. Census Bureau report in 2011 found that 16 percent of Missourians over 65 were uninsured.

"Missouri’s hospital emergency departments care for one uninsured individual every minute of every day," Dillon said. "We can change these numbers."

The report said these individuals delay healthcare for insured Missourians every day.

Dillon said individuals with health insurance are more likely to seek preventative health care sources, like immunizations. Missouri had the fourth lowest immunization rate, third highest incidence of heart attack and lowest cigarette tax in the nation-- all which factored in the association's health ranking.

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Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia

Senate Appropriations chair Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, announced Wednesday he will run for Missouri Attorney General in 2016.

He made his announcement on a conservative talk show on St. Louis radio station, KFTK.

Last week House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, confirmed his intent to run for attorney general in 2016 as well, but has yet to make an official announcement.

In a statement from his campaign, Schaefer cited his experience.

 "Missourians need an attorney general with experience putting violent criminals behind bars. From our county courthouses to the Missouri Supreme Court, I've prosecuted some of Missouri's most dangerous criminals and fought to protect the rights of victims," Schaefer said in the statement.

Schaefer is serving his second term in the state Senate.

When asked what he thought about Schaefer's announcement, Jones said he had not given it much thought and was focusing on next year.

"Right now I am primarily and first and foremost focused on leading the general assembly over the next year and a half and I will speak for the Missouri House against what has unfortunately become the very liberal agenda of Governor Jay Nixon," said Jones.

Attorneys for the Doe Run Lead Company confirmed Tuesday they settled several lawsuits alleging children suffered health problems after being exposed to lead contamination.

A confidentiality agreement does not allow attorneys for the plaintiffs or Doe Run to disclose the settlement terms, but the cases were resolved less than a week after the company won a stronger legal protection from Missouri lawmakers.

Maurice Graham, the attorney for the plaintiffs, told the Associated Press the cases were resolved last Friday, two days after legislators overrode Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of House Bill 650.

The new law will ban any punitive damages related to mining locations that stopped operating before 1975. The owners must make good faith efforts to clean up these mines, and if not, the damages are capped at $2.5 million.

The Doe Run Co. lobbied heavily to secure the override to ensure it wouldn't be forced out of business by a multi-million dollar potential jury award. The company employs about 1,600 people in eastern Missouri.

Nixon said the bill violates the state's constitution because it limits court judgments and creates a special law that only benefits particular defendants.

The lawsuits alleged that children had been exposed to materials from old lead mining operations, and the damaging levels of lead and other toxic substances caused both physical and psychological problems.

Graham told the Associated Press there are still 16 pending claims, but no trial date has been set.

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The Associated Press reports a Missouri House Republican who did not vote to override the governor's veto of a tax cut bill sent an e-mail criticizing House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka.

Rep. Nate Walker, R-Kirksville, wrote to fellow Republicans who opposed the override telling them they were of the highest integrity, which is "something I can NOT say for our Speaker Tim Jones. What a disgrace he has become."

Walker told the Associated Press Tuesday the email was not intended for the public to see. Walker said he would be willing to apologize is Jones sees it fit.

On Tuesday Jones told the Associated Press, "Nate is a member of our caucus, and I look forward to working with him next year to pass legislation that will improve the lives of all Missourians."

The Republican-led House failed to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of the tax cut bill, 94-67. Fifteen Republicans and 52 Democrats voted against the override.

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The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) called on lawmakers Tuesday to dish out $6.8 million to the Normandy School District.

Students in the unaccredited Normandy District are allowed to attend schools in other, accredited districts, and the cost falls on Normandy. DESE spokeswoman Sara Potter said paying tuition for 1000 students is a large factor in Normandy's struggles.

"They pay for 25 percent of students in their districts to go to other schools, and they still have 75 percent of their own students to educate after that," Potter said.

The Normandy District declined an interview but did release a statement.

"We are currently reviewing the impact of this decision on the district's funding from the state."

DESE projections predict the Normandy District will dissolve by March if it does not receive additional funding.

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A transportation department official said Tuesday that Missourians will have to take the lead themselves if they want to fix the state's crumbling road system.

Bob Brendel, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Transportation, or MoDOT, said the department supports a sales tax increase rather than new toll roads and toll bridges.

Similar proposals have made their way to the state's legislature but lawmakers failed to come to an agreement.

Missourians for Safe Transportation and New Jobs took the first steps Monday to put the tax on a general election ballot. First it must go through a lengthy ballot initiative process and gather enough signatures from voters.

"Missouri sits at the crossroads in this country," the group wrote on its website. "Businesses will also be more willing to locate in Missouri if we have a modern and reliable transportation system."

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Food banks across the state warn that national cuts to food stamp programs could leave millions of Missourians hungry.

The U.S. House is scheduled to debate Wednesday its version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The bill would cut $40 billion from food stamp funding over the next 10 years.

Missouri Food Bank Association Director Scott Baker said Tuesday that Missouri food banks and pantries won't be able to replace millions of meals that would be lost through the cuts.

"As it is, we're having to supply millions of meals a year to those in need," Baker said. "To have to basically double that or more because of these cuts, you're talking about a significant task that the non-profit sector is not prepared to handle at this stage."

Supporters of the bill argue it would help fix long histories of abuse within the food stamp system. The U.S. House is expected to debate the measure this week.

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Beginning Oct. 1, Missourians will purchase insurance through the federal government's Health Insurance Exchange.

The exchange is designed to help Missourians find the insurance coverage that meets their needs and fits their budget.

In order to help Missourians with potential exchange problems the federal government has hired system "navigators".

The navigators are essentially health care advisors, trained on the exchange and the policies available through it.

The Missouri Department of Insurance requires navigators to be licensed by the state and to comply with the navigator policies set forth by the Department.

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Two Missouri laws limit lawsuits over lead contamination and restrict uninsured drivers' lawsuits against insured drivers. They were both overridden during the veto session.

The Trial Attorney's Association says these laws attack constitutional rights.

Deputy Director Sharon Jones said there are currently no concrete plans set to challenge the laws, but that they are currently looking for ways to challenge these laws. Jones thinks the laws may be challenged soon.

"In the Doe Run case, because of their behavior and some of the things that we have seen documented by both the EPA and their own internal documents, I think it's likely that there will be a punitive damages award and that will be challenged,"  Jones said. 

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A few groups in Missouri voiced their anger on Thursday that the veto override of HBO 253, an income tax cut bill, failed in the Mo. House.

"Want to help get rid of Missouri Rhinos? Donate $15 today to help us oust the #Flimsy," one special interest group, Club for Growth tweeted.

"I tell them that they let down Missourians all across the state who know we need to do something different than we're doing now to stimulate our stagnant economy," Carl Bardeen, the executive director for United for Missouri, said. United for Missouri is a grassroots organization that bases their mission statement on lowering taxes and limiting government spending.

15 Republican representatives defected from their party lines and voted "No" on the tax cut bill Wednesday. Five out of 15 of those Republicans reached for comment said they did what was best for their constituents.

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Although lawmakers overrode ten bills, the main and most controversial bills considered for overrides failed.

Marc Powers, minority caucus communications director said the veto session will be historical for other reasons besides the significant number of overrides.

“I think the fact that they failed to override on the unconstitutional gun nullification bill and on the tax giveaway for corporations and the wealthy will be the thing people will most remember from this veto session,” Powers said. 

Missouri veto session history plays a major role into the significance of Wednesday’s session. Before 1952, a specific veto session wasn't in place.

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Gov. Jay Nixon announced Thursday he would immediately release withholdings of $215.2 million after his veto of an income tax cut bill was upheld.

In June, Nixon restricted $400 million from the fiscal year 2014 budget in preparation for what he said was a potential $1.2 billion hit to the state budget if the tax cut bill became law.

The release includes funding for K-12 education, higher education, the Department of Mental Health, and programs at the University of Missouri and Missouri State University to train more health care professionals in southwest Missouri.

Of the remaining restricted funds, $175 million would have funded capital improvement projects. This includes construction for Fulton State Hospital and a new state office building.

The remaining $9.8 million is being withheld from childhood reading programs, state government workers, bike and pedestrian bridges, small business groups, tourism, re-entry programs, and various health, senior and social service programs.

"There's enough uncertainty about revenue to withhold the last $9.8 million dollars," state budget director Linda Luebbering said. "The budget assumed we would receive a $130 million tobacco settlement and $51.8 million tax amnesty. The state didn't receive either."

The Missouri House and Senate overturned 10 vetoes, the highest one-year total in 180 years.

The General Assembly also sustained two controversial vetoes involving tax cuts and guns laws.

During a press conference Wednesday evening, Gov. Jay Nixon declared victory after Republicans failed to overturn the income tax bill. He said the legislature was focused too much on partisanship rather than governing.

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Missouri could lose out on money from a 1998 settlement with tobacco companies, according to a letter from Attorney General Chris Koster .

In a letter addressed to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, Koster wrote that he state could lose a significant amount of money through a settlement with tobacco companies.

Missouri and several other states reached a $206 billion settlement with tobacco companies in 1998. A three-judge panel ruled that Missouri, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Indiana and Kentucky had inadequately enforced the state's tobacco laws in 2003.

Now the states owe the tobacco companies a refund as a result of the ruling.

Missouri could lose between 21 percent and 100 percent of an estimated $130 million as a result of the refund.

According to Koster, this is a direct result of the General Assembly's inability to pass two pieces of legislation over the last ten years to deal with the issue.

"The Office of the Attorney General advised your predecessors every year for the last decade that their legislative inaction could eventually harm the state," Koster wrote. "I am therefore putting this General Assembly on notice of that possibility."

Lawmakers overrode ten bills Wednesday that will go into effect on Oct. 10. That's 30 days after the veto session, according to legislative staff and a Missouri statute.

State lawmakers passed the statute nearly ten years ago in 2003 and it hasn’t been called into question since. There's some concern if the statute is in conflict with the state's constitution, since there is no mention of effective dates of overridden vetoes in the constitution.

Marc Powers, minority caucus communications director said, “One could argue that the statute is in conflict with the constitution, but who is going to challenge it?"

The Missouri constitution only gives the date for regular session bills. That date is Aug. 28, barring an emergency clause.

Powers said the period of time between when a bill becomes a law and when it takes effect gives people time to be aware of any change in law.

One of the bills does have an emergency clause which means it could go into effect sooner.

Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones Thursday attacked current Attorney General Chris Koster and said he plans to run for the office in 2016.

"That is my intention," Jones said. "We have not made official announcements yet, but we are definitely exploring that office very carefully."

In the past, Jones has expressed interest in running for attorney general or secretary of state. Jones made the comments while criticizing Koster's performance in office.

"It's really a shame that he's spent most of his time attacking business and attacking jobs here in our state," he said.

He called the attorney general "no comment Koster."

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House Minority Leader Jacob Hummel, D-St. Louis City, says the failure to override two key bills was a sign that Missouri isn't as red of a state as House Republicans think.

"They couldn't get a gun bill or a tax cut passed," Hummel said. "That tells me that their platform is not working."

Hummel said that while he's glad the tax cut bill failed his party is open to tax reform that benefits the middle class, not big business.

The tax cut bill failed 94-67 in the House with 15 Republicans and the entire Democratic caucus voting against an override. However the gun bill was passed by the House only to be defeated in the Senate by a one vote.

Hummel said that while he opposed the tax cut bill, his party is willing to work with incoming speaker John Diehl, R-Town and County, on tax reform that benefits the middle class.

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The governor applauded lawmakers Wednesday night an attempted veto override of a bill nullifying federal gun laws failed in the state Senate.

The governor released a statement that reads, "As a gun owner and supporter of the Second Amendment, I applaud the bipartisan vote in the Senate to sustain my veto of this unnecessary, unconstitutional and unsafe nullification bill.”

The override received just enough votes to pass through the House, but failed when republican leadership in the Senate voted against the veto override.

All the democratic senators along with Senate Pro-Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles County, and Majority Leader Ron Richard, R-Joplin, voted against the veto override.

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The Missouri Senate has rejected an attempt to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of gun legislation that gained national attention.

The Senate voted 22-12 in favor of overriding the governor's veto -- one vote shy of the necessary two-thirds majority. The House had voted to enact the measure 109-49 earlier Wednesday.

The Senate's top two Republicans -- President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey and Majority Leader Ron Richard -- joined the chamber's ten Democrats in opposing the override.

The bill would have nullified certain federal gun control laws, criminalized the enforcement of gun control regulations, allowed designated school personnel to carry concealed weapons and prohibited publishing the names of gun owners.

Senate handler -- Sen. Brian Nieves, R-Washington -- blamed a letter from Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster for the measure's demise. Koster wrote that if lawmakers overrode Nixon's veto cooperation between local and federal law enforcement on gun control matters would end.

Supporters argued the measure would protect gun rights from the federal government.

"The bill would push back against the tyranny of the out of control and incompetent federal government,” said bill sponsor Rep. Doug Funderburk, R-St. Peters.

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Following a failure to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a massive tax cut, House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, sent out a statement challenging the governor.

In a statement sent from the Missouri House of Representatives, Jones challenged the governor to call a special session to address the issues within the tax cut bill.

"If he truly believes these pieces of legislation are flawed, we can immediately be called into a special session where we can quickly and efficiently fix any problems that may exist with a minimal cost to taxpayers," said Jones.

Jones called the governor's veto political and said his campaign was based on "half-truths and false logic with no basis in reality."

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The Missouri House and Senate voted to override a veto of legislation that would prohibit non-economic damages in certain motor vehicle accidents lawsuits.

The bill would prohibit some damages for drivers in car accidents if they do not have valid car insurance.

The House voted to override Nixon's veto 109-51 on Wednesday. The Senate overturned the veto 26-8.

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The Missouri Legislature succeeded in it’s efforts to override Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of a measure that prohibits state and local governments from banning the celebration of any federal holiday in public places.

The override passed the House floor by a 114-45 vote Wednesday and the Senate passed it 24-9 later in the day.

“The intent of this bill is to protect the right of celebration of all holidays,” said bill sponsor Rep. Rick Brattin, R-Cassville.

Democrats that opposed the bill said the language was too restrictive.

“By using the word restrict, any requirements are restrictions ... the problem is that words here matter,” said Rep. Gina Mitten, D-St.Louis.

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Gov. Jay Nixon suggested he would release withheld state funding after lawmakers failed to override his veto of an income tax cut bill.

In June, Nixon withheld $400 million of state spending and vowed not to release it if lawmakers allowed tax-cut legslation to become law.

Some Republican lawmakers accused the governor of playing politics with public money, as the legislature had appropriated the funds.

Nixon said he will meet with State Budget Director Linda Luebbering to release some of the withholds after he said Missourians saw a victory on the tax measure.

"I will move expeditiously and quickly the dollars we can get out into the community, Nixon said. "A substantial tranche of those are in the education and mental health sectors and I will get those out in a very expeditious manner."

The income tax cut measure received 15 fewer Republican votes in the House in the Sept. 11 veto session.

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A veto override attempt of a measure that would have make it harder for fired employees to receive unemployment benefits failed in the Missouri House.

The bill would have bolstered the definition of workplace "misconduct." Under current law, former employees cannot receive unemployment insurance if an employer argues successfully that they were fired for misconduct.

The Senate successfully overturned Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a similar bill earlier Wednesday. But the House was unable to override the Democratic governor on its version of the legislation.

The override attempt failed on a 107-54 vote. Lawmakers needed 109 votes to make the bill a law.

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The Missouri Legislative veto session gathered more media attention than it has in previous years.

Reporters from all over the state of Missouri, along with some national news outlets, convened to see Missouri Lawmakers vote on overrides of Governor Nixon's vetoes.

Two of the largest news outlets that had correspondents present were the New York Times and Al Jazeera America.

Both correspondents agreed the most newsworthy bill up for override was the federal gun law nullification bill.

Jonathan Martin, correspondent for Al Jazeera America said he was covering the veto session primarily to see what happens with this bill. Martin says if the bill passes, other states may follow. This is what makes it national news.

"This veto session is a little bit different, you know, then some other nullification efforts we've seen across the country. Particularly this is, I believe, the first state to come forward with a gun bill like this where there would be criminal penalties enacted for federal agents coming trying to enforce the laws."

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The Missouri House has voted to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of legislation that would nullify federal gun laws in Missouri.

The Republican-controlled House voted 109-49 -- the exact number required for an override -- to overrule the Democratic governor. It now heads to the Senate, where 23 senators need to vote for an override for the measure to take effect.

The bill would declare federal gun control laws "unenforceable" and would criminalize the enforcement of those laws. It would also allow designated school personnel to carry concealed weapons and prohibits newspapers from publishing the names of gun owners.

The measure's sponsor Rep. Doug Funderburk, R-St. Peters, said the federal government is not able to handle gun regulation .

"The bill would push back against the tyranny of the out of control and incompetent federal government,” Funderburk said.

Opponents argued the measure would make it harder for law enforcement officials to do their job and would protect criminals from being publicly identified.

"It turns law enforcement into criminals, and criminals into victims,” said Rep. Jill Schupp, D-St. Louis.

The House vote was mostly along party lines, but two Republicans opposed the measure while two Democrats voted for the veto override.

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Republican lawmakers failed to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a massive tax cut bill Wednesday and Gov. Jay Nixon is applauding legislators for sustaining his objections.

"I applaud the legislators from both parties who came together to sustain my veto of the fiscally irresponsible bill, which would have defunded our schools and weakened our economy," Nixon said in a written statement. 

The vote on the bill failed 94-67 in front of a standing-room only crowd.

Supporters said the tax cut would have jump started growth in a sluggish private sector. Nixon and other opponents raised concerns that the measure would deprive the state of revenue.

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With a vote of 23-10, the Missouri Senate overrides the governor's veto on a bill that mandates that any court ruling will be unenforceable if it is based on a foreign law which is "repugnant or inconsistent" with the Missouri and U.S. Constitutions.

Sen. Brian Nieves, R-Washington, said the bill had nothing to Sharia law, the moral code and religious laws of the Islamic religion. He looked to the media, saying it is their fault for labeling the legislation this way.

Nieves said the bill deals with how courts handle contractual disputes with foreign countries.

Democrats that opposed the bill said that it may hinder international adoptions and send a message that Missouri is not open for international business.

Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis City, is a Muslim and said this measure is an attack on the Islamic religion.

"Now people in this country are able to see the extremism in this chamber" Nasheed said. "This situation is an embarrassment to this state."

The House must still vote on the veto override.

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The Missouri House failed to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a measure that would have gradually reduced income tax rates over the next decade.

Despite holding a two-thirds majority in the chamber, the Republican-controlled House could not muster the votes to override the Democratic governor. Republicans needed all of their 109 members to enact the measure, but the attempt failed on a 94-67 vote.

In front of a standing-room only crowd in the House galleries, lawmakers debated whether the bill would help the state's economy or if it would deprive the state of necessary revenue.

"We have a problem in Missouri. We are growing at a much slower rate than our peer," said bill sponsor Rep. T. J. Berry, R-Kearney.

Democrats countered that the measure would hurt state revenues and not help the middle class.

"It is a big tax giveaway for corporations and businesses but gives nothing to individual," said Rep. Jon Carpenter, D-Kansas City.

For individual income taxes, the measure would have reduced the rate for taxpayers with over $8,000 in income by one-twentieth of a percentage point annually over a ten-year period. The annual reduction would only have taken effect if state revenues increased by at least $100 million over the highest revenue point of the previous three years.

The bill would also have reduced corporate income tax rates by three-tenths of a percentage point annually over 10 years. As long as state revenues increased annually by at least $100 million, the new corporate rate would have been set at 3.25 percent after a 10 year-period.

Nixon vetoed the bill in June over concerns that it would hurt education funding. He spent the past several months traveling the state to make his case and over 100 school boards passed resolutions supporting his veto. The governor also withheld about $400 million from this year's budget because of the tax-cut bill

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After less than an hour of debate, a veto override on a bill that would change how certain public employee unions can collect fees was defeated.

An override would have required public sector union workers to authorize how much of their dues went toward political contributions. It also would have required union members to annual authorize automatic union-fee deductions from their paychecks.

Unions representing "first responders" would have been exempt.

The override attempt failed by one vote -- 22-11. Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau, joined the Senate's ten Democrats in voting against the override, which multiple Democrats said would fail in the House or be thrown out by the courts.

Bill Sponsor Sen. Dan Brown, R-Rolla, spoke in support of the bill.

"Employees won't be forced to support lobbying efforts and advertisements they don't believe in," Brown said.

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John Coomer is suing the Kansas City Royals Corporation over an eye injury he received after being struck in the face by a hot dog at a game in 2009.

Coomer's attorney Robert W. Tormohlen argues that the hot dog toss is not an inherent risk at a baseball game and that Slugger, the teams mascot, was negligent.

"Most courts all across the country limit the risks to those inherent of a baseball game. Nobody has gone to the mascot," Tormohlen said.

Tormohlen contends the Royals failed to prove to the jury that Coomer was at fault because he did not act unreasonably after being hit by the hot dog.

"There is a difference between this and a t-shirt. These hot dogs were wrapped in foil. They were four and a half ounces, and they were essentially projectiles," Tormohlen said.

Kansas City Royals Baseball Corporation attorney Scott D. Hofer said the trial court correctly responded to Coomer's claims. He said Coomer acknowledged that he saw the motion of the throw, people cheering in his section and looked away.

"In this day and age, the 21st century, there's no way you don't know that these types of activities were taking place," Hofer said.

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In its first veto override Wednesday, the Missouri House and Senate overruled Gov. Jay Nixon's line-item budget veto of $1 million for reconstruction at Pike-Lincoln Technical School.

Nixon's fellow Democrat Rep. Chris Kelly, of Columbia, made the motion in the House to fund the reconstruction project despite the governor's objection.

The House voted 112-47 to enact the $1 million construction project and the Senate later voted 28-5 to do the same.

Kelly said the school needs the additional funding because a building recently caught fire. Nixon had vetoed the funding and said in his veto letter that the funds used for the project should be allocated to K-12 schools.

Pike-Lincoln Technical School is in Eolia, Mo.

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Legislators and gun rights supporters gathered outside the front steps of the state Capitol Wednesday morning, just three hours before the start of the veto session.

Lawmakers spoke at the rally in support of a veto override of a bill aimed at protecting 2nd amendment rights.

The bill would make some federal gun laws unenforceable in the state.

Bill sponsor, Doug Funderburk, R-St. Peters, spoke at the event, assuring supporters the override would be successful and become law by the end of the veto session.

Sen. Brian Nieves, R-Washington, however, warned supporters about the possibility of an override. He claimed it was in jeopardy, and blamed Attorney General Chris Koster's politics.

Koster released a statement a week earlier, voicing his concerns over the bill. Nieves said the statement was full of lies, and was released for political gain.

"He's a bad attorney general, he'll be an even worse governor, but he is an awesome, awesome politician," Nieves said.

Republicans weren't the only ones at the rally. Democratic Rep. Ed Schieffer also spoke at the rally, and said he would vote to override the veto.

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Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, said Tuesday the Senate GOP caucus decided to cut seven bills from consideration ahead of the Wednesday veto session.

Gov. Nixon vetoed 19 bills from the Senate in all.

Dempsey said the dropped bills could be revisited during the 2013 legislative session after conversations with the governor.

He said he is confident the Senate has the right amount of votes to move the remaining 12 to the House.

Here's the list of bills Dempsey cited: SB 43, SB 51, SB 60, SB 182, SB 240, SB 342, SB 350

Republican lawmakers are set to test their veto-proof majorities Wednesday after discussing strategy in their caucuses Tuesday.

Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a multitude of laws passed by the Republican-led legislature, but Republicans hold a narrow, veto-proof majority in both the House and Senate.

Two vetoed bills have taken center stage. One would slash the state's income tax. Republicans argue this will help foster business within the state, but Nixon has said the cut would leave the state unable to fund vital programs.

The other major issue is a bill Republicans have dubbed the "Second Amendment Preservation Act." The bill would declare several federal gun control laws void in Missouri and make it illegal to publish the name of any gun owner.

Republican lawmakers like Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, have touted the strength of the party's veto-proof majority since the legislative session began in January. Now it is time to see if the talk translates to action in a showdown against Gov. Nixon's veto pen.

Jones said following his chamber's Tuesday evening GOP caucus he is still unsure of the fate of both the income tax bill as well as the gun bill.

Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, said he believes the Senate has the votes to override the tax overhaul. Dempsey said the Republican Caucus is still debating the gun law nullification bill due to legal concerns.

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The Joint Committee on Education heard testimony today on the state's tenure laws.

St.Louis City Senator Jamilah Nasheed says that the state needs to go further in changing the state's tenure law to get lazy teachers out of the classrooms.

Nasheed was the sponsor of legislation that passed which gave St. Louis City schools the ability to fire teachers regardless of tenure.

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A legislative committee heard testimony on whether state government should combat a disease that's only infected 11 deer in Missouri, but infected hundreds in other states. 

Half a dozen Missouri deer breeders urged lawmakers to keep their hands off private property.

Others said government restrictions are the only way to ensure the fatal disease doesn't spread.

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A gun rights measure that has attracted national attention has a top Republican Leader changing his mind.

Ron Richard supported the bill that would make it illegal to enforce any federal gun control laws in May. Now, he supports Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto. He says any override proponents are taking the legislation too far and need to read the constitution.

He says he suspects a vote to still take place from the considerable amount of lobbying and continued bipartisan support from legislators in fear of being labeled as unsupportive of gun rights.

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Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich says the Department of Revenue violated state law by requiring license center clerks to keep electronic records of applicant's identifying information.

In an audit report released on Sept. 9, Schweich's office said the Department of Revenue broke state law by requiring the photocopying of personal documents without first publishing a formal rule change.

However, according to the analysis, even with the publishing of a rule change the Department of Revenue would still have broke state law under the REAL ID Act of 2005.

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