Missouri Lawmakers Vow Veto Showdown with Governor Jay Nixon

By DAVID A. LIEB (JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., AP) — Income tax cuts? No. Nullification of federal gun-control laws? No. New hurdles for public employee unions? No.

Again and again, Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed bills passed by Missouri's Republican-led Legislature that would have put a decisively conservative stamp on the state. Now Republicans who hold their largest legislative majorities since the Civil War era are poised for a showdown that will determine whether they have the political solidarity to actually enact their agenda.

Missouri lawmakers convene a session Wednesday devoted to overriding vetoes, and the itinerary is lengthy. Nixon spiked 29 bills and used his line-item veto on four additional budget items this year.