Gov. Nixon Visits Kirkwood to Discuss Veto of Tax Bill

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon stopped by Greentree Pharmacy in Kirkwood Monday for a press conference about his veto of tax-related House Bill 253.

Nixon said the bill includes a $200 million/year tax increase on prescription drugs, sourcing that as his primary reason for vetoing the bill in June.

The tax-relief bill was passed by General Assembly in the 2013 legislative session and will be back in for review during the veto session next month.

"I think the vast majority of folks [in the House] did not see that this increase was in there," Nixon said.

See more of Gov. Nixon's comments in the video above.

The office of Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, sent a press release after Nixon's press conference Monday requesting a veto override.

"The language at issue was provided by the governor’s administration and included some conflicting language and deletions," Rep. Rick Stream, R-Kirkwood said in the release. "However, that section of the bill does not go into effect until 2015. That issue will be dealt with swiftly and clarified next session in a bipartisan way. It is a red herring, and the governor’s argument is intellectually dishonest."

The veto session is scheduled for Sept. 11. A two-thirds majority vote is needed to override a vetoed item.

Read more about House Bill 253 here.