Missouri Ag Bill Fails By One Vote

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of an omnibus agriculture bill will stand after the House’s attempt to block his veto failed by one vote.

SB 506 began as a bill for dairy farmers and contained the “Missouri Dairy Revitalization Act of 2014.” One main provision was a subsidy to help dairy producers pay for federal insurance.

Other provisions would have limited fees on livestock marketing and foreign ownership of Missouri farm land. The bill also contained controversial language that would have put the control of captive deer in Missouri under the Department of Agriculture and would have included captive deer in the definition of “livestock” in state law.

House Republican leadership kept the voting board open more than 20 minutes while it looked for the 109 votes needed to overturn the veto with a two-thirds majority. When the tally hit 109 and the instruction was given to close the board, one lawmaker switched his vote from a “yay” to a “nay,” and the bill failed. S