Story Published:
Jul 13, 2009 at 3:41 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Jul 13, 2009 at 6:15 PM CDT
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation intended to ease the burdens on public defenders in Missouri in part by setting maximum caseloads. The bill was one of 18 vetoed Monday by Nixon.
The governor faces a Tuesday deadline to act on bills passed during the 2009 legislative session.
Nixon cited inadequate consumer protections in rejecting several bills. They included measures affecting the milk industry, debt settlement companies and renters whose homes are destroyed in
natural disasters.
Although vetoing the public defender bill, Nixon said he is committed to finding more resources to help ease a backlog of criminal cases.
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Nixon signed legislation that will let electric companies charge customers for energy-savings programs. State utility regulators already have allowed some utilities to factor the cost of their energy-savings initiatives into the basic rates they charge customers.
The legislation signed Monday specifically lets utilities recoup their costs for such programs and requires them to be listed as a separate line-item on electric bills.
Some utility officials and consumer advocates say the new law ultimately should save people money. That's because the energy-savings programs are intended to prevent or delay the need for new power plants, which would be more costly for customers to finance.
