This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: State Rep. Jeff Roorda is a marked man.
Roorda, D-Barnhart, is among three Democrats in the Missouri House who had voted for the tax-cut package, HB253, that’s now at the center of a partisan tug of war between the Democratic governor who vetoed it and the Republican legislative leaders seeking to override said veto.
House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, told the Beacon last week that he didn’t expect any of the three Democrats to support the override and, as a result, he would need the support of all 109 Republicans. The magic override number is 109 votes.
But since then, Jones has called Roorda – and happily reported to the Beacon that Roorda’s vote “remains up in the air’’ and might end up in the GOP camp.
Roorda acknowledges that’s a possibility. “I told him that I was still considering all my options…I don’t care what anyone other than my constituents thinks about this bill.”
Those constituents, he continued, appear split. Although he’s getting a lot of similarly worded emails from the pro and con camps, Roorda said that individual discussions indicate that many people aren’t aware of all the bill's provisions or problems.
He mentioned one businessman who called Roorda to lobby for an override. But then Roorda brought up some of the bill’s problems “that have come to light’’ since its initial passage – notably the sales tax hike on prescription drugs and concerns about cuts in aid to public education.
Afterward, Roorda said the businessman “wasn’t sure whether he really wanted me to vote’’ for the override.
Roorda said he hadn't been taking a stand and had been simply “telling (the businessman) why I had misgivings” since learning more details about the bill’s provisions.
“I wish we had known when the bill was before us that it had problems,’’ Roorda said. “I am a big public education advocate.”
But at the same time, Roorda said he’s somewhat sympathetic to backers’ contention that the tax cut could ignite economic growth and put Missouri on a stronger footing against Kansas, which has slashed its tax rates.
Roorda did emphasize, however, that he’s generally opposed to “trickle down economics.” Besides being a legislator, Roorda is business manager for the St. Louis Police Officers Association.
Roorda is in touchy political territory because he’s seeking the state Senate seat now held by fellow Democrat Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City. His likely Republican opponent is fellow state Rep. Paul Wieland, R-Imperial, who backed the tax cuts and is expected for vote for the override.
The 22nd District largely takes in Jefferson County, politically swing territory that veered Democratic in the 2008 elections, swung hard right in 2010 and then shifted more to the middle in 2012.
Roorda says his stance on any legislation has nothing to do with his Senate bid and everything to do with what he believes is best for Jefferson County.
Backs bills protecting Doe Run, nullifying gun laws
That is why Roorda says he’s prepared to oppose Nixon on two other vetoed bills.
He plans to vote to override Nixon’s veto of HB650, which would limit punitive damages to $2.5 million for injuries incurred by workers for the Doe Run Co., a mining company based in Jefferson County. Nixon says it’s inappropriate to pass a law that benefits only one company; Roorda said the bill may be needed to keep Doe Run and its jobs in Jefferson County.
And then there’s HB436, the bill to bar enforcement of federal gun laws in Missouri. Among other things, the bill seeks to do away with the 1934 federal ban on machine guns. It also would make it illegal to publish the names of any gun owners, would allow school districts to designate "school protection officers" who can carry firearms, and would lower the legal age for carrying a concealed weapon to 19. The current minimum age is 21.
Roorda said he was aware there may be legal problems with nullifying federal gun laws, but he said there were other parts of the bill that he liked and that he wanted to see put into effect. When asked, Roorda declined to be specific.
In any case, Roorda plans to vote to override Nixon’s veto of that bill as well.
So far, though, he says he hasn’t got much pressure from fellow Democrats who oppose any of the overrides – especially the tax-cut bill, HB253.
Roorda isn’t among the 15 legislators – all Republicans – targeted by a new anti-tax cut political group, Missourians for Common Sense, which is siding with the governor and lobbying against an override of HB253.
Roorda also had no complaints about Jones’ call. “There’s no pressure the speaker can put on me,” he said.
Still, Roorda is prepared for the jockeying to get more intense, leading up to the veto session, which begins Sept. 11.
He says he's ready. “I don’t get stressed out about these things," Roorda said with a chuckle. "It’s part of the job that’s on the W-2.”
And his vote on HB253 remains up in the air.
