Missouri Legislature overrides Nixon to block home-care wage hike

The Missouri Legislature has voted to override the governor and block a wage hike for home-care attendants.

House members voted 119-36 on Tuesday to undo Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto. Two-thirds of senators voted for the override in April.

By taking that action, lawmakers stopped a proposed Department of Health and Senior Services rule that would raise the pay for home care attendants from the current $7.65 an hour to a range between $8.50 and $10.15. The workers care for aging Missourians and others who can’t care for themselves.

Lawmakers opposed to the rule argued the agency doesn’t have the authority to give those workers raises and said that’s the Legislature’s job.

Nixon and other opponents said those workers deserve a pay raise.

This story was originally published May 3, 2016 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Missouri Legislature overrides Nixon to block home-care wage hike."