Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is defending his choice last month to fill a vacancy on the State Probation and Parole Board with State Rep. Dennis Fowler. Fowler then gave up his seat in the Missouri House for the appointment. He also happens to be one of the 15 House Republicans who voted against overriding Governor Nixon’s veto of a controversial tax cut bill last year.
Nixon told reporters Thursday that Fowler’s vote had nothing to do with his Parole Board appointment.
“Dennis has a 38-year career in law enforcement, and like others, I think he’s highly qualified, highly capable, to serve on that board," said Nixon. "You want to put people on Probation and Parole that have a significant background (in that area).”
Fowler’s appointment, though, depends on Senate confirmation, and a group of Republican Senators say they’ll block his appointment over his vote last fall to support Gov. Nixon’s tax cut veto.
Fowler’s resignation from the Missouri House also left Republicans in that chamber one vote short of having a veto-proof majority.