TRAA Addresses Missouri Governor’s Veto of Towing Reform Bill

Earlier this month, Missouri Governor Michael L. Parson vetoed Senate Substitute 2 House Bill 661, which would have had the state’s Joint Committee on Transportation regulate commercial vehicle towing rates, allow for the investigation of towing complaints, and create a law enforcement commercial vehicle rotation system. The bill was supported by the Owner-Operator Independent Driver’s Association (OOIDA).

The Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA) posted the following statement on traaonline.com:

Towers Win: Missouri Governor Vetoes HB 661

“In a victory for towers across the country, the Governor of Missouri has vetoed SS#2/HB 661, an OOIDA-backed towing reform bill. If enacted, the bill would have created an oversight committee to regulate non-consensual towing within the state and create a complaint task force to customers who feel they’ve been overcharged for third-party tows.

“These is the slim chance that the bill could still move when the Missouri legislature meets in September for a veto override session, but that seems unlikely given the legal concerns the governor outlines in his veto letter regarding the bill.

“OOIDA has been trying to pass similar versions of this bill for several years. Hopefully this will be the last we see of this sort of legislation from OOIDA for a while. In a recent Land Line article OOIDA’s Mike Matousek said, ‘as much as I hate to admit it, we might have to move on until there’s a new governor in Missouri.’

“The governor’s veto is a huge win for towers across the country as once enacted, similar legislation could become the model for other states. Kudos to the Towing and Recovery Association of Missouri (TRAM) and the Missouri Tow Truck Association (MTTA) for all their hard work on this issue.”