Nixon vetoes transportation, DUI bill because of 'Slave Rock' concerns
Gov. Jay Nixon has vetoed a bill renaming a portion of I-70 in Montgomery County, about 60 miles east of Columbia.
Senate bill 43 would have renamed a part of the highway as Grahams Picnic Rock Highway. A big rock sits in the middle of the I-70 median there.
In his veto message, Nixon says the rock in question has been known as Slave Rock because slaves were once allegedly bought and sold on the site.
This designation would have elevated one history of the site above all others, thereby defining this landmark and its historical significance for generations to come, Gov. Nixon said in a news release. This attempt to erase the name Slave Rock from this site, without any public debate, cannot become law.
But SB 43 is about a lot more than just renaming a highway. Its a transportation bill that, among others things, changes several state DUI and DWI laws.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/07/11/4340014/nixon-vetoes-transportation-dui.html#storylink=cpy