Birds on the Brain

Gov. Jay Nixon (D-MO) vetoed a bill that would have allowed employers or health insurance providers to stop offering coverage for contraception, abortion, or sterilization if doing so violated their religious or moral convictions. The governor’s decision sets up a potential conflict with the Republican-dominated legislature that approved the bill by wide margins; the bill’s sponsor, state Sen. John Lamping (R), said he will work to override the veto in September. Nixon said he stopped the bill because “we want families making these decisions — not insurance companies.