When a “right to work” bill cleared the state House and Senate, neither chamber gave it enough votes to overturn a veto.
Governor Jay Nixon (D) says he will veto that bill, but House Speaker Todd Richardson (R-Poplar Bluff) says it’s too early to be thinking about whether supporters in the legislature can muster the votes to overturn him.
“We’ll talk with our members and see if there’s a will to override and obviously see if there is not a will to override,” said Richardson. “Any override of the governor’s veto, even with the majorities that [legislative Republicans in Missouri] enjoy right now is extraordinarily difficult, and ‘right-to-work’ will be no exception.”
Richardson supports “right-to-work,” which would bar making the paying of union dues a requirement of employment. Backers say more businesses would bring jobs to Missouri with that policy in place.
Opponents say it would allow non-union members to be “freeloaders,” enjoying the benefits of union membership without paying for it.