See how House Representatives voted on the bill that is alternately called paycheck protection by supporters and paycheck deception by opponents:
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Heated debate precedes initial House passage of paycheck legislation (AUDIO)
The state House has given initial passage to legislation that is alternately called “paycheck protection” by its supporters and “paycheck deception” by its opponents.
Representative Holly Rehder (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)
The bill, HB 1617 sponsored by Representative Holly Rehder (R-Sikeston), would let workers annually give or deny permission for union dues to be taken out of their paychecks.
Supporters include the Missouri Chamber who says current law, “allows thousands in taxpayers’ dollars to go political campaigns every year unchecked, siphoned off of public employees’ paychecks in the form of union dues.”
Opponents such as the Missouri AFL-CIO called supporters “extremists,” who seek, “to shut hardworking public workers out of the political process – and to take away their voice on the job.”
The legislation was the subject of two hours of contentious debate. In an exchange that drew an admonition from House Speaker Tim Jones (R-Eureka), Representative Jeff Roorda (D-Barnhardt) read Rehder a quote from Martin Niemoller dating back to World War II.
Listen to a portion of Roorda’s inquiry of Rehder
Niemoller famously wrote, “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Roorda read the quote and then asked Rehder, “Who are you coming after next?”
When Roorda was challenged by another Republican for making reference to Nazi Germany, Rooda added, “Lady I never used the word ‘Nazi.’ I hope you don’t think I was comparing you to a 1939-era Nazi German just because you’re doing the same thing that they were.”
Democrats argue the bill is an attempt to limit political involvement by people who are commonly thought to vote for their party.
“We’re being very narrow, and we’re being very precise with this bill,” said Representative Kevin McManus (D-Kansas City). He says it isn’t clear why the bill does not apply to first responders or private corporations. “These are folks that we are silencing and the question is why. The answer is, ‘We don’t like what they’re saying. We don’t like the political speech that their exhibiting.”
Rehder says the bill protects individual workers.
“It gives them the ability to do with their money as they choose,” says Rehder. “This is simply individual freedom.”
The proposal needs another favorable vote to go to the Senate.
Hanaway talks support for changing Missouri labor policy
The first GOP candidate in the 2016 race for Governor says she wants Missouri to become a right-to-work state.
“Right to Work” is what supporters call the policy that would bar the practice of making the payment of union dues a requisite of employment.
Catherine Hanaway says enacting such a policy would make Missouri more competitive.
“I absolutely want Missouri to be on a level playing field with all the states that are attracting major auto plants, major manufacturing plants and they’re just flying over Missouri,” claims Hanaway.
She says she would also back what supporters call “paycheck protection.”
“I think protecting the paychecks of people who do work in union environments so that their dues aren’t spent on political campaigns that they don’t support … it would be a step forward.”
Hanaway also says she would support a tax cut proposal such as what Republican lawmakers are trying to send to Governor Nixon this year, but doesn’t say she would have signed the bill that Nixon vetoed last year.
“I think there were improvements that needed to be made to that bill,” says Hanaway, “but that’s where you need leadership from the Governor. The legislative session’s five months long. The legislature didn’t keep it a secret that they were gonna pass a tax cut. If there were improvements to be made the Governor should have been walking the halls … and have discussion with the legislative leaders and try and shape the bill into something that he can sign.”
Hanaway says she will spend this year traveling to Republican events throughout the state trying to raise money and support to take on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Koster.
Some Republicans have expressed disapproval of Hanaway announcing as a candidate so early, and say it is disrespectful to others who might choose to run.
‘Paycheck protection’ legislation sent to the Governor
A House proposal that backers say protects workers’ paychecks has been sent to Gov. Jay Nixon.
The bill (SB 29) requires that a worker give permission once a year for a union to take dues out of his or her paycheck, or to use them for political purposes.
Rep. Eric Burlison speaks on the House floor. (Photo courtesy Tim Bommel, House Communications)
House sponsor, Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Springfield), says it’s about protecting free speech.
“I think that is important that [the union] yearly, at least, get the permission before they’re speaking on behalf of someone,” Burlison said.
Rep. Clem Smith (D-St. Louis County) says the bill is deceiving and wastes the time of the legislature in the final days of the session.
“This is an issue that does not exist,” Smith said. “People do it on their own will. They sign up on a form already to have additional money go to political action committees from labor unions and that money is spent to support labor activities. This deal about dues dollars … I need proof. We’re up here to be shown proof, no proof has been brought up.”
The legislation only applies to public employee unions and exempts first responders.
It cleared the House on an 85-69 vote.
House Speaker says right-to-work passage unlikely, will push paycheck protection
Missouri’s Republican House Speaker says in spite of the passage of right-to-work in Michigan, he doesn’t expect to make it a priority in Missouri but will pursue paycheck protection.
House Speaker Tim Jones (R-Eureka)
Speaker Tim Jones (R-Eureka) says he supports right-to-work, which keeps union membership or dues payments from being a condition of employment, but he doesn’t think it would pass in Missouri without the backing of Governor Jay Nixon even with veto-proof Republican majorities in both chambers.
“We have 110 members in the House. That’s more of a number than a reality on every single issue. I understand that I have a lot of members who are very conflicted on a variety of issues. Every district is not the same.”
Jones instead will add to his agenda paycheck protection, which requires unions to get permission annually from its members to use fees or dues for political contributions. Jones thinks that would achieve the same goal as right-to-work, and he believes it can pass.
“Money is extremely important to the labor unions. They are the biggest opponents to us on that level and I look at what happened in this last campaign cycle and most of the Democrats in this state rely on that money which is forced from hard-working workers into those coffers.”
The legislative session begins January 9.