Burlison's right-to-work legislation clears Senate

Right-to-work legislation sponsored by Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, cleared the state Senate yesterday and went back to the House today for final approval.

House Bill 116 would prohibit contracts requiring a worker to join a union or pay union fees as a condition of employment. Missouri would become the 26th right-to-work state under the legislation, according to a news release.

“As we look for a way to put Missouri on a level playing field with the many states that are competing for employers and jobs, there is perhaps no better move we can make than to embrace true worker freedom,” Burlison said in the release, thanking the Senate for forwarding the bill. “This legislation can be a catalyst for economic growth and job creation that will position our state and the people of Missouri for prosperity in the years to come.”

The House had taken up the bill but not passed it by deadline this morning, according to House.Mo.gov.

If sent to Gov. Jay Nixon’s desk, it would be the first time right-to-work legislation would go before a Missouri governor in the history of the state, according to the release. In February, the House voted 91-64 to pass the bill to the Senate, short of the 109 votes needed to override a gubernatorial veto. The Senate’s vote yesterday was 21-13, two votes shy of what would be needed for a veto override.

Last year, Nixon applauded the General Assembly’s rejection of similar right-to-work legislation.

“This misguided political maneuver would take us backward by undermining workers and weakening our economy,” he said in an April 2014 news release.[[In-content Ad]]