Democrats fight workers' comp legislation

The correction eliminates a phrase that denies coverage for accidental injuries or deaths while on the job.

Members of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry fought to include an emergency clause that would allow the revision to take effect as soon as the bill becomes law, but Senate Democrats voted in bloc against the clause.

“Senate Democrats have chosen to leave Missouri without a workers’ compensation system for most of the remainder of this year,” said Daniel P. Mehan, chamber president and CEO, in a news release. “The move was petty and irresponsible.”

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt called the action disappointing in a written statement and said it has “exposed Missouri small-business men and women and hard-working Missourians to needless risk.”

Sen. Frank Barnitz, D-16th District, said Senate Democrats’ overall opinion is that the bill has problems, namely its lack of safeguards for employees and protection for employers in cases of workers’ compensation not covered by the bill.

“Any time you have a problematic bill, you’re not doing anybody in Missouri a service by passing something that’s questionable in its abilities,” he said.

Barnitz said the bill is expected to pass in the House, and it will then return to the Senate floor. If senators can discuss the bill’s need for clarification, Barnitz said, Democrats will be more likely to support the emergency clause.

“If the Senate starts to work with the minority party on the issues that are at hand, instead of trying to railroad these things through, I don’t think there’ll be a problem,” he said.

[[In-content Ad]]