Wage mandates and automatic union dues were up for debate.
2 Veto Overrides Missouri Small Business Owners Should Know About
Earlier this month, the Missouri House voted to
overturn two vetoes from Governor Jay Nixon. Here’s a look at the issues.
Paycheck Protection
It was not surprising when Gov. Nixon vetoed the
paycheck protection bill in March. The measure would have allowed public
employee union members to opt out of paying union dues, which are used for
political purposes and may be in opposition to an individual employee’s beliefs
and candidates of choice. Public employee labor unions would not be able to
automatically deduct dues from workers’ paychecks without written permission
from the employee.
After a contentious debate, the House narrowly
overrode Gov. Nixon’s veto with a vote of 109–47, the minimum votes needed. The
measure now goes to the Senate, where a veto override needs 23 votes.
Home Healthcare Worker Wages
Earlier this year, the Missouri Department of
Health and Senior Services proposed a rule that would have increased the
minimum wage for home healthcare workers paid through Medicaid. Most of these
workers currently earn the state’s minimum wage of $7.75 per hour, but the
proposed rule would have increased their base wage to between $8.50 and $10.15
per hour.
Both chambers of the Missouri Legislature
approved a resolution blocking this wage hike, and Gov. Nixon vetoed it.
However, both the House and the Senate voted to override the veto on the
grounds that the Legislature alone has the authority to enact wage increases,
thus killing the measure for this year. Passing wage mandates outside of the
rule of law is a slippery slope.
