Speaker Steven Tilley (Photo/St. Louis Public Radio)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — If so-called “right to work” legislation emerges from the Missouri Senate, it is not likely it will get anywhere in the House, Speaker Steven Tilley told PoliticMo in an interview on Tuesday.
Tilley said the policy, which would outlaw any contracts between employees and employers that would require union fees as a condition of employment, likely does not have a chance in the General Assembly this year.
“You have to look at the practicality of it. The governor has already came out and said he is not going to support ‘right to work,’” Tilley said. “There is no way I have the votes to override a veto, so we’re really taking up a divisive issue.”
The proposal does have some support in the Senate. A handful of lawmakers, including Senate Leader Rob Mayer and Sen. Jason Crowell have filed versions of “right to work” legislation. Tilley said if the Senate passes the measure, he will refer it to committee, but he will not push it in the House.
“I think it a waste of our legislative time when we can focus our time and efforts on something that we could produce fruit from,” he said.
The legislation has from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, but is staunchly opposed by labor groups. Tilley, who is serving his final term in the Missouri House, said he wants to focus on economic measures where both sides can agree before pursuing measures that cause conflict.
“I think there are a lot of things we can do in this state that business and labor can agree on,” he said. “I like to focus on consensus. Once we get all those things done, there is time to talk about the stuff that is very divisive.”
With the measure likely to fail in the General Assembly, an outside group is preparing a push to place the policy on the 2012 ballot as a constitutional amendment. The group, Missourians for Right to Work, has yet to file with the Missouri Secretary of State.
email: eli [at] politicmo.com | phone: 417.597.3873 | twitter: @eyokley 
