General Assembly

Labor restrictions, Medicaid expansion top Missouri Chamber’s legislative priorities

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– The Missouri Chamber of Commerce announced its 2014 legislative priorities on Saturday, including a call to enact ‘right-to-work’ and another to expand the state’s Medicaid rolls.

The two issues – in addition to calls to provide broad base tax relief, reform unemployment insurance, and performance based pay for teachers – are part of the Chamber’s call for “broad-based, long-term” policies to support economic growth in the state.

“The special session,” to pass tax incentives to lure Boeing, “showed that Missouri’s governor, lawmakers, and local leaders could move quickly and work through differences to craft an attractive incentive package for one large company and its suppliers,” said Daniel P. Mehan, Missouri Chamber president and CEO. “Now, what are we going to do for the thousands other employers that provide jobs in our state? Where is our long-term plan for job growth?”

One issue, ‘right-to-work’, remains a top priority of House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka. Mehan said the passage of ‘right-to-work’ will not be easy, particularly when considering the amount of money labor groups have made known they are willing to spend in opposition. Mehan said the business community should be ready to spend similarly if it makes it to the ballot, which he thinks would be worthwhile for the state.

“Employees should be given the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to be part of a union. Right to Work gives them that right,” Mehan said. “It’s just that simple.”

The Chamber’s other major issue, expanding Medicaid as prescribed by the 2010 federal health care law, remains a top priority of Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat. Mehan said the issue is important to the entire state as hospitals deal with how to pay for coverage that used to be covered by federal disproportionate care payments.

“These are the cold, hard facts about ObamaCare and these are the reasons the Missouri Chamber is advocating that Missouri expand its Medicaid program in order to recoup as many federal dollars as we can as a state to ease the blow,” Mehan said. “This is the only action the Legislature can make to make ObamaCare better.”

Lawmakers reconvene on Wednesday.