– If Missouri House Republicans can sustain their current 78 votes in favor of ‘right-to-work’, supporters of the policy would only need to find four more votes in order to send the bill to the Senate.
Speaker of the House Tim Jones, R-Eureka, and bill sponsor Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, believe the votes may be there, but it could be close. Where might they find four votes? Urban and suburban Republicans are wary, but a handful – all that is needed – may be up for grabs.
UP FOR GRABS: These members voted in favor of ‘paycheck protection’ both times, but skipped the initial vote on ‘right-to-work’: Rep. T.J. Berry, R-Kansas City; Rep. Jeff Grisamore, R-Lee’s Summit; Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Frankford; Rep. Dave Hinson, R-St. Clair; Rep. Jim Neely, R-Cameron; Rep. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia; Rep. Donna Pfautsch, R-Harrisonville; and Rep. Sheila Solon, R-Blue Springs.
Rowden could expect a tough reelection campaign against Democrat Thomas Pauley, a union member, himself. Rowden won in 2012 with just a 320 vote advantage.
Hansen could too. He won his district with a 3.8 percent lead over his Democratic opponent in 2012.
SOLID NOES: These members voted against ‘Paycheck Protection’ in both both the initial vote and the Third Read, and voted ‘no’ on ‘right-to-work’ when it was perfected in the House. Their vote is not up for grabs: Rep. Ron Hicks, R-St. Peters; Rep. Galen Higdon, R-St. Joseph; Rep. Jeanie Lauer, R-Blue Springs; Rep. John McCaherty, R-High Ridge; Rep. Myron Neth, R-Liberty; Rep. Noel Torpey, Independence; Rep. Paul Wieland, R-Imperial; and Rep. Anne Zerr, R-St. Charles.
Neth, who isn’t seeking reelection hails from one of the closest districts in the state for Republicans. In 2012, for example, he won with a 1.2 percent lead over his Democratic rival.
FOR PAYCHECK, AGAINST ‘RIGHT-TO-WORK': These members supported ‘paycheck protection’ both times, but voted no on ‘right-to-work’ when it was heard in the House: Rep. Kathie Conway, R-St. Charles; Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington; Rep. Paul Fitzwater, R-Potosi; Rep. Jeanie Riddle, R-Fulton; and Rep. Chuck Gatschenberger, R-St. Charles (who skipped the initial ‘paycheck protection’ vote).
FOR ‘RIGHT-TO-WORK,’ AGAINST PAYCHECK: These members voted no on ‘paycheck protection’, but voted in favor of ‘right-to-work’: Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City; Rep. Nick Marshall, R-Springfield; Rep. Ron Schieber, R-Kansas City; and Rep. Bart Korman, R-High Hill.
(Rep. Randy Pike skipped both ‘paycheck protection’ votes, but voted in favor of ‘right-to-work’.)
OTHERS: Rep. Robert Cornejo, R-St. Peters, has skipped all three votes on ‘paycheck protection’ and ‘right-to-work.’ Rep. Rick Stream, R-St. Louis, has skipped both the third read vote on paycheck protection and the initial vote on ‘right-to-work.’
Stream, who also hails from a vulnerable district for Republicans, is seeking election for County Executive in one of the most labor saturated areas of the state: St. Louis County. (Cornejo, who is seeking reelection, hails from the sixth most vulnerable districts for Republicans.)
Rep. Dean Dohrman, R-La Monte, who supported the bill when it came up on Wednesday, could be a persuadable no. He skipped the third read vote on ‘paycheck protection’ after initially voting in favor of the bill. He hails from one of the most vulnerable House districts in the state. (Rep. Jeff Messenger, R-Republic, did the same.)