(Photo via Show Me Progress)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A week after state lawmakers heard a series of “right to work” bills targeting labor union membership, a House committee heard another pair of bills targeting payment of union dues.
State Rep. Holly Rehder, a Republican of Sikeston, presented her bill Monday that would prohibit any public employee from being required to pay dues or fees to a labor union. The bill would require a union member to provide annual authorization for their dues to be collected.
“Many unions pursue agendas their workers do not support,” she said. “This would give workers an option to choose whether they want their dues spent on political purposes.”
As was the case during the hearings over “right to work” bills, labor unions showed up in full force against the bills. And even though the bills considered Monday only targeted public employee unions, private union representatives testified with them in a show of solidarity.
Rep. Stephen Webber, a Democrat of Columbia, questioned Rehder, accusing her of supporting expanded “government regulation,” something he noted Republicans typically oppose.
“This is the government telling a private individual what they’re allowed to do with a private organization,” Webber said.
Rehder, in response, said: “It’s a simple signature.”
At one point, when Rep. Bob Burns, a Democrat of St. Louis, was questioning Rehder, things got tense. After about 10 minutes, Rep. Bill Lant, the chair of the committee, interrupted his line of questioning. Burns raised his voice, and Lant called the committee to recess. Lant pointed to Burns and told him to follow him to the hallway to discuss the back and forth. Burns did not go until House Minority Leader Jake Hummel called him aside. In the hallway, Lant asked for Burns’ respect, and Hummel quietly asked everyone to calm down.
A House select committee was expected to hear the two “paycheck protection” bills, as well as three “right to work” bills passed out of Lant’s committee last week, when it meets this evening. The bills are expected to easily pass the committee, and could be heard by the entire House as soon as this week.