JEFFERSON CITY — Thanks to supermajority support, the Missouri General Assembly has overridden vetoes of two important business bills. With this success, the state’s employer community can look forward to more consist workforce regulations and added stability within the state’s unemployment benefits system.
The override vote on House Bill 722 addresses a concerning trend in Missouri where a growing number of municipalities are seeking to pass city-wide business regulations. Both Kansas City and St. Louis have sought to punish their local employers by mandating higher wages inside their city limits. Missouri municipalities have also discussed passing paid leave ordinances and bans on plastic bags. The passage of House Bill 722, sponsored by Rep. Dan Shaul, a Republican from Imperial, will ensure these issues are handled at the state level. The House voted 114-46 in to override the veto, the Senate voted 23-9.
“I think all parties are ready to come to the table and discuss what level of business regulation is appropriate in our state. I know the business community is eager to address this issue,” said Daniel P. Mehan, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “But these discussions need to happen in the state legislature, where lawmakers can adopt a statewide policy that applies to all businesses. When cities pass business ordinances on their own, they create a patchwork of confusing regulations that ultimately make our state less attractive for business investment. On behalf of the business community, I’d like to thank the legislature for addressing this important issue.”
The General Assembly also successfully overrode the governor’s veto of House Bill 150. This new law will address Missouri’s often-insolvent Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund. The law ties Missouri’s jobless benefits to the state’s unemployment rate, providing more weeks of unemployment payments during a recession and fewer weeks of benefits when jobs are plentiful. The bill also requires increased payments from employers to help the state’s Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund reach a balance that is capable of paying for benefits without going into debt—as it repeatedly has during recent recessions. House Bill 150 was sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Shell Knob. Only a Senate vote was needed to override the veto on this bill; the vote was 24-8.
“Our state’s unemployment benefits system has been in trouble for years. It’s a major accomplishment to finally pass a comprehensive plan that both protects Missouri families during times of high unemployment and stops our unemployment fund from taking on debt,” said Mehan. “With our state currently in a period of economic recovery, this was an issue that could have easily been overlooked. Our legislators showed great leadership in reforming our unemployment benefits system this year.”
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the largest business association in Missouri. Together, with the Missouri Chamber Federation, the Missouri Chamber represents more than 40,000 employers.
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Karen Buschmann
Vice President of Communications
Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry
428 East Capitol Avenue
Jefferson City, MO 65101
p: 573.634.3511
