Monday, Gov. Eric Greitens signed one of the most significant bills in Missouri history into law when he put his signature on Sen. Dan Brown’s SB 19, the right-to-work bill. Greitens and most of the Republican supermajority have long tried to get such a measure into statute, but former Gov. Jay Nixon always vetoed the measure and the majority could never quite muster the two-thirds vote needed in both chambers to override that veto.
Now, unions and union shops cannot compel an employee to pay dues.
Greitens made only brief remarks on the bill and did not take questions from reporters on the bill set to completely change how organized labor operates in the state.
“Today represents a great victory for the people of Missouri and especially those families who are looking for jobs,” Greitens said in Jefferson City. “Passing right-to-work sends a very clear message: that the people of Missouri are ready to work, and Missouri is open for business.”
Greitens signs right-to-work bill into law, marking turning point for Missouri organized labor
Greitens had a relatively laid back week after signing his first bill as governor. Thursday, he tapped Dr. Randall Williams to become the new head of the Department of Health and Senior Services. Williams is an obstetrician/gynecologist who last served as the state health director in North Carolina.
However, Williams comes with some significant baggage as he faced a major inquiry into his role scaling back a “do-not-drink” order for well water contaminated with coal ash.
The governor also held a workout with firefighters in St. Louis just a day before the House passed a paycheck protection bill that did not exempt first responders’ unions like last year’s version of the bill did. Greitens is perhaps most outspoken when it comes to supporting police officers and fire fighters, which has prompted questions of whether or not Greitens will sign such a piece of legislation.
Finally, for an administration that campaigned on the promise of transforming the ethics and culture of Jefferson City, it certainly appears to want to do so with little transparency. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Kurt Erickson found a newly installed lock on the door to Greitens’ press office.
No longer can a reporter freely enter @EricGreitens press office to talk with his spokesman #transparency pic.twitter.com/5RUVPzmi3d
— KurtEricksonPD (@KurtEricksonPD) February 10, 2017
The Greitens administration has had a frosty relationship with much of the Capitol press corps, and the door lock seems to show it has little intention of thawing any time soon.
