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Paycheck moves through House in close vote, nullification bill gets approval

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Before advancing a bill nullifying federal gun regulations, the Missouri House passed, by a single vote, a bill dubbed “paycheck protection” by supporters that detractors say is politically motivated union busting.

HB1617, sponsored by Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, would — if approved by voters on the 2014 ballot — require public employee union members to annually authorize their unions to spend their voluntary contributions on political activity. Under current law, union members may choose to opt-in or opt-out of contributing to a union’s political fund. The new legislation would require members to re-authorization of member’s contributions annually.

Rep. Holly Rehder
Rep. Holly Rehder

House leadership needed 82 votes and managed to wrangle 83 despite some yes votes from earlier this week not being present. The close vote shows just how contentious labor issues have become within the Republican Party as leadership continues to struggle to move Right-to-Work legislation through the body. Although the final approval of the bill gives credit to more rumors that the House will look to pass RTW next week.

Opponents to Republican-backed labor laws see the close vote on HB1617 as a promising sign for RTW legislation. So-called paycheck protection bills typically earn more votes than RTW. Proponents say it’s a sign that the state is moving toward embracing RTW legislation. But with promised vetoes coming from Gov. Jay Nixon, ballot measures remain the final avenue as all eyes will turn toward the senate.

The House also gave final approval to a gun nullification bill which would nullify most federal gun regulations in the state of Missouri and open up state or federal law enforcement officers enforcing such regulations to civil prosecution.

Rep. Funderburk
Rep. Funderburk

Bill sponsor Rep. Doug Funderburk, R-St. Peters, says the bill is to “stand in the gap” against an overreaching federal government.

“By their own admission [the federal government] is coming for our guns,” Funderburk said. “They’ve got a plan, and when they enter into a UN agreement and come for our guns, we can stop that, we can stand in the gap and stop something that our founders would never have imagined.”

Democrats chided the bill as a waste of time as courts have knocked down similar nullification legislation across the country in the past. With an almost certain veto coming from Nixon, the bill’s fate will likely be decided during a veto session later this summer. Last year a more broad measure failed to override Nixon’s veto when two members of Republican leadership in the Senate voted against the measure.