Jefferson City –Governor Jay Nixon (D) has vetoed House Bill 1891, a paycheck deception bill which would require public employees to give annual written consent for union dues to be taken from their paychecks.
In a statement, Nixon said such a law would impose an additional and unnecessary process on public employees such as teachers and mental health caregivers, for the purposes of hindering their Constitutionally-guaranteed right to organize and bargain collectively.
“Making it harder for teachers and mental health workers to exercise their constitutional right to organize is wrong and a waste of taxpayer dollars,” Nixon said. “Lawmakers should be supporting workers instead of attacking their constitutional right to organize for fair wages and safe workplaces.”
First responders like law enforcement and firefighters were left out of the measure.
The Governor also noted that House Bill 1891 goes further than previous “paycheck deception” bills by opening up new avenues for lawsuits against employee associations, including those representing teachers and first responders.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Holly Rehder (R-Sikeston), passed the Senate by a vote of 23-7. The House approved the Senate substitute by a vote of 109-49, both so-called veto-proof majorities.
If the vote counts stand, there is enough support in both chambers to override Nixon’s veto.
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