Associated Industries of Missouri supported all of these pieces of legislation during the 2015 regular legislative session and advocated for approval of these bills over Governor Nixon’s veto. We were successful in overriding all but one veto! Unless there is a delayed effective date contained in the bill, these bills will be effective 30 days after the vote to override was taken: October 16, 2015.
HB 116 “Right to Work” – VETO OVERRIDE FAILED IN HOUSE BY VOTE OF 96-63
This bill says that an employee must not be denied employment because they do not join a union or pay union dues. Missouri needs a “Right to Work” law to be able to compete for businesses that prefer to locate or expand in states that have such a law. The law would have ensured that unions provide services to their members that justify the dues the members are paying. AIM supported this bill.
HB 150 Unemployment Compensation – VETO OVERRIDE SUCCESSFUL IN HOUSE & SENATE
Associated Industries of Missouri supported this bill. The bill reduces the number of weeks of unemployment benefits when the unemployment rate is low and prohibits a former employee with a severance package from collecting unemployment while receiving the severance pay. Even New York has modernized their law to prohibit payment of unemployment benefits while a former employee is collecting severance pay. The House voted to override the governor’s veto during the regular legislative session. There is no time limit on the vote in the Senate to also override the governor’s veto. Although a constitutional objection was filed by Senator Scott Sifton, the vote to override Nixon’s veto was successful.
HB 722 State pre-emption of local laws – VETO OVERRIDE SUCCESSFUL IN HOUSE & SENATE
We supported this bill that clarifies the supremacy of state law in the area of employment law (including minimum wage) and prohibits ordinances that ban the use of plastic bags at retail establishments. State law already establishes a statewide minimum wage, allowing employers to pay the state minimum wage and no local government may override this statute. Recent efforts to increase the minimum wage that must be paid by private sector employers conflict with the existing prohibition against such ordinances and such ordinances are illegal. AIM has joined many other business groups in a lawsuit challenging the St. Louis City minimum wage ordinance.
HB 1022 Return of premiums to insureds by insurance company– VETO OVERRIDE SUCCESSFUL IN HOUSE & SENATE
Currently, some insurance companies allow a return of premiums to people and businesses that do not file claims against their policy. This bill simply allows the insurance company to reward those people and businesses by returning a portion of the premium they have paid.
SB 20 Commercial laundry sales and use tax exemption– VETO OVERRIDE SUCCESSFUL IN HOUSE & SENATE
The Missouri Supreme Court issued a recent decision stating that commercial laundry operations were not the same as manufacturing and not entitled to the same sales and use tax exemptions as manufacturers. We disagree with this decision. This bill allows commercial laundries the same sales and use tax exemption that is allowed for manufacturers.
SB 142 Missouri Department of Natural Resources – Implementation Impact Reports– VETO OVERRIDE SUCCESSFUL IN HOUSE & SENATE
The bill requires the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to prepare and submit implementation impact reports prior to submitting a State Implementation Plan of an EPA regulation to the EPA.
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