February 23, 2021 - Republican Governor Mike Parson's Department of Labor appointed a prominent anti-business Democrat to serve as an Administrative Law Judge on February 8, 2021. This follows an earlier appointment by Governor Parson of another anti-business Democrat, Mike Colona, to the post of Associate Circuit Judge on October 18, 2019.
The two served in the Missouri House together and regularly worked hard against Associated Industries of Missouri as we worked on tort reform, tax reform, and other business issues. For example, both voted against bills that would have established the federal standard of discrimination in Missouri state courts, a key business issue supported by Associated Industries of Missouri and eventually passed in 2017.
As a state representative, Mitten and Colona were outspoken about their views, often vigorously interrogating AIM lobbyists and others in committee hearings or speaking on the House floor against pro-business issues. In 2018, Mitten scored 10/100 on the AIM Business Vote Ratings chart, following her score of 15/100 for 2015 and 2016 combined.
For more on Colona's appointment, see our previous story HERE.