JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—Republicans in the Missouri legislature are pushing two measures intended to
undermine the Proposition A ballot initiative to repeal the state’s 2017 ban on union shops. The state Senate passed a resolution May 11 that would move the vote on the union-backed initiative from November to August—when turnout would likely be lower—and the House voted to put an amendment to the state constitution to outlaw union shops on the November ballot. Both measures would have to be passed by the other house before the session ends May 18. The rush to pass them began May 6, after an initiative to sustain the union-shop ban failed to get enough petition signatures to make the ballot. Gov. Eric Greitens, now facing felony sexual-blackmail charges, financed that campaign through his political-action committee. “These are desperate moves by a panicked group of special interests who think that they have to cheat to win,” Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh (D-Bellefontaine Neighbors), president of the Missouri State Building & Construction Trades Council, told the MissouriNet radio network. “Thankfully, I know that the working men and women in the state won’t be bullied. They’ll show up in August or November, or both.” Read more
