Missouri values of safety and respect at work are under attack. The lobbyists for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce have written legislation to reverse nearly 50 years of progress. The Chamber's lobbyists are arguing for corporate welfare for corporations that discriminate, harass and retaliate against its employees. The corporate welfare provides that businesses who intentionally discriminate, harass and retaliate against its employees will never be held fully accountable even if a Missouri judge and jury says they should be fully accountable. In other words, the worst violators are rewarded while good businesses are punished for following the rules.
Moreover, this same legislation eliminates personal accountability for employees who intentionally violate the safety and respect of others at work. This means, a 60 year old sexual predator who harasses a teenage girl will never be held personally accountable by the girl for sexual harassment. Never. This means, a Californian business who doesn't respect our Missouri Christian values will never be held fully accountable for firing an employee because he wanted to spend the Sabbath with family and Church. Never.
Why is the Chamber supporting this? Because the Chamber's sole goal - according to their website - is "to protect and advance Missouri business." This means the Chamber ignores Missouri values when those values conflict with their lobbyists' vision of Missouri. The Chamber desires to legislate more profits for their largest supporters even when the business actively violates Missouri values because, by doing so, the Chamber will be rewarded with more membership dues. Missouri values of safety and respect at work are not in the Chamber's equation.
The Chamber's justification is that by providing this corporate welfare, businesses will create more "jobs" in Missouri. We should never lower our values. However, even if we did, the supporters of this bill cannot identify any jobs that would be created by this bill.
The Chamber also argues that this legislation will prevent so called frivolous lawsuits against good businesses. But, the Chamber won't tell you that good businesses who respect our Missouri values will not benefit from this legislation. Why? Because the focus of this legislation is to limit accountability of the worst violators and excuse personal accountability regardless of how outrageous the conduct.
Further, good businesses are already protected under the law. If an employee files a frivolous lawsuit without foundation against a good business, the good business not only wins the lawsuit but, more importantly, the court has the authority under the statute to order the employee to compensate the good business.
The Chamber's lobbyists also argue that employees, under Senate Bill 188, will have the same rights as under Title VII (federal law). Of course, the Chamber won't reveal that Title VII is, and has always been, the bare minimum standard based on the bare minimum values across our country. As a lifelong Missourian, I'd like to think that our Missouri values are stronger than the values of many other states. Further, in many ways, Senate Bill 188 contains even less rights than the bare minimum Title VII.
We should be proud of our Missouri values and the progress we've made over the last 50 years. Lobbyists and the worst violators of our values should never define Missouri values. Personal and full accountability are Missouri values that should never be eliminated.
Don't take my word for it, do your own research.
Please contact your Missouri representatives and senators and tell them you support full accountability and personal accountability. Please tell them to vote NO on Senate Bill 188. It's almost too late.
