Government deduction bills passed after tense committee hearing

Intro:	A House committee passed two government deduction bills after a recess during a tense hearing
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Wrap: The tension between St. Louis County Democrat Bob Burns and Pineville Republican Bill Lant, the chairman of the House Workforce Standards and Development Committee, resulted in a five minute recess at the beginning of the hearing.

Before the recess Burns asked Republican bill sponsor Holly Rehder if workers in right to work states were paid less.

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Description: "I don't know that there's states that have passed right to work that a labor person's wages have gone down. [laughter] Well we had people testify last week that that's absolutely happened to us."

The bills would prohibit public employees from being forced to pay dues to a labor union.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Jill Ornitz.

Intro:	An opponent of government deduction legislation testified in front of a House committee that these bills would make it impossible for state employees to have their voice be heard.
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Wrap: St. Louis area social worker Bradley Harmon told the House Workforce Standards and Development Committee that bills that would prohibit government employees being forced to pay union dues would silence state employees' voices in politics.

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Description: "You guys start meeting a couple weeks after January 1, don't you? Isn't that when you start debating our budget? Isn't that when you start making decisions about what the size of our caseloads will be and how many employees we will have to investigate claims of child abuse?"

Harmon told the committee yearly sign ups for union membership would not give his union enough time to organize before the start of legislative sessions.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Jill Ornitz.

Intro:	A St. Louis social worker and union president told a House committee that proposed government deduction legislation unfairly silences state employees
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Wrap: The bills would ban public employees being forced to pay union dues to stop involuntary deductions being taken from workers' pay. But St. Louis area social worker Bradley Harmon does not see it that way.

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Description: "There's no reason why out of all different deductions I could have, this one deduction is one that I should have to choose to make every year, unless you don't like state employees being able to have a voice in the political process."

The bills would require yearly sign ups for union membership. Harmon said that would make it impossible for his union to organize.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Jill Ornitz.