Governor Vetoes Missouri|Right-to-Work Law

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (CN) - As promised, Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed Missouri's new right-to-work bill Thursday.

Nixon, a Democrat, cited lower wages, labor rights, government interference in business and business exposure to criminal and civil penalties for noncompliance as the main reasons.

"For generations, the ability of workers to join together and bargain collectively for fair wages and benefits has formed the foundation of the American middle-class," Nixon said in a statement. "This extreme measure would take our state backward, squeeze the middle class, lower wages for Missouri families, and subject businesses to criminal and unlimited civil liability."

Missouri's Republican-dominated Legislature overwhelmingly passed the measure in May, which would make Missouri the 26th right-to-work state in the country.

Lawmakers could try to override the veto in a September session, though neither chamber appears to have enough votes.

The House approved it 92-66 - 17 votes shy of the two-thirds needed for a veto - and the Senate was two votes shy of veto level after passing it 21-13.

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