Stephen Webber

During a Workforce Development Committee hearing today, Chairman Barney Fisher (R-Richards) took democracy into his own hands. The committee was getting ready to vote on Senate Bill 188, legislation sponsored by Sen. Brad Lager that would eliminate individual liability in employment discrimination cases and put limits on the amount of damages the employee is able to collect.

Rep. Stephen Webber (D-Columbia) offered an amendment to change commas to semicolons in one section to clarify that the caps on damages only applied to categories other than lost wages. After the explanation of the amendment, Fisher called for a voice vote.  All of the Democrats and some Republicans voted Aye. Only Fisher and Glen Klippenstein (R-Maysville) voted no -- but Fisher called the vote for the noes.

After a moment of stunned silence and gasps from the audience, Webber asked to appeal the call and have a role call vote on the amendment. Fisher looked at him and said succinctly, "No."

Minutes later, after another failed amendment attempt, Fischer voted the bill out without calling for more discussion. Rep. Kevin McManus (D-Kansas City) protested that he too wanted to offer an amendment. Fisher dismissed his request, and told him he would have to wait for floor debate. 

The Planned Parenthood Truth Tour rolled through Missouri this weekend, stopping in Springfield, Columbia and St. Louis before heading on to other destinations.  Designed to counter the lies of anti-women's health extremists and demonstrate the broad support in communities around the country, the Missouri events featured patients, doctors, clergy, nurses, staff, elected leaders and supporters.   Representatives Stephen Webber and Mary Still spoke at this morning's rally in Columbia, Representative Tishaura Jones spoke in St. Louis and Representative Sara Lampe spoke in Springfield. The St. Louis stop also featured Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

For more photos, video and information, check out IStandWithPlannedParenthood.blogspot.com.

I snagged a few photos at the Columbia stop...

Planned Parenthood staff have more from Springfield here and more from Columbia here.

And here are some shaky iPhone vids from Columbia as well...

The Missouri Employee and Human Rights Coalition released an online video today as part of their effort to fight HB205 and SB188, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Elmer (R-Nixa) and Sen. Brad Lager (R-Savannah), respectively. "Our laws against workplace discrimination at work are more than 50 years old, and they have worked for all Missourians," the group writes in an email blast to supporters. "But big businesses want bigger advantages over small businesses, and they want to make employees and families even more vulnerable." 

For more on the proposal to make discrimination more acceptable in Missouri, check out this great op-ed from Rep. Stephen Webber (D-Columbia) published in the Post-Dispatch a few weeks ago.  HB205 has made it through the House committee process, and SB188 is scheduled for a Senate committee hearing tomorrow.

In Missouri, you can lose your job because you're gay and your employer finds that just a little too icky.  Or you can be evicted from your apartment because you're gay.

Crazy, right?

Fortunately, Rep. Stephen Webber (D-Columbia) and Sen. Jolie Justus (D-Kansas City) are once again trying to right this wrong in Missouri law.  Their bills (HB477 and SB239, respectively) would prohibit discrimination based upon a person's sexual orientation.    

This isn't the first time they've tried to set things right, leaving one to wonder why conservative leaders in both chambers are so intent on protecting Missourians' right to discriminate against people because of who they are or who they love.    The good news is that last year's bill went farther than previous efforts, and HB477 is co-sponsored by 48 fellow Representatives.

A statement from Webber released last week about his bill is pasted below the jump. 

Moments ago, Democrats walked out of the House Rules Committee to protest Chairman Michael Parson's ruling to move the House GOP's new(est) stimulus spending to the floor without deliberation by the Budget Committee. Immediately after Parson's gaveled the meeting to order, Rep. Mike Talboy raised a point of order, citing House Rule 25 (10) (a), which reads:

The Committee on Budget.
The Committee on Budget shall have the responsibility of filing all appropriations bills, assigning of those bills to the appropriate appropriations committees and shall report upon all bills recommended to it by the respective appropriation committee and any other bills, measures, or questions referred to it pertaining to the appropriation and disbursement of public money.

The rules of the appropriations process didn't bother Parson, and he promptly ruled against the point of order. Democrats, in turn, chose to leave the committee hearing rather that participate in the "sham process"

The Missouri House Veterans Committee voted 6-5 yesterday against a proposal by Rep. Stephen Webber (D-Columbia) that would pay deployed state employees the difference between their regular pay and their military pay

Committee Chairman David Day (R-Dixon) opposed the bill because it would single out those on active military duty for "special treatment."

I have a real concern with separating out one relatively small segment and saying, "We’re going to give you this special safety net that we’re not going to provide anyone else."

If any segment of the population is undeserving of special treatment, it's those self-absorbed nogoodnicks on active duty. At least they kept the special treatment for deployed politicians intact.