The Legislative Black Caucus is vowing to fight attempts in both the Missouri House and Senate to pass Republican-sponsored workplace discrimination bills. As St. Louis Public Radio's Marshall Griffin tells us, both Senate and House bills would redefine discrimination as a motivating factor in actions taken against an employee:
Currently, discrimination in Missouri is defined as a contributing factor in actions taken against a worker by his or her employer. Steve Webb of St. Louis County chairs the Black Caucus:
“We’re not condoning that people bring frivolous lawsuits, but what we are saying is we’re not going to stand for people not being able to bring a lawsuit if they’re discriminated against.”
The bill’s supporters say it would bring Missouri in line with federal discrimination guidelines and would be more business-friendly. The House version has passed one committee, while the Senate version is being blocked by Democrats.
