Missouri Supreme Court Declares HB1413 Unconstitutional

Today the Missouri Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision, declaring HB1413 unconstitutional.

HB1413 enacted a complete change in Missouri public-sector labor relations for some classes of employees. The legislation affected how certain employees selected their representatives, restricted the scope and conduct of collective bargaining, restricted free speech and created broad and unevenly applied reporting requirements. 

“We believe the Missouri Supreme Court came to the correct conclusion in affirming the circuit court’s decision and ultimately declaring HB1413 void in its entirety,” said MSTA Executive Director Bruce Moe. “This decision will return employee and employer relationships to the stability that existed before this harmful bill was passed.” 

Collective bargaining for public-sector employees will revert to the rules in place prior to the passage of HB 1413. For certified teachers, that means, each school district must have policies in place to allow employees to exercise their constitutional right to bargain collectively through a representative of their own choosing. These policies must not infringe upon public employees’ right to freedom of speech and association. Further, the onerous filing and reporting requirements, set out in the statute will no longer be required.