This Week: Speaker Pro Tem Denny Hoskins

As we reported to you yesterday, when it happened, the State House voted 91-64 to send a “Right to Work” bill to the Senate. Opponents say the effort is a politically motivated attack on unions and will weaken the middle class and lower wages for workers.

Our guest for “This Week” is House Speaker Pro Tem Denny Hoskins. He starts our conversation telling us why he thinks Right to Work is good for our state.

Transcript of interview:

Hoskins: I believe that our workers here in Missouri should have the right to choose whether they join a union or not. The “Right to Work” bill would provide them that option. You know, currently states around Missouri are “Right to Work” states except for Missouri and the State of Illinois. I believe it’s a choice that each worker should have here in the State of Missouri.

Parker: And you understand the opposition. On the way to work i saw a bumper sticker that said “right to work is right to starve”. People are very passionate about this.

Hoskins: Yes, I know there are people that are passionate on both sides of the issue. And you know, I’ve met with some of those union folks that are definitely against “Right to Work” and prefer being a union or close-shop state. And you know, we just simply disagree. I think for in order for Missouri to move forward we need to help our small businesses, help our big businesses, and one way we see that economic growth in other surrounding states has been in those “Right to Work” states. And I support “Right to Work” and I believe that’s where we need to go on this issue.

Parker: Now, it’s on its way to the Senate, do you anticipate trouble there?

Hoskins: You know, who knows what’s going to happen in the Senate. The Senate is able to filibuster and so I’m sure that if this were to be brought up on the senate floor that they would filibuster this issue. But you know, we can control what we can hear in the house and it remains to be seen what they’re going to do on this issue in the Senate.

Parker: “Get Off My Back”, tell me about that.

Hoskins: Yes, yes.

Parker: House Bill 32.

Hoskins: Yes, House Bill 32 is my bill. It’s called the “Big Government Get Off My Back Act” and I passed that I believe five years ago. And what it says is, no new rules or regulations on small businesses. Now, I brought it up again because it does have a sunset of five years, and so it sunset April 28 of 2014 and I’m trying to extend that sunset, or that expiration date. The other things that the “Big Government Get of My Back Act” did is it said, it provided a 10 thousand dollar deduction for small businesses, and those are identified as businesses with 50 employees or less, and give a 10 thousand dollar donation for every new employee that they hire and pay at least the average county wage. Now that tax deduction goes up to 20 thousand dollars tax deduction if they also pay at least 50 percent of their premiums, health insurance premiums for that employee. You know, currently in 2013 there were approximately 200 businesses that were able to take and utilize this program, providing 200 plus jobs here in the State of Missouri.

Parker: Now, Representative Jeremy Lafaver, Democrat, was on this program and said he wants all daycares to be licensed in the state.

Hoskins: Yes.

Parker: Do you think that’s an unreasonable request?

Hoskins: You know, I’d have to look at Representative Lafaver’s proposal and see exactly what he wants to license and some of the parameters as far as licensure of daycare centers. You know, I know there are some things that they have to meet already. You know, my own kids when they were that young went to a daycare they were evaluated and inspected by different organizations. So I’d like to see the substance of Representative Lafaver’s bill probably before I talk too much about it and formed a…

Parker: Sure. How about transportation? We have a lot of work to do on our highways in Missouri and in Mid-Missouri. Of course the I-70 Corridor is talked about a lot. Do you think we’ll go to tolls?

Hoskins: You know, toll roads I’ve surveyed, whether it’s been toll roads or sales tax or gasoline tax, many of my constituents around the Warrensburg area and there’s not a favorite among any of the three. You know, voters defeated a sales tax proposal that was on the last August ballot to raise sales tax in order to procure more funding for our roads. You know toll roads, many people think that if we put a toll road on I-70 that would fund the roads for the entire state of Missouri. That is simply incorrect. If a toll road was to go on I-70 it would basically be enough funding to fund improvements for I-70 and I-70 only. You know, so whether we take a look at all three of those options or a combination of those options. I’ve had some people say gas tax, just make the gas tax increase because people that are driving are using gasoline and using the roads. Well that’s not necessarily true anymore with electric cars. Kansas City Power and Light just put in over a thousand electric car chargers throughout the Missouri and Kansas area, so those people that are utilizing electric cars are not buying gas and therefore wouldn’t be contributing any funds toward roads.

Parker: Mr. Speaker Pro Tem, thank you very much for joining us.

Hoskins: Yes, thank you.