BARGAINING, ROAD MONEY TOP ISSUES AT FORUM

Transportation issues and Gov. Bob Holden's recent executive order granting state employees the right to use collective bargaining headlined discussions at the Missouri Chamber of Commerce's 2001 Legislative Planning Forum Monday morning.

The forum, held at the Show Me Center, was the first in a series of meetings to be conducted throughout the state this week to determine the most challenging issues facing Missouri employers. Other forums were scheduled at Dexter, Mo., and West Plains, Mo., Monday.

"This is the first year for the special forum," said Kelly Gillespie, vice president of governmental affairs for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, one of two state chamber representatives at the Monday session. "We want to make sure the voice of the state's employers are heard."

It didn't take long to determine the major interests from the Cape Girardeau and Jackson areas -- transportation and the governor's recent order on employee bargaining.

The state chamber, Gillespie said, will challenge Holden's executive order decision, and will urge that funds from the Highways and Transportation Fund be used solely for highway and road construction.

Currently, a number of these dollars are sent to other departments and not used for road construction, noted Gillespie.

Transportation was a big item on the recent legislative session, said Gillespie. "Transportation received more serious effort and discussion than it has in almost a decade," said Gillespie.

At the end, a consensus was not reached on the level of funding needed, and from where that funding should come -- Missouri taxpayers or the existing budget.

"It's evident that transportation will probably be debated again," said Gillespie.

Against diversion

An important thing is to see that any transportation funds voted on be used for MoDOT, agreed Gillespie and Ray McCarty, director of fiscal affairs for the state chamber. "Transportation funds should not be diverted to other uses."

A number of transportation bills were discussed during the past session," said McCarty, who discussed the state budget briefly.

"We really felt that with an increase of the state budget, from $16 billion to $19 billion, that some additional funding could have been designated to transportation," said McCarty.

The executive order giving state employees the power to bargain for contracts through unions, "should make people uneasy," said Gillespie. "The issue of collective bargaining for public employees has argued in the state legislature a number of times, without success."

The governor's use of an executive order has prompted some questions as to what he will do with the order next.

Discussion of the state budget dominated the recent legislative session, noted McCarty.

Although many state departments and agencies had been directed to cut their budgets, the new state budget eventually totaled $19.2 billion, an increase of $2.9 billion, or 17 percent over the FY2001 budget.

The FY2002 budget represents the largest increase in appropriations in state history. The budget more than doubled during the decade from $7.2 billion in 1990 to $16 billion in 2000.