OOIDA Call to Action - Missouri Members
February 4, 2005

Dear Missouri Trucker,

There is some rotten stuff going on in Jefferson City - and it affects you!

Lawmakers are hard at work drafting legislation to overhaul the state's workers' compensation program. One of the changes now included in SB1 would expand the definition of owner-operators who are currently exempt from the state's work comp laws to include drivers (with no ownership interest in equipment) that work under leases.

This change would open the door to leasing scams of every kind designed specifically to avoid compliance with the state's work comp laws.

This change would not be good for owner-operators or drivers!

And to add outrage on top of insult, also included in the provisions of SB1 is a provision that this legislation will be "remedial and curative." To cut to the chase, this provision means that past violations are forgiven and wiped out.

Pushing for this change in the law is a single, large carrier from southwest Missouri who has been in violation of these Missouri laws for years. He wants the change now because the justice system and the courts are just about to catch up with him for past violations.

This bill will reach the floor of the Senate for a full vote on Monday, February 7.

Please call your senator today. Tell him/her the state's current laws for owner-operator truckers and work comp works just fine. Don't change a thing and do not pass language designed to interfere with an ongoing lawsuit over violations of Missouri work comp statutes.

You can find the name of your senator here: http://www.senate.mo.gov/04info/leg_lookup.htm

Senator	Capitol Phone
Matt Bartle	(573) 751-1464
Joan Bray	(573) 751-2514
Victor Callahan	(573) 751-3074
John Cauthorn	(573) 751-6858
Norma Champion	(573) 751-2583
Dan Clemens	(573) 751-4008
Maida Coleman	(573) 751-2606
Jason Crowell	(573) 751-2459
Rita Heard Days	(573) 751-4106
Jon Dolan	(573) 751-4964
Pat Dougherty	(573) 751-3599
Kevin Engler	(573) 751-3455
Michael Gibbons	(573) 751-2853
Chuck Graham	(573) 751-2162
Tim Green	(573) 751-2420
John Griesheimer	(573) 751-3678
Chuck Gross	(573) 751-8635
Harry Kennedy	(573) 751-2126
David Klindt	(573) 751-1415
Chris Koster	(573) 751-1430
John Loudon	(573) 751-9763
Rob Mayer	(573) 751-3859
Gary Nodler	(573) 751-2306
Chuck Purgason	(573) 751-1882
Luann Ridgeway	(573) 751-2547
Delbert Scott	(573) 751-8793
Charlie Shields	(573) 751-9476
Bill Stouffer	(573) 751-1507
Larry Gene Taylor	(573) 751-9806
Carl Vogel	(573) 751-2076
Charles Wheeler	(573) 751-2788
Yvonne Wilson	(573) 751-9758
District 16 - Vacant	(573) 751-4068
District 22 - Vacant	(573) 751-1492