<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 12px; "></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); min-height: 13px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">MATA <b>Opposes</b> HCS HB 320 on employment discrimination and whistleblower retaliation. The current version does not address our primary concerns nor the concerns expressed by the Governor in his veto message on HB 1219 (2012).</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); min-height: 13px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We oppose this bill because, among other reasons, the current version contains the following provisions:</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); min-height: 13px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br></p>
<ul>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><span style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Symbol; letter-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); "></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">requires the discrimination to be the motivating factor in the adverse employment decision</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><span style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Symbol; letter-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); "></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">eliminates the ability to sue the individual bad actor</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><span style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Symbol; letter-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); "></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">caps noneconomic damages at $500,000 or 5 times the amount of economic damages in both MHRA and whistleblower cases</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><span style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Symbol; letter-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); "></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">eliminates punitive damages for political subdivisions</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><span style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Symbol; letter-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); "></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">eliminates attorneys fees in MHRA cases</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><span style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Symbol; letter-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); "></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">eliminates protections for whistleblowers if the act being reported never occurred (no protection for reporting planned acts)</span></li>
</ul><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 11.2px; text-indent: -11.2px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); min-height: 13px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">HCS HB 320 is a step backward in preventing discrimination against employees for religion, race, gender, age, ethnicity, disability or national origin. </span><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px">This does not make Missouri's Human Rights Act mirror the Federal law-- it picks the parts of Federal and State laws that allow for the <b>most</b> discrimination and make them the law of Missouri. </span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; color: rgb(35, 35, 35); min-height: 13px; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br></p><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>HCS HB 320 does not protect whistleblowers</b>. This bill makes it harder for them to protect themselves against the retaliation of the bad actors who employ them. </span><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px">It is a bad idea for Missouri to discourage whistleblowing by reducing the protections they enjoy under the current system.</span></div></div><div><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br></span></div></body></html>