House sends Second Injury Fund fix to Nixon

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Intro:	Lawmakers in Missouri's Capitol have approved a fix for the state's Second Injury Fund, which owes millions of dollars to injured workers.
RunTime:	0:45
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: The House has given final approval to fix in a bipartisan vote.

The biggest change: workers who contract deadly diseases are taken out of the Second Injury Fund and puts them in the state's workers' compensation system. A seperate fund would be set up for people who get diseases from asbestos exposure.

Asbestos victims would be able to get up to $500,000 from the system. But some lawmakers said that wasn't good enough. House Democratic Leader Jake Hummel of St. Louis says juries should decide how much victims get, not lawmakers.

Actuality:	SB1HUM.WAV
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Description: "I will not support any bill that puts a price on someone's life when they've worked all their lives and been slowly poisoned."

The Second Injury bill now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Wes Duplantier. Newsradio 1120. KMOX.

Intro:	Lawmakers in Missouri's Capitol have approved a fix for the state's Second Injury Fund, which owes millions of dollars to injured workers.
RunTime:	0:49
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: The House has given final approval to fix in a bipartisan vote.

The Second Injury Fund currently owes more than $32 million to injured workers. And those workers have sued to get their money. At least one court has said taxpayers or the state's business could have to pick up that tab if the fund isn't fixed.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been one of the most vocal backers of a Second Injury Fund fix. The group's President and CEO, Dan Mehan, says the bill passed by lawmakers should help get money to the workers.

Actuality:	SB1MEHAN.WAV
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Description: "This sends a clear message to the Supreme Court that that legislature took action and there is no need for draconian decisions to be made to take care of the fund."

The Second Injury bill now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Wes Duplantier. Newsradio 1120. KMOX.

Intro:	Lawmakers in Missouri's Capitol have approved a fix for the state's Second Injury Fund, which owes millions of dollars to injured workers.
RunTime:	0:44
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: The House has given final approval to fix in a bipartisan vote.

The legislation would start to pay down the $32 million that is currently owed to injured workers. And most employees who contract diseases while at work would be covered by the state's workers compensation system.

Republican House Speaker Tim Jones, of St. Louis County, says the Second Injury Fund bill is one of the legislature's "crowning successes" for the year. He says lawmakers worked hard to find a solution.

Actuality:	SB1JONES.WAV
Run Time:	00:09
Description: "We haven't run from it. We've embraced it. We've said, 'Something has to be done.' And we tried. And it's been a heavy, heavy lift."

The Second Injury bill now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Wes Duplantier. Newsradio 1120. KMOX.

Intro:	Lawmakers in Missouri's Capitol have approved a fix for the state's Second Injury Fund, which owes millions of dollars to injured workers.
RunTime:	0:48
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: The House has given final approval to fix in a bipartisan vote.

Asbestos victims would be able to get up to $500,000 from the system. But some lawmakers said that wasn't good enough. House Democratic Leader Jake Hummel of St. Louis says asbestos manufacturers knew their product was posionous but hoped to pass the costs off to other businesses instead of fixing the problem.

Actuality:	SB1HUM2.WAV
Run Time:	00:05
Description: "They didn't care. So they let their employees die for their profits."

The Second Injury bill now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Wes Duplantier. Newsradio 1120. KMOX.