Update on HB242 Hearing

For the the background of HB242, see the post below.

Suffice it to say HB242 did not do well at the hearing this morning. While the MTCIA did not take a public position on the bill for the reasons previously discussed, plenty of others did, and it wasn’t favorable. The opponents greatly outnumbered the proponents.

The primary complaint is that for many (most?) employers, the current law works, and this proposed change would create a lot of unknowns and potentially get employees in trouble who have not consumed any controlled substances. Several unions including the firefighters and the pipefitters had issues. One example of complications for employees would be firefighters exposed to hazards such as meth houses, who might then test positive just for being around controlled substances in the course of their work.

The word among those present, including at least one career lobbyist, is that the bill most likely died today.