Judge to decide on suit's standing within 30 days

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A judge says he will rule within 30 days on Gov. Bob Holden's request to throw out a lawsuit challenging his executive order on collective bargaining.

Cole County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Brown met briefly Thursday with lawyers representing Holden and the plaintiffs before deciding to take the case under advisement.

The lawsuit filed in September claims the executive order circumvented the Legislature and deprived state workers of civil rights. It seeks to repeal the order and prohibit its enforcement.

Holden, represented by Attorney General Jay Nixon's office, has argued that he had the legal right to sign the order without legislative approval.

Lawyers for those challenging the June 29 order have argued that a controversy exists that should be decided by a court.

Plaintiffs include Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau; Rep. Charles Quincy Troupe, D-St. Louis; the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Missouri; and six state employees from various agencies.

"I'm confident that we'll survive the motion to dismiss," Kinder said after learning of Brown's action.

The governor's office had no immediate comment.

The order grants collective bargaining rights, including the use of binding arbitration on some matters, to as many as 30,000 of the 65,000 state workers.