Rescinding the order

Matt Blunt's victory in this year's race for Missouri governor could have an enormous impact on future legislation and policies, because it will be the first time in decades that both chambers of the General Assembly and the governor's office are occupied by Republicans.

Blunt intends to take swift action to undo an executive order issued by the current governor, Bob Holden, shortly after he took office in 2001, when Democrats still controlled the General Assembly. That order granted collective-bargaining rights to state employees under the governor's direct control, or about two-thirds of the 60,000 state workers.

That order was controversial not only for its acknowledgment of the union support Holden received during his campaign, but also because it went against the grain of years of legislative opposition -- from Democratic leaders as well as Republicans.

Perhaps the most controversial part of the executive order was giving unions the authority to collect service fees from state employees who did not wish to join a union representing their co-workers. Those fees were never implemented, however, because the secretary of state refused to publish a needed administrative regulation. That issue is before the courts now. That secretary of state, of course, was Matt Blunt.

Blunt's decision to rescind Holden's executive order leaves unions where they were four years ago: trying to persuade the legislature that state employees should have collective-bargaining rights. If that task was unachievable when Democrats were in control, it is even much less likely as long as Republicans are calling the shots.