Courtney Allen Curtis is a state representative from Missouri.  He is Chairman of the Special Committee on Urban Issues and the founder of North County Forever, an organization that provides social assistance in underprivileged communities. 

In his speaker biography, Curtis says he entered politics after witnessing a surge of neighborhood violence weeks after his niece was born. 

This makes it all the more upsetting now that he is the target of a vicious attack. 

On January 19, 2016, at an AFL-CIO Legislative Reception in Jefferson City, Missouri, Curtis was verbally and physically assaulted by his former roommate and fellow Missouri state representative, Michael Butler.  When Curtis arrived at the event, Butler greeted him with expletives and a verbal altercation ensued.  Representative Brandon Ellington stepped in to separate the two as the exchange got more heated. 

According to published reports, only half an hour later, as Curtis was leaving, Butler followed him into an alley and proceeded to again initiate an argument, this time getting physical.  Curtis’ ear, lip and temple were all cut and bruised during the attack. 

Six days later, on January 25, 2016, Curtis filed a restraining order on Butler with the Cole County Sheriff’s Office.  He also submitted a complaint letter to the Ethics Committee of the Missouri General Assembly and his office provided the following statement to the Center for Worker Freedom:   

“The previous week’s events were unfortunate, and I wouldn't want any member or citizen to experience them.  As a member of the general assembly I hold myself to a high standard which allows me to advocate vigorously for my community, if I didn't I'd be doing a disservice to my community.  

I feel every member should feel free to advocate for issues that are of importance to their community without fear of retribution from anyone other than at the ballot box.  Physical or verbal intimidation or violence shouldn't be tolerated period, especially from members of the general assembly.  

The general assembly should be held to the highest standards and that's all I ask for, but one has the right to defend themselves when threatened or assaulted and that's what I did.  

The restraining order, ethics complaint and police report were all filed afterwards so that I may protect myself going forward. If you don't report it, it's as though it didn't happen.  This happened and I hope we learn something from it in order to protect citizens going forward, and to improve the state of Missouri.”

So what could cause a state rep to physically assault his fellow legislator? 

Although both Democrats, Curtis cited “intellectual differences” as the reason for Butler’s eruption.  Through his votes, Curtis has made it clear that he believes in right-to-work, which protects workers from being forced to join or financially support a union. 

Last September, Curtis was supportive of HB 116, a bill that would have prohibited mandatory enrollment in labor unions.  The override should have been a success, but a handful of Republicans sided with unions over workers.   

Curtis continued to fight for right-to-work legislation on January 12, 2016, by introducing HB 2170, the Workforce Opportunity Improvement Act.  The Act focuses on expanding right-to-work for public projects.  Under Curtis’ bill, workers who opt-out of union membership would not be required to pay any dues or fees to the union.

A portion of HB 2170 reads:

“This bill prohibits individuals employed in the construction industry, including in the certain trades specified in the bill, from being required to join or refrain from joining a labor organization as a condition or continuation of employment.”

Even though his party does not traditionally support right-to-work, Curtis was brave enough to sponsor legislation he knew was best for workers.  As a Democrat, his party relies on union funding, but Curtis decided to support worker choice over unfair union payouts.

As Republicans in West Virginia prepare to vote on right-to-work in their own state next week, they may want to take a page from Curtis’ book.  Even being assaulted in an alleyway is not enough to stop the fight for worker freedom. 

Curtis braved the approbation of his party and suffered physically for his principles.  For West Virginia Republicans, the stakes aren’t nearly so high, and there are no excuses.  

Click here to view the restraining order Curtis filed and here for the letter to the Ethics Committee of the Missouri General Assembly.