Mo. Senator delays vote on workplace discrimination law

A Missouri senator is again delaying a vote on legislation to change the state's workplace discrimination laws.

The measure would require workers who fight firings or other adverse decisions to prove in court that discrimination was a "motivating factor"- not simply a contributing factor - in the employer's action. It would also tie the maximum amount of punitive damages in such cases to the size of an employer.

Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, a St. Louis County Democrat, said Wednesday that she intends to speak on the Senate floor for hours to block a vote on the bill. She said the proposal would roll back decades of progress for women and minorities.

Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed similar legislation last year.