Overview articles

Governors, unions brace for battle

Union membership on the whole continued to fall in 2010, with only 11.9 percent of wage and salary workers across the country belonging to unions…..

Rand Paul kicks Big Labor when it's down
Salon
Earlier this week, he sent out sent out an e-mail asking supporters to sign a petition urging the Senate to hold a vote on the "National Right to Work Act." ...

Pennsylvania

GOP accuses Dems of blocking bills in Pa. House (Project Labor Agreements, States Store Privatization, School Vouchers)

By Tracie Mauriello, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A series of reform bills expected to easily pass the House instead are being blocked by deft maneuvers GOP leaders say were orchestrated by Democratic obstructionists.

Ohio

JobsOhio approved by panel in House

By Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch
Gov. John Kasich's plan to privatize Ohio's economic development efforts cleared another legislative hurdle yesterday despite Democrats' concerns. Read More

5 Ohio public pension funds make offer to cut benefits

By Jim Provance, Toledo Blade
Ohio's five public retirement funds came to lawmakers Wednesday with proposals to raise member contributions and cut benefits in an effort to ensure their long-term viability.

Indiana

Gov: Measure student growth all year long
Gary Post Tribune
The governor also reaffirmed his position that, even though Indiana's lack of a right-to-work law holds the state back, the issue isn't urgent enough to be ...

TORR: Right-to-work freedom would stoke Indiana's economy | 2011 ...
Question: Should right-to-work legislation be considered by the Indiana General Assembly? Answer: With our unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent, ...

The News Dispatch > News > Local > POLITICAL NOTEBOOK
Scott Pelath will be conducting an educational workshop informing the public about the Indiana Right to Work Law in the upcoming legislation. ...

COMMUNITY COMMENT: Right to Work law would boost state ...
A Right to Work law would mean that no Indiana worker could be forced to pay union dues just to get or keep a job. Currently, some 194000 workers in ...

Indiana economy moving in right direction, Indiana researchers say

By Lesley Stedman Weidenbener, The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
Indiana University researchers said Wednesday that the state's "economic winds are finally blowing in the right direction."

New Hampshire

Unions speak out on state pension reform

By Tom Fahey, The Union Leader (Manchester)
Unions offered a series of concessions Thursday as the Legislature takes up reforming the state's troubled pension plan.

Pension overhaul in works

By Shira Schoenberg, Concord Monitor
Firefighters, teachers, school boards and government administrators agree that the New Hampshire Retirement System must be reformed to make employee pensions affordable and sustainable. The $3.7 billion question is: Who is going to pay for it?

Missouri

Labor Tribune
“He said there were more jobs created in right-to-work states than in Missouri and other states in the last 10 years. But the jobs created for the most part ...

Crowell bill would make Missouri right-to-work state
Cape Girardeau Sen. Jason Crowell wants to let voters decide whether to make Missouri a "right to work" state.

Michigan

Michigan teacher tenure reform back on the table

By Peter Luke, mlive.com
The Michigan Education Association managed to block House consideration of a teacher tenure change measure in last year's lame duck session when Democrats controlled the chamber. Read More

Outsourcing services wrong move for state, cities, schools

By State Sen. Bert Johnson, Detroit Free Press
As state and municipal budgets continue to contract, elected leaders from the Governor's office and the state Legislature to city councils and school boards must be ever more vigilant in finding ways to balance their respective budgets.

Minnesota

Teacher licensing plan moves through Minn. House

By Chris Williams, The Associated Press, Brainerd Daily Dispatch
Less than a week after U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan scolded Minnesota for not having more ways for talented people to become teachers, a state House committee approved a bill aiming to do just that. Read More

Minn. House passes 1st wave of budget cuts

By Brian Bakst, The Associated Press, Brainerd Daily Dispatch
The Minnesota House ignored Gov. Mark Dayton's objections and approved $1 billion in state budget cuts Thursday that would affect aid payments for local governments, colleges and community health programs.

1st big vote on 1st wave of Minn. budget cuts

By The Associated Press, Brainerd Daily Dispatch
The Republican-led House is taking its first big vote of the year with a bill biting $1 billion off a state budget problem six times as large

Virginia

Dems propose supports for small business
Daily Press
Senate Republicans separately said they want to focus on adding Virginia's right-to-work law to the state constitution and requiring secret votes, ...

'Right to work' measure one more step away from workers ...
For some state legislators, it's not enough that the commonwealth ranks among the most business-friendly states in the country.