Highlights: GOP: On strike? No food stamps for your children; NH House GOP move to end collective bargaining; Ohio House moving forward on Voter ID Bill; Groups turning out to support Kasich voucher program; Teachers, schools, speak out against SB 5 in Ohio; Florida could move on union worker “gag bill”, and might be considering “Emergency Mangers” type legislation; in Maine, NO to union murals; Aid for unemployed cut in Michigan; Indiana Dems nearing end to standoff, or is this just the beginning?

All Around

Buried Provision In House GOP Bill Would Cut Off Food Stamps To Entire Families If One Member Strikes a group of House Republicans is launching a new stealth attack against union workers. GOP Reps. Jim Jordan (OH), Tim Scott (SC), Scott Garrett (NJ), Dan Burton (IN), and Louie Gohmert (TX) have introduced H.R. 1135, which states that it is designed to “provide information on total spending on means-tested welfare programs, to provide additional work requirements, and to provide an overall spending limit on means-tested welfare programs.”

Wording Matters When Polling On Collective Bargaining
National Journal (blog)
As in Wisconsin, Ohio Republicans have sought to restrict collective bargaining among public employees -- an attempt, Republicans say, to close a significant budget shortfall. Quinnipiac smartly uses a split sample to test Ohio voters' opinions on the

Wisconsin

Dane County DA fires back at attorney general over budget bill appeal

If the attorney general's office had its way, no court could overturn a law even if everyone agrees that the state legislature violated every requirement of the states open meetings law, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne wrote Tuesday.

WI: Emails show steps considered to punish Dems who fled state
Everything from taking away computers to denying a year of service in the state retirement system was considered to punish the 14 Wisconsin Senate Democrats who fled to Illinois for three weeks to block passage of a bill taking away union bargaining rights, newly released emails show.

GOP looked for ways to punish Wisconsin Democrats | Capitol Hill Blue
By The Associated Press
Scott Walker's bill that took away all collective bargaining rights, except over salary, for Wisconsin's public employees. Their departure helped fuel protests in opposition to the bill that grew to more than 75000 people

Ohio

Local teachers, schools, cities speak out against Senate Bill 5
Plain Dealer
Senate Bill 5, if passed, would drastically reduce collective-bargaining rights for Ohio's public workers. Employees would not be able to strike, salaries would be based on merit and seniority would no longer determine who is laid off

Ohio House has been working to revitalize state's economy
Chillicothe Gazette
Senate legislation on collective bargaining has been the talk of the town -- and the state, for that matter. But I also want bring to your attention a number of ways that the Ohio House of Representatives recently has been working to revitalize our

Ohio House moving fast on voter photo-ID bill

Voters would be required to show photo identification at the polls under a bill moving rapidly in the Ohio House despite opposition from Democrats and groups such as AARP Ohio.

School-choice options advocated at rally

Tomika Coleman says she's running out of time to get her sixth-grade son into a better school.

Ohioans rally to cheer Kasich's voucher plan

Some 1,100 Ohioans swarmed the grounds of the Statehouse Tuesday to demonstrate support for Gov. John Kasich's plan to quadruple the number of school vouchers, even as overall aid for public schools is cut.

Indiana

'Chance meeting' might end legislative standoff | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

www.indystar.com

House Republican and Democratic leaders met behind closed doors Wednesday in the most positive sign yet that the monthlong standoff may be nearing an end.

On the run, Democrats bring Indiana Statehouse to a standstill
Muncie Star Press
In December, Daniels said no one campaigned in November's election on the controversial "right-to-work" issue, which bars a company and union from negotiating a contract that requires non-union members to pay dues for representation

Local rally shows support for absent Democrats and has Reps. GiaQuinta, Moses ...
News Sentinel
During that time, negotiations have taken place to see whether a compromise with Republicans is possible on some of those issues, including right-to-work and collective bargaining legislation. But if some of those Democratic lawmakers wondered whether

Boycott reaches 30 days for Ind. House Democrats
BusinessWeek
Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City. The impasse was first sparked by a so-called "right-to-work" bill that Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels had warned could derail other proposals, but that bill is now dead. The National Right to Work Committee and its Indiana

Indiana Republican Leaders to Force Democrats to Come Back Home
Daily Political
National Right to Work Committee stated that House Speaker Brian and Bosma Governor Mitch Daniels should force the 39 Democrats to return by imposing a $10000 fine for every day they are absent from session. The Republican leaders promised the

Michigan

MI: Michigan lawmakers cut unemployment aid for future applicants
The state Legislature beat a deadline to make Michigan workers eligible for a federal unemployment extension Thursday -- but included a reduction in state-level benefits for future jobless workers.

Pennsylvania

Corbett- Expanded Medicaid too costly for Pa.

Gov. Tom Corbett says the Medicaid expansion under the year-old federal health care law will be unaffordable for Pennsylvania, and he's urging the courts to help states settle the matter.

New Hampshire

NH unions upset by bill to end union bargaining
Boston Globe
CONCORD, NH—New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch and state union leaders say a proposal contained in the state budget would effectively end collective bargaining for public employees in the state. The provision passed Tuesday night by the

NH Unions: Attack on Collective Bargaining Rights, Attack on Middle Class
Public News Service
Union workers in New Hampshire are saying the state is no better than Wisconsin when it comes to politicians trying to put the squeeze on workers and the middle class. Many teachers, police, firefighters and other public employees are speaking out

Is NH becoming the next Wisconsin?
Examiner.com
And the House has passed “right to work” legislation that lets employees decide whether they want to a labor union, even if the job is covered by a collective bargaining agreement. HB 474 is opposed by Lynch and he's likely to veto it if it passes the

Florida

Is Florida About to Establish a Thinly Veiled Union-Busting Taskforce Like Michigan Did? it appears the law made a real mark on other anti-worker Governors, because Rick Scott’s Florida appears to have similar legislation moving through its judicial halls today. From the Florida Senate website…

Union Worker "Gag Bill" Could Come to House Floor
Public News Service
To Rich Templin, Florida AFL-CIO legislative director, the bill appears more like a political tactic meant to weaken unions, especially when he considers that Florida is a "right to work" state. "Every person in the state of Florida that is a union

Maine

Mural of Maine's Workers Becomes Political Target
New York Times
He is pushing for a higher retirement age for public employees and for “right-to-work” legislation that would allow union members to stop paying dues or fees. His order to remove the mural has faced criticism. Don Berry, president of the Maine State

Maine gov orders labor mural to be painted over
Politico
By JENNIFER EPSTEIN | 3/24/11 7:20 AM EDT While other Republican governors have battled with organized labor over collective bargaining rights and benefit contributions, Maine's governor has set his sights on a 36-foot-wide mural of the state's labor

New Jersey

NJ: Gov. Christie- It's time to consolidate police
BLACKWOOD, N.J. — Gov. Chris Christie and state Senate President Stephen Sweeney gave a closed-door talk to mayors and other officials in Camden County on Wednesday, encouraging them to become the first county in the state to implement big-scale consolidations of police and fire departments.