Highlights: at 9:00am today PA House Republicans introduced a package of 4 separate bills to curb public sector unions, and implement Right to Work – details to come; WI Supreme Court election a referendum on Walker; NH Senate considering Right to Work; Texas House passes bare bones budget; recall effort considered in Maine, as legislature considers legislation to eliminate state house of representatives

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Pennsylvania - Today GOP House members introduced 4 pieces of legislation that will implement Right to Work, and curb collective bargaining rights for public employees. The legislators in the press conference said that the language of the legislation is exactly the same as the bills they introduced and failed to move forward in 2009. See details at GOP Rep Metcalfe’s homepage here http://www.repmetcalfe.com/NewsItem.aspx?NewsID=489

Ohio

OH: SB 5 opponents move swiftly to get referendum on ballot
Moving at a rapid pace, opponents of Ohio's new collective bargaining law collected about 3,000 signatures this weekend and plan to file them soon with the attorney general and secretary of state in the first step toward asking voters in November to strike down the law.

Union-Bashing, Now in Ohio
New York Times
In Florida, where collective bargaining is protected by the State Constitution, lawmakers are pushing through bills that would limit unions' ability to collect dues and make political contributions. In Maine, where Gov. Paul LePage was so contemptuous

Wisconsin

WI: Wisconsin election is referendum on governor
MEQUON, Wis. — Until a few weeks ago, this state's election on Tuesday for a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court was widely expected to be dull and predictable.

New Hampshire

Unions back to State House to fight right-to-work bill
The Union Leader
He has called the measure the "right to work for less" bill. ... Local presidents of Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire in Manchester and Exeter ...

NH Senate considers right to work bill
WCAX
AP - April 5, 2011 4:05 AM ET CONCORD, NH (AP) - The New Hampshire Senate is ... requiring nonunion members to pay a share of collective bargaining costs

NH Senate committee holding hearing on right to work bill; Lynch ...
The Republic
AP CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Senate is holding a hearing on an anti-union bill that would end the practice of requiring nonunion members to pay a

Weyler benefited from a strong union
Concord Monitor
I am very disheartened with my own state representative Ken Weyler's support for the amendment that strips employees of collective bargaining rights. He was a member of one of the nation's most powerful unions, the Airline Pilots Association

NH GOP keeps promise, makes deep budget cuts without raising taxes
Bangor Daily News
Carlos Gonzalez, one of 26 House Republicans to oppose the budget, said his primary dispute was the party's decision to attach a bill move to take away collective bargaining protections for public sector workers once their contracts expire

Indiana

Labor Leader Declares Unlikely Victory In Indiana
TPMDC
"I mean, they knocked out right to work," Trumka said, referring to the AWOL state ... the battle in Indiana featured the same union-fueled mass protests

Proposal would give Indiana governor authority to create toll roads

Indiana's governor would gain broad authority to create new toll roads under a measure that Republican state lawmakers are pushing.

House OKs merger of state pension boards, bill heads to gov.

The Indiana House voted 90-7 Monday to create the Indiana Public Retirement System, putting all of the state's pension plans under a single board of trustees.

Ind. Senate boosts teacher licensing requirement at charter schools

Ninety percent of teachers at charter schools would have to be licensed under a change made Monday by the Senate to legislation expected to increase the number of Indiana charter schools.

Minnesota

'Labor law still matters,' NLRB chair says
Workday Minnesota
By Barb Kucera, Workday editor MINNEAPOLIS - While collective bargaining is under attack in many parts of the country, it remains one of the few effective ways to preserve the American middle class, the chair of the National Labor Relations Board said.

Maine

Bill would rearrange Maine's Legislature, eliminating the House

Making Maine the second state with a unicameral Legislature would improve transparency, efficiency and accountability of lawmaking, the sponsor of a proposed constitutional amendment told a legislative committee Monday.

Maine's labor mural prompts lawsuit, recall effort

The removal by Maine Gov. Paul LePage of a huge mural depicting the state's labor history has prompted a lawsuit seeking the painting's return and a citizen's effort to recall the Republican. LePage had contended that the 36-foot mural made business interests uncomfortable.

Texas

Texas House passes bare-bones budget

The Texas House voted 98-49 Sunday night to slash funding for public schools, nursing homes and college financial aid in a dramatic show by Republicans elected on a limited-government message in the face of a massive budget shortfall.

Maryland

MD: Lawmakers reach deal on pensions, retiree health care
Lawmakers reached deals Monday on the thorniest issues left in the $14.6 billion state budget, finding common ground on state workers' pensions and health care benefits and education funding.

New Jersey

NJ: State treasurer says N.J. will make $506M payment to pension fund
New Jersey's top fiscal officer says the state will make a half-billion-dollar payment to the pension fund when the law requires. Gov. Chris Christie has proposed paying the $506 million early, but only if the Legislature agrees to raise the retirement age and require workers to pay more toward their pensions

Illinois

Collective bargaining restrictions in Illinois unlikely, for now
Harrisburg Daily Register (blog)
By Eric Fodor House Republican leader Tom Cross says he's not in favor of measures passed in surrounding states that restrict collective bargaining rights of government employees, The Associated Press has reported. Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio this year