Highlights: ME: Maine lawmakers loosen teen work rules and Divisive labor union bill headed for hearing; VT makes history: Shumlin signs health care bill into law; WI: Dane County judge strikes down collective bargaining law; Massachusetts State Senate limits collective bargaining rights; approves $30.5b budget; 2011 MT Legislature threw state workers under the bus; Ohio senators prepare changes to state budget plan; Dayton administration starts plans for government shutdown; consequences could be far-reaching; full Scrooge Alert here http://dailyscroogealert.blogspot.com/

National

Pawlenty says honesty now badly needed
The Union Leader
When asked by a member of the audience how he felt about the Right to Work legislation currently being debated in Concord, Pawlenty said his family had deep ...

Vermont

VT: Shumlin signs health care bill into law
Governor Peter Shumlin has signed a bill that puts Vermont on a path to become the first state in the country to adopt a single-payer health system.

Wisconsin

WI: Dane County judge strikes down collective bargaining law
A Dane County judge Thursday struck down legislation repealing most collective bargaining for public employees, but the measure could still gain new life from the state Supreme Court or a fresh vote by lawmakers.

Maine

Maine GOP's Revival of 'Right to Work' Bill Inflames Partisan Tensions
MPBN News
Republicans in the House referred a so-called "right-to-work" bill back to committee after some Democrats claim that GOP leaders had told them that the bill ...

ME: Maine lawmakers loosen teen work rules
Gov. Paul LePage is expected to sign into law legislation allowing 16- and 17-year-olds in Maine to work longer hours during the school year, his office confirmed Thursday. But the legislation provoked lengthy debate before being enacted earlier this week, with some lawmakers arguing students need to be students first.

Democrats question handling of union bill
Kennebec Journal
State law now requires every state worker to join the Maine State Employees Association or pay a fee, which goes to the union to cover the cost of collective bargaining and grievances. About 2100 state workers pay the service fee.

So-called 'Right to Work' revives in Maine, takes a blow in New ...
Daily Kos
by Laura Clawson for Daily Kos It seems that the Bangor Daily News' prediction (which I linked) of the imminent demise of Maine's so-called "Right to Work" ...

Divisive labor union bill headed for hearing

Tensions rose in the state Senate Thursday as lawmakers sparred over a Republican effort to consider a contentious labor union bill in the final weeks of the legislative session.

Michigan

Gov. Rick Snyder signs budget, controversy continues

Gov. Rick Snyder and Republican majorities in both houses of the Legislature placed an exclamation point Thursday on a remarkable week of change at the Capitol by completing a transformational state budget a day after Snyder signed into law a sweeping tax overhaul.

GOP-led state legislature finishes budget; Dems say schools shortchanged

The Michigan Legislature completed work on the 2011-12 state spending plan this afternoon, months earlier than has been the custom in recent years, but with no less partisan division.

Michigan Senate sends final budget bills to Snyder

The Republican-led Michigan Legislature has finished approving a new state budget that will cut state aid for education and many state departments.

Ohio

Ohio senators prepare changes to state budget plan

Ohio senators are closely scrutinizing the accountability of charter schools, changes to public employee pensions and plans to privatize certain state assets as they prepare to put their mark on the $55.6 billion state budget.

Senator denies SB 5 backlash prompting resignation
Columbus Dispatch
Jimmy Stewart says he'd vote again for the law limiting collective-bargaining rights. Gov. John Kasich called Stewart "a guy who's got a lot of courage." ZANESVILLE, Ohio - The lure of a job as president of the Ohio Gas Association, and not his vote in

Ohio nursing home lobby back on the air with television commercials over proposed budget cuts

A week after pulling an ad that attacked Gov. John Kasich, Ohio's largest nursing home lobbying group is back on the air with a new television commercial and a new target.

Public officials, employees speak out against state budget, SB5
The Newark Advocate
The group, which also included police and firefighter union representatives and council members, also spoke about Senate Bill 5, which seeks to limit collective bargaining. Guthrie was a co-sponsor on Ohio's 1983 collective bargaining bill,

Massachusetts

State Senate limits collective bargaining rights; approves $30.5b budget
Boston Globe
They warned that Massachusetts was moving in the direction of Ohio, Wisconsin, and other Republican-led states that have sharply cut the collective bargaining rights of public employees. But once Senate leaders indicated they would go along with the ...

New Hampshire

Delay for right-to-work vote? | New Hampshire NEWS06
After two weeks of frenetic lobbying by labor, business and politicians, a vote to override Gov. John Lynch's veto of the so-called right-to-work bill may ...

Montana

2011 Legislature threw state workers under the bus

The 2011 legislature is now four weeks gone, but the ugly mess it created in state employee pay lingers on.

Minnesota

Group's $1M ad campaign backs Dayton on budget

With a high-stakes budget deadlock gripping the state, Alliance for a Better Minnesota has launched a $1 million television advertising campaign urging Minnesotans to back DFL Gov. Mark Dayton's plan to tax the wealthy.

Dayton administration starts plans for government shutdown; consequences could be far-reaching

More than 4,600 people made reservations to visit a Minnesota state park over Independence Day last summer, and this year the 74 state parks and recreation areas are expecting as many or more visits — if the parks are open come July 1.

Arizona

AZ: Supreme Court upholds Ariz. law punishing companies that hire illegal immigrants
Arizona, the state at the forefront of efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, may revoke the business licenses of companies that knowingly employ undocumented workers, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Florida

FL: Rick Scott vetoes record $615m from budget
THE VILLAGES, Fla. -- At a campaign-style event that banned some Democrats, Republican Gov. Rick Scott fashioned himself into Florida's new veto king Thursday when he axed $615 million from the state budget before signing it.

Iowa

GOP, Democrats disagree on scheduling budget talks

Not only are Iowa Republicans and Democrats having trouble agreeing to a state budget, now they're at odds about whether both sides are willing to negotiate.

New Jersey

NJ: Gov. Christie declares regional cap-and-trade initiative ineffective, 'gimmicky' partnership
Gov. Chris Christie Thursday declared the nation's first regional cap-and-trade program designed to reduce air pollution a failure and promised to pull New Jersey out of it by the end of the year.

Christie to pull NJ out of cap-and-trade energy program
NorthJersey.com
Christie said he still believes in global warming and will work towards .... Got Kids you got it right from the bear hunt, to the beach access, to this. ...

Highlights: BREAKING NEWS: Judge strikes down Walker's collective bargaining law; NH House Delays Vote On Right-To-Work Bill; Maine: Collective bargaining bill revived for June 2 hearing; Walker signs voter ID law; ALEC's radical right wing agenda comes to PA..; Rick Scott The job-killing governor joins least-liked in nation; Ohio legislator denies resignation connected to SB 5; MI: Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says new tax law 'will create jobs'; Montana: unions file unfair labor practice charge; Nebraska lawmakers pass compromise bill on public unions; full Scrooge Alert at http://dailyscroogealert.blogspot.com/

National

Pawlenty urges freeze on federal salaries; to counter Ryan plan
Washington Times
The pushback against public employees mirrors similar calls from lawmakers in Washington and recent fights in Wisconsin, where fiscal battles over the cost of public employees has pushed collective bargaining rights into the national political dialogue ...

New Hampshire

O'Brien Wants More Time On Right-to-Work
New Hampshire Public Radio
O'Brien added that he expects right to work to gain strength from the late-breaking backing of the business and industry association, which formally endorsed the override effort this week. But O'Brien said repeatedly he's got no timetable for voting. ...

House Delays Vote On Right-To-Work Bill - Politics News Story ...
The Statehouse was packed Wednesday with activists on both sides of the right-to -work debate, but a vote to override the governor's veto of the bill never came. Wednesday, May 25, 2011.

Maine

Collective bargaining bill revived for June 2 hearing
Portland Daily Sun
By David Carkhuff A Thursday, June 2 public hearing on a controversial "right-to-work" bill in Augusta could be a prelude to quick passage of a piece of Maine legislation that critics say is similar to what happened with collective bargaining rights in

Labor bill back to committee
Press Herald
"Fair share," the fee that non-union members must pay unions for the collective bargaining they benefit from, is now in the Maine State Employees Association's contract. It is considered separate from union dues. Union contracts cover all state workers ...

'Right-to-work' bills may get hearing after all
Bangor Daily News
By Kevin Miller, BDN Staff AUGUSTA, Maine — The debate over “right-to-work” laws in Maine may happen after all. But events on Wednesday indicated that one ...

House GOP returns right-to-work bill to committee
Morning Sentinel
After an attempt by Democrats to kill the measure failed earlier in the day, ... executive director of the Maine State Employees Association. ...

Pennsylvania

ALEC's radical right wing agenda comes to Pa..
Examiner.com
... bills and Right to Work bills ALEC has sponsored that Scott Walker Republican Governor of Wisconsin accidentally outed as having nothing really to do ...

Pennsylvania school organizations say districts face tougher choices if voters gain more power to reject property tax hikes

School budget discussions this spring have been riddled with talk of unpopular cuts, delays and freezes.

Protesters see 'bind' in urged state cuts

A small group of activists, most in wheelchairs, found locked doors and a cordon of police and security officers blocking the way Wednesday as they tried to deliver a message to Gov. Tom Corbett about cuts to programs for disabled people.

Pennsylvania House Democrats fail to force consideration of natural gas drilling tax

Pennsylvania House Democrats weren't able to overcome raw numbers in an effort to force consideration of a proposal to tax drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale formation.

Michigan

MI: Michigan legislature expected to pass $46.5B budget
The state Legislature is expected to complete work today on a $46.5 billion state budget, the earliest it's been completed in 30 years.

MI: Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says new tax law 'will create jobs'
To applause from a roomful of business owners and lobbyists, Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law his landmark tax overhaul Wednesday.

Wisconsin

BREAKING NEWS: Judge strikes down Walker's collective bargaining law

Walker signs voter ID law

Gov. Scott Walker signed into law Wednesday a requirement that voters in Wisconsin show photo identification at the polls, marking the end of a nearly decade-long push by Republicans to enact it.

New dollars would go to malpractice fund, delay union concessions

The state would use a huge influx of new tax money expected over the next two years to help pay a looming debt to a medical malpractice fund but drop some $30 million in concessions from state workers, under draft legislation circulated Tuesday by Republican lawmakers.

Ohio

Stewart denies rumors surrounding resignation
Parkersburg News
... Tuesday his intentions to resign from office, Ohio Sen. Jimmy Stewart denied allegations his departure was related to mounting criticism for his support of Senate Bill 5, a new law that strips collective-bargaining rights from many public workers. ...

Ohio Gov. John Kasich gets low approval numbers in another poll

A new poll released today suggests the longer Gov. John Kasich is in office the more voters dislike him.

Ohio House takes up drilling in state parks

The Ohio House planned Wednesday to take up a bill that would open state forests, parks and wildlife areas to oil and gas exploration.

Nebraska

Nebraska lawmakers pass compromise bill on public unions
Reuters
Labor rights disputes inspired contentious rallies this year in Wisconsin and Ohio. The National Conference of State Legislatures says lawmakers in 43 states introduced bills to alter collective bargaining for public employees.

Massachusetts

A Perfect Example of What Government Can Do To Create Jobs When the Private Market Refuses To

Florida

The job-killing governor

Gov. Rick Scott will sign into law today a $69.7 billion state budget for 2011-12 that he boasts is all about creating jobs and reducing Florida's high unemployment. In fact, it is a job-killing budget that threatens the state's anemic recovery and makes the state less attractive to new residents and businesses.

FL: Poll finds Rick Scott among the nation's least-liked governors
Gov. Rick Scott is one of the least popular governors in America, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll that shows 57 percent of Florida voters disapprove of his job performance.

Nevada

NV: Extending Nevada's temporary business taxes gets support
Many of Nevada's largest taxpayers lined up on Wednesday in support of extending business taxes approved during the 2009 Legislature.

Montana

Unions file complaint over pay raise defeat

Three public employee unions filed an unfair labor practice complaint Wednesday over the 2011 Legislature's refusal to pass the pay raises for state workers they had negotiated with Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

State unions file unfair labor practice charge

State employee unions on Wednesday filed an unfair labor practice claim against the state in the wake of the Legislature's rejection of a pay deal negotiated with the governor - a move the unions hope will lead to an even better deal and a special legislative session to ratify it.

Illinois

Senate Democrats present plan to borrow to pay state bills

Saying the state is already borrowing money from the schools and health care providers they owe billions of dollars, Senate Democrats Wednesday renewed their push to borrow money from banks to pay down those unpaid bills.

Minnesota

Local view: Are right-to-work laws anti-union or pro-freedom ...
For example, the Minnesota right-to-work amendment, aka, the “Minnesota Freedom of Employment Amendment,” proposes to ask voters in 2012 a seemingly ...

Texas

Deal on cutting school funds elusive

Legislative leaders continued to look for a compromise school funding plan Tuesday to allocate $4 billion worth of public school cuts they say is necessary to avoid a special session this summer.

Highlights: House Speaker short votes; Right-to-Work showdown may be put off; PA Lawmakers at odds over bill to revise benefits for jobless; Republican facing criticism over SB 5 vote to leave Senate; MN: Dayton vetoes GOP budget, says shutdown is likely; MI: Gov. Snyder to sign controversial tax bill Wednesday; TN: Teachers union asks Haslam to veto bargaining bill; Maine House rejects bill to increase minimum wage; US: Most Americans oppose GOP plan to cut Medicaid; In Texas, Cap Metro labor bill headed to governor; full Scrooge Alert here: http://dailyscroogealert.blogspot.com/

All Around

Collective Bargaining Curbs Spread Across The U.S.

Jim DeMint's race to the bottom

US: Most Americans oppose GOP plan to cut Medicaid
Most Americans oppose the House Republicans' plan to overhaul and slash funding of Medicaid, the state-federal program that covers 56 million low-income people, according to a poll being released today.

US: States collect more taxes, but troubles remain
States had strong growth in tax collections during the first quarter of the year, but still collected less money than they did before the recession began, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government.

State workers to pay more for health benefits
The bill has been excoriated by the powerful Massachusetts public employee unions, which accused House members of betraying them with “Wisconsin-esque” behavior, referring to the measure that eliminated most collective bargaining rights for Wisconsin ...

Minnesota

MN: Dayton vetoes GOP budget, says shutdown is likely
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton a predicted a "strong likelihood" of a state government shutdown Tuesday after vetoing the Republican-controlled Legislature's budget and guaranteeing that a special session would be necessary to craft a new one.

Pennsylvania

House passes budget

A House Republican budget that partially restores Gov. Tom Corbett's cuts to public and higher education by carving funding out of social welfare programs is on its way to the state Senate.

Lawmakers at odds over bill to revise benefits for jobless

State lawmakers took steps Tuesday toward ensuring the 45,000 Pennsylvanians receiving extended unemployment compensation continue to get benefits.

Pennsylvania bill to overhaul unemployment system bogs down in House

An employer-backed bill to overhaul Pennsylvania's unemployment compensation system stalled Tuesday in the state House of Representatives, while the Senate was poised to consider a less sweeping alternative.

Bill requires contractors to prove workers are legal

Contractors bidding on publicly financed construction projects in the state will have to verify electronically that employees are legal immigrants before they can undertake any project.

Ohio

Republican facing criticism over SB 5 vote to leave Senate
Columbus Dispatch
Jimmy Stewart, an Albany Republican who was facing heavy criticism from parts of his nine-county southeastern Ohio district for his vote in favor of the bill slashing collective-bargaining rights for public workers, told the Senate president yesterday ...

Ohio lawmakers set to approve election overhaul legislation
Plain Dealer
But Democrats say the proposal, particularly the limits on early voting, is outright voter suppression that will weaken turnout within their base just ahead of a referendum vote on Senate Bill 5, the controversial collective bargaining law approved ...

Kasich doesn't expect rising state revenue to ease budget cuts

Even if revenue improves, local governments and schools should not expect much relief from the cuts proposed in the two-year state budget, Gov. John Kasich said yesterday as he again stressed the need for governments to become more efficient

New Hampshire

House Speaker short votes; Right-to-Work showdown may be put off
Nashua Telegraph
John Lynch over a right-to-work bill set for today could be put off, officials said. Publicly and privately, leading Republican legislators and pro-right-to-work organizations confided Tuesday that O'Brien was “five to 10 votes short” of the two-thirds

Delay for right-to-work vote?

After two weeks of frenetic lobbying by labor, business and politicians, a vote to override Gov. John Lynch's veto of the so-called right-to-work bill may be postponed Wednesday. Speaker of the House William O'Brien said Tuesday that he will delay a vote on House Bill 474 if he doesn't think he has the two-thirds supermajority needed to override.

Michigan

Gov. Snyder co-signs letter supporting trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea

Gov. Rick Snyder, along with 24 other governors from around the country, signed his name to a letter urging President Obama and Congress to expand trade agreements to grow the economy.

Michigan Senate OKs plan cutting university funding by 15 percent

Michigan's public universities face a 15 percent cut in state aid for operations and a stricter, four-year limit on welfare benefits would be adopted under terms of budget bills passed Tuesday by the Republican-led state Senate.

MI: Gov. Snyder to sign controversial tax bill Wednesday
Gov. Rick Snyder will sign his landmark tax overhaul legislation Wednesday in Lansing. Scrapping the Michigan Business Tax, one of the key elements of the overhaul, was the centerpiece of Snyder's campaign for governor.

Maine

Maine House rejects bill to increase minimum wage

The Maine House of Representatives, along sharp party lines, voted down a bill Tuesday that sought to increase the state's minimum wage by 25 cents next year and by 50 cents two years from now.

Nevada

NV: Nevada Democrats all but surrender hope for new taxes
Emotional Democrats all but surrendered hope for new taxes Tuesday as they dramatically slashed their state spending wish list.

Texas

Deal on cutting school funds elusive

Legislative leaders continued to look for a compromise school funding plan Tuesday to allocate $4 billion worth of public school cuts they say is necessary to avoid a special session this summer.

Cap Metro labor bill headed to governor

Legislation shaking up Capital Metro's labor situation forcing it to either outsource all bus services or bring all workers in-house is on its way to Gov. Rick Perry for his signature.

Illinois

Groups: Identify teachers who attended Wis. protests
Chicago Tribune
Scott Walker's plan to end collective bargaining for most state employees. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that it's unclear how many of the state's 424 districts received requests for names, but that many have released them. ...

Tennessee

TN: Teachers union asks Haslam to veto bargaining bill
The Tennessee Education Association's president is urging Republican Gov. Bill Haslam to veto GOP-backed legislation that strips the 52,000-member teachers' union of its collective bargaining powers, saying teachers "feel totally demoralized and disrespected."