bapifar01: So-called 'Right to Work' revives in Maine, takes a blow in New Hampshire

Friday 27 May 2011

So-called 'Right to Work' revives in Maine, takes a blow in New Hampshire

It seems that the Bangor Daily News' prediction (which I linked) of the imminent demise of Maine's so-called "Right to Work" bill was premature.

One of two RTW bills?this one dealing with public employees?was revived today in the Maine House. A first vote produced a tie; in a second vote, two Republicans who had initially voted with Democrats flipped.

Prior to the vote, Democrats railed against the move to send the issue back to committee and questioned why the Republican leadership had not held a public hearing on a bill that had sat in the committee since February.
?All of a sudden, nine working days before we have statutory adjournment, it has become a priority,? said Rep. Paul Gilbert, D-Jay.

Meanwhile, in New Hampshire,

[Wednesday's] scheduled House vote to override Gov. Lynch?s veto of so-called Right-to-Work legislation never happened. With over 370 lawmakers in attendance, Speaker Bill O?Brien was unable to round up the two-thirds super-majority he needed to override the veto.

O'Brien had earlier tried to get Republican opponents of RTW to "take a walk" during the vote, which only requires a 2/3 vote of those present, not of the full House. When that failed and attendance was high, he postponed the vote.