While both sides anticipate multiple amendments to be offered that could possibly number in the hundreds, a couple of amendments are sure to generate long and fierce debate.
They include language that would put Right to Work to a Statewide referendum on the November ballot, and language that would carve out the Indiana Building and Construction Trades from the provisions of the Right to Work bill. The Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana stands in opposition to each of these amendments, and supports the passage of a clean and unamended bill.
The Regional Chamber opposes a referendum specifically because constitutionally, Indiana is not a referendum state (as opposed to states like Ohio, California, and Colorado where referendum and ballot initiatives annually clog the ballot). Indiana’s system of representative democracy has served the public, and will continue to do so. This is not the first time Democrats have offered an amendment to a highly contentious bill to send it to a referendum (Daylight Savings Time, Major Moves), but doing so would set a costly and dangerous new precedent.
Any type of exemption or carve out from the provisions of the Right to Work legislation is opposed based on the principle that Right to Work grants workers the freedom and opportunity to choose whether or not to belong to union or pay commensurate fees. The Regional Chamber believes all employees should be entitled to that freedom. If a carve out of any particular segment were to become law, there would be immediate court challenges to the statute based on an equal protection under the law premise. This will delay the implementation of the legislation at great cost to Hoosier taxpayers.
