Governor Scott Walker PHOTO: WSAU
Several top Republican lawmakers came out of the November elections talking about plans to pursue right-to-work legislation in the spring session. Work does continue on a proposal, although Governor Scott Walker says his discussions with GOP lawmakers indicate most do not view the bill as a priority.
Walker says “a few of them are very interested in right-to-work, but most of them are interested in other subjects.”
Those others subjects include tax and education reforms, along with Walker’s plan to merge and consolidate some state agencies. Walker says that he thinks “soon, after the Legislative session starts in January, they’re going to be focused on school accountability measures, on repealing any reference or connection to testing for Common Core,” rather than talking about a bill that would prohibit making union membership a condition of employment in the private sector.
AUDIO: Governor Scott Walker (:22)
Walker still stands by his previous support for the idea of a right-to-work law, but feels the debate over the measure would just be a distraction from bigger priorities. He says it “isn’t just because of the potential for protests, which there is a probability there. It’s also in the larger context that they’re going to have their hands full.”
The 2015 Legislative session begins next week.