[r88]Indiana: the Nation's 23rd Right to Work State (2/1/2012)

STATEHOUSE – After over 40 hours of testimony, debate, and discussion over the past year House Bill (HB) 1001, Employee’s Right to Work passed the Indiana House of Representatives last week and today passed the State Senate. The final step, which is expected to occur today, is having the Governor sign the bill into law. HB 1001 will now make Indiana the nation’s 23rd Right to Work state, and the first state in the industrial Midwest to become a Right to Work state.

Rep. Jerry Torr (R-Carmel) authored and House Speaker Brian C. Bosma (R-Indianapolis) co-authored House Bill 1001, Employee’s Right to Work which states that an employee cannot be forced to join or financially support a union in order to get or keep a job.

On November 21, 2011 Speaker Bosma announced that his number one priority this session would focus on Right to Work and bringing more jobs to Indiana. “With the latest unemployment number stubbornly hovering at 9 percent, it is critical that we bring more employment opportunities to Indiana and give Hoosiers the freedom to choose how their hard earned money is spent.”

Rep. Torr began the Right to Work pursuit in 2004 when he first filed a bill on this legislation. “Evidence shows that Right to Work is a job creation strategy and in these hard economic times it is imperative that we become the 23rd Right to Work state and help put the over quarter million unemployed Hoosiers back to work.”

Indiana will now be the first Right to Work state in the nation that does not have a Right to Work state on its border.

“Despite the success that we have had in job creation, we needed to take this last step in order to kick job creation to its highest gear. We are in the heart of the industrial Midwest and we are already getting looks from employers in Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois and other states due to the passage of this legislation,” said Speaker Bosma.  “I announced that our number one priority this session was to bring jobs to Indiana and the passing of this bill has resulted in a victory for all Hoosiers.”

Ind 23rdRTWState.docx