ST. PAUL, MN (WTAQ) – A Minnesota Republican has invited two Wisconsin contractors who oppose the right-to-work bill to move their headquarters to the Gopher State.
Representative Pat Garofalo, who chairs the Minnesota House Job Growth Committee, has offered relocation assistance to Hoffman Construction of Black River Falls and the Rock Road Companies of Janesville.
Owners of both firms had testified in Wisconsin legislative hearings against the right-to-work legislation. The bill is expected to get its final legislative approval on Friday morning in the Assembly, after a debate of up to 24 hours.
The Madison Capital Times reports on a letter from Garofalo to Rock Road president Bill Kennedy. He said many of Minnesota’s Republicans believes that right-to-work laws interfere with a business’s right to set conditions of employment — and he said it would be “regrettable” if Wisconsin injects what he called “the heavy hand of government” against the principles of free enterprise and limited government.
In response, Wisconsin Assembly Republican Dean Knudson of Hudson said his state was being true to the principles of Ronald Reagan by declaring that it should be an individual’s right to determine whether to belong to a union.
Knudson said no one should be forced to join any organization as a condition of employment. He also defended Wisconsin’s record of helping businesses as opposed to what he calls “Minnesota’s choice to tax and spend.”
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)
