Gov. Mitch Daniels and Speaker Brian Bosma intend to make Indiana the nation's 23rd Right to Work state, and the first to pass a law since Oklahoma in 2001. But first, they need Democrats to show up to work.

Like we saw last year, Democrats are boycotting the legislative session to deny the necessary quorum to gavel in. Rather than work to improve or defeat legislation they don't like, Indiana Democrats are ignoring the will of the people and leaving their constituents without a voice in Indianapolis. Because that's what the unions want them to do.

This will be the most politically divisive fight at the state level in 2012. It will also be the most important. In a letter to the legislature today, Grover wrote:

This is probably the most politically charged issue you will face in your entire legislative tenure. Thousands of paid “protestors” will gather on your doorstep to make noise and vandalize property. Cowardly opponents in the legislature will literally flee the state to avoid taking a vote on this issue. Unions will use their (endangered) ability to steal from the paychecks of non-members to raise and spend millions of dollars against you if you vote yes on this issue.

Right to Work is important enough that you vote yes in spite of all these facts.

Daniels and Bosma should be applauded for realizing the enormity of this fight, and embracing it anyway. To see Grover's full letter to the legislature, see below. For a PDF, click here.

January 5, 2012

Indiana House of Representatives
Indiana Senate

Dear Legislator:

I write in strong support of the Right to Work bill moving through the legislature, and applaud House Speaker Bosma and Gov. Daniels for their courageous stance on behalf of worker freedom.

This is probably the most politically charged issue you will face in your entire legislative tenure. Thousands of paid “protestors” will gather on your doorstep to make noise and vandalize property. Cowardly opponents in the legislature will literally flee the state to avoid taking a vote on this issue. Unions will use their (endangered) ability to steal from the paychecks of non-members to raise and spend millions of dollars against you if you vote yes.

Right to Work is important enough that you vote yes in spite of all these facts.

First, it is a moral obligation. If someone chooses to work but not to join a union, she or he should be given that option. More importantly, workers should not be forced to give money to support political causes they don’t personally support. In 2010, for example, 94 percent of unions’ political spending went to Democrats, while only 61 percent of union members voted for Democrats.

But more importantly, Right to Work is about jobs. Employers are flocking to Right to Work states in droves, leaving the Midwest and the Northeast behind. From 1977 to 2008, non-Right to Work states realized job growth of 56.5 percent. Right to Work states saw 100 percent job growth.

Those job creators attract population and economic growth. In the last round of Census reapportionment, eight states gained Congressional seats while 10 lost them. Of the eight gainers, seven are Right to Work. Of the 10 losers, eight are forced unionization states. From 2000 to 2009, nearly 5 million Americans moved from forced unionization states to Right to Work States.  

From 1977 to 2008, per capita income growth was nearly 10 points higher in Right to Work states than non-Right to Work. If a Right to Work law had been in place in Indiana since 1977, the average family of four would earn about $11,700 more annually.

For all these reasons, I urge you to vote yes on Right to Work, and help Indiana become the 23^rd state to pass such a law. This is an historic opportunity. If you have any questions please contact ATR’s Indiana State Affairs Manager, Josh Culling, at jculling@atr.org.

Onward,

Grover Norquist

CC: The Honorable Mitch Daniels

Posted by Joshua Culling on Thursday, January 5, 2012 8:54 AM EST

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