Two of three Republican-sponsored bills targeting public employee unions passed a House committee Tuesday despite opposition from police and fire unions whose supporters packed the room, while the third was pulled from consideration, AP reports.
The one bill that passed the House Government Committee outright on a 6-3 party line vote Tuesday was sponsored by the chairwoman of the committee, Rep. Michelle Ugenti, R-Fountain Hills.
Her bill would force each city or town, county and fire district in Arizona to take a public vote on collecting union dues through paycheck deductions. It passed even though two fellow Republicans expressed deep concern about its reach. The votes must be taken by the end of the year, and if a board failed to vote, dues deductions would be barred permanently unless the Legislature passed another law.
Even that effort brought opposition from the same two Republicans, who said they voted for an imperfect bill they hope will be changed as it moves forward.
“I’m really troubled that this is really targeting fire and police,” said Rep. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City.
The GOP-dominated committee initially failed to pass the second bill, which would require employee union negotiations be done entirely in public. Currently, union negotiators generally meet with public agency officials at the bargaining table and the final product is made public and a vote taken.
If you’d like to discuss employment or health care law, contact David Weissman, director of the Rose Law Group Employment Law and Managed Health Care Law Practice, dweissman@roselawgroup.com
