House State Affairs approves two Senate-passed anti-union bills

The House State Affairs Committee has voted 12-6 to send SB 1007 to the full House with a recommendation that it pass, after two days of hearings that drew strong opposition from union workers. The move came after a motion to amend the bill failed, 16-2; Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, who made the motion, said the measure was “overbroad” and “we are probably buying a lawsuit” by passing it. Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, the bill’s sponsor, said, “The intent was to restrict unfair competition and provide a level playing field.” Earlier, the same committee passed SB 1006, another anti-union bill decried by the same opponents. “We don’t want to reduce the wages in Idaho, do we?” asked Boise pipefitter J.D. Day. “Don’t we want ‘em to come up?”

Jane Wittmyer, lobbyist for the Associated Builders and Contractors, told the committee, “It’s a leveling of the playing field for the merit shop organizations to be able to compete fairly at the bidding table.”