An Indiana Judge has ruled that the state\u2019s \u201cRight-to-Work\u201d law is unconstitutional, the second such blow to the legislation since its passage in 2012.
\nLake County Circuit Judge George Paras decided against the state in United Steelworkers vs. Zoeller on July 17th, ruling that the law was \u201cnull and void in its entirety\u201d and the state is \u201cpermanently enjoined\u201d from enforcing it. The law is already before the state Supreme Court as a result of a challenge from the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150. Oral arguments in that case are set to be heard on September 4th.
\nFollowing the decision, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said he would ask for a stay to prevent the decision from immediately taking effect. He also argued that the law\u2019s fate is still truly in the hands of the state Supreme Court. From his statement:
\n\u201cStrong opinions exist on both sides about involuntary union dues, but the attorney general\u2019s office has a duty to defend the laws the legislature passes from legal challenges plaintiffs file. If a trial court finds a law unconstitutional, then the appropriate action is to stay its ruling pending the appeal.\u201d
\nThe IUOE Local 150 case was originally decided last fall \u2014 in favor of the union \u2014 by Lake County Superior Court Judge John Sedia. He stayed the verdict to allow it to go to the Supreme Court.
\nIn both rulings judges agreed with the union\u2019s argument that \u201cRight-to-Work\u201d violates the \u201cparticular services clause\u201d of the state constitution. That clause states that, \u201cNo person\u2019s particular services shall be demanded, without just compensation.\u201d Paras agreed with this argument and wrote a strongly worded opinion that suggests this clause was written specifically to protect workers from laws like \u201cRight-to-Work.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An Indiana Judge has ruled that the state\u2019s \u201cRight-to-Work\u201d law is unconstitutional, the second such blow to the legislation since its passage in 2012. Lake County Circuit Judge George Paras decided against the state in United Steelworkers vs. Zoeller on July 17th, ruling that the law was \u201cnull and void in its entirety\u201d and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":9,"featured_media":23756,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,988,18,1],"tags":[],"member_types":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n