Ruling finds unconstitutional a divisive law designed to kill organized labor

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath from Michigan City issued the following statement after a Lake County judge ruled the state’s “right-to-work” law was unconstitutional:

“Considering who wanted ‘right-to-work’ enacted, it is no surprise that their top lawyer wants to go straight to the Supreme Court. The powers who bullied Indiana into this law are not going to give back the lunch money just because the playground supervisor said so.

“But finally, one branch of government made sense. Hoosiers’ middle class wages lag badly behind other Americans, and one judge believes our law is not just for those with money and power.

“Remember what our last governor claimed when he signed ‘right-to-work:’ Indiana would become a haven for job creation.

“More than a year has passed and our unemployment rate remains stuck above 8 percent. Middle class families are being forced to do more with less. Consumers have less to spend at the businesses we want to help.

“We were sold a bill of rotten goods. The guys in the corporate board rooms were thrilled. The people who work every day to create their profits were wronged.

“‘Right-to-work’ has not worked. We should use this ruling to dump the law for the second time in our state’s history.

“I have no faith in what our highest court will do here, but I will never stop reminding the people of Indiana what ‘right-to-work’ has done and who wanted it.”