A Republican state representative in Wisconsin has confirmed to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he drafted “right-to-work” legislation, but did not introduce it in the previous session.
“It’s very evident that we did not have the votes to pass it,” said state Rep. Chris Kapenga, according to the Journal Sentinel. Kapenga also said he did not believe the votes would be there to pass it next year, either.
The revelation comes on the heels of newly unearthed video of Gov. Scott Walker telling a wealthy right-to-work supporter in January 2011 that he would pursue a “divide and conquer” strategy against organized labor, starting with public employee unions. Democrats have pounced on the video as a weapon in the ongoing recall campaign.
Kapenga’s support for right-to-work legislation was first reported by the liberal Wisconsin site Blogging Blue. According to attendees at a town hall meeting in Waukesha County, Kapenga was asked by an attendee who favors the legislation why it was not being introduced. Kapenga reportedly replied: “If we had done it earlier, when we wanted, then [state Supreme Court Justice] Prosser would not have been elected. Right now is not the right time. We have to wait until it is politically feasible.”
