New Hampshire will not become the next so-called right to work state.
House lawmakers have killed the union-targeting legislation after a Republican-on-Republican debate. The outcome marks a defeat for Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who called right to work a top priority and had urged members of his party to get in line.
Right to work legislation says non-union members can't be forced to pay fees, even if they benefit from the union's collective bargaining. With a Republican in the corner office, national right to work advocates saw New Hampshire as a top target for passage.
But a handful of Republicans did not change their opposition Thursday, despite intense lobbying efforts from House leadership, the governor and the state Republican party. The bill failed by a vote of 200 to 177.
