More takeaways from the working man from the majority party in the Ohio Legislature

From John Curry, December 20, 2006

Subject: More takeaways from the working man from the majority party in the Ohio Legislature

GOP lawmakers limit unions on last day
By JULIE CARR SMYTH
AP Statehouse Correspondent
12/20/06
COLUMBUS — Bills limiting organizing and political giving by labor unions were Republicans lawmakers’ parting gift to Democratic Gov.-elect Ted Strickland on Wednesday.

Strickland, whose campaign received labor support, next month becomes Ohio’s first Democratic governor in 16 years.

House Republicans ended the two-year legislative session Wednesday with votes on a minimum-wage bill and campaign-finance legislation that contained language reining in union power.

The minimum-wage provision, which squeaked by with 52 of 99 votes, adjusted the wording of a November ballot issue that gave access by third-party groups to private payroll records to prove the new wage was being paid properly.

The final bill clarifies that only the employee or a designated party, such as a lawyer, can get the records.

Meanwhile, the Senate inserted a provision in a campaign-finance legislation bill restricting the ability of union political action committees to make campaign contributions, by defining collective bargaining agreements as similar to state vendor agreements. The bill later passed the House by a 53-32 vote.

Democrats blasted both bills as unlawful — saying the minimum wage measure was not true to the intent of voters, and that the contributions bill violates the rights collective bargaining units have under federal law.