Any hope for right-to-work in Michigan?

The question of whether right-to-work may spill over into neighboring states continues to be debated following the passage of Indiana’s right-to-work legislation earlier this month. We highlighted the status of the issue among Ohio voters last week. Michigan has also been at the forefront of this debate, with the issue more recently becoming entangled in the contentious upcoming Republican Michigan primary.

Although no legislation has been officially introduced, several Michigan legislators have indicated their support of the issue and it seems only a matter of time before a bill is introduced. The prospects for passage, however, face a major obstacle in Michigan’s Governor Rick Snyder, who earlier this year indicated he opposes such efforts.

While Snyder recently endorsed Mitt Romney as his choice for the Republican presidential nominee, he appears to differ from Romney on the right-to-work issue. With the Michigan primary looming, Romney stated his support for right-to-work legislation. Meanwhile Romney’s chief rival in the Michigan primary, Rick Santorum, has also indicated his support, apparently in an attempt to defend against Romney’s efforts to paint him as in favor of “big labor.” It remains to be seen whether this issue will have any impact in the upcoming primary.

What is clear is that Michigan’s right-to-work future, if there is to be one, is front and center.

See all of our previous right-to-work coverage here.