Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House, I rise in support of LD 831.

Several of my colleagues have been talking about how Right to Work is just the right thing to do, and I agree with them. But its also the case that, as with so many other things, more freedom leads to greater prosperity. I think its telling that, in the over 65 years since the Taft-Hartley Act was passed specifically authorizing states to pass Right to Work, no state with a Right to Work law in effect for all workers has ever been repealed. Thats because Right to Work laws just work. And thats as true as ever now. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2002 and 2012, private-sector job growth was at 6.4% in Right to Work states, but just 0.4% in non-Right to Work states. Maine saw -1.4% job growth during that same period. And this prosperity reaches people at all levels economically. Thats a reason why Right to Work states see nearly 50% fewer welfare recipients per capita, while per-capita income in Right to Work states is over $6000 higher than it is in Maine when cost of living is accounted for. Some might wonder why this is. Well just last December, a national survey of site selection consultants by Site Selection Magazine found that half of companies considering relocation or expansion automatically rule out states that dont have Right to Work laws. Why would Maine want to cross itself off the list for all those jobs? Folks, we cant control our geography, we cant control our aging population and energy costs are proving tough to rein in, but we can control this! The fact is, were losing the next generation. Over the last decade, Maines seen a 7% drop in the number of young workers between 25 and 34. Meanwhile, Right to Work states saw a rise of 11% of young workers coming in. The lack of young, skilled workers threatens the long-term health of our economy: without a good workforce, things will become even worse for attracting new investment.

The fact is, over the last decade, manufacturing growth has come nearly three times faster in Right to Work states compared to Maine. Just yesterday in my committee, Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development, we were discussing how we could inject economic energy into our rural areas. This is the answer! When 2011 disposable personal income data, as reported by the US Commerce Departments Bureau of Economic Analysis are adjusted for differences in living costs, the results show that all of the seven states with the lowest real, spendable disposable incomes per capita in 2011 (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, Vermont and West Virginia) lack RTW laws. Of the nine states with the highest cost of living adjusted disposable incomes in 2011, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming all have RTW laws. The sole exception among the nine is Illinois. While the prairie states relatively high spendable average income is positive, it should be noted the state is at the same time plagued by high out-migration of families with children and extraordinarily poor job creation. I dont think we want to look like Illinois! Overall, the cost of living adjusted disposable income per capita for RTW states in 2011 was more than $36,800 or roughly $2,200 higher than the average for non RTW states. I believe it should be clear to you by now that there's nothing in the economic experience of the 24 Right to Work states that would prevent you from trusting in the individual worker's intelligence and good will. Thats why I hope youll join me in voting against the majority report and for Maine to become Americas 25th Right to Work states.