AUGUSTA, Maine - The latest effort to pass so-called "right-to-work'' legislation in Maine has hit a hurdle in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.
The House voted 90-52 against the bill after more than an hour of debate on Friday. It now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate.
Republican Gov. Paul LePage has long pushed for the law that would bar employers from requiring employees to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment. He and Republican lawmakers say it's crucial to attract big businesses, which they say prefer to locate in right-to-work states.
Democrats have consistently rejected the bill, saying it will drive down wages and undermine workers' rights. Rep. Erin Herbig said the argument that businesses locate in states because they have right-to-work laws "doesn't pass the straight face test.''