For Immediate Release 

Contacts: 

Garren Shipley
(504) 686-1138

Del. Barbara Comstock
[email protected]

General Assembly Members Call on Tim Kaine To Denounce President Obama's Attacks on Right-To-Work Laws 

Members of the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate released the following statement regarding President Obama's attack and mocking of Right-to-Work Laws in his speech to labor bosses in Washington, D.C. on Monday, April 30.

Virginia is one of 23 states that have a Right-to-Work law and has consistently been named the #1 place for jobs.

 "On the eve of President Obama coming to Virginia to kick off his campaign, it was shocking to hear the President's attacks on Right-to-Work laws given that Virginia is one of 23 Right-to-Work states. What is even more disturbing is that Tim Kaine was at the same speech with the President, and did nothing to correct the record on the value of Right-to-Work laws. The President noted that Tim Kaine was "a friend of labor." 

 "What Virginia needs are representatives who are friends of workers and focused on job creation - not focused on special interest favors for union bosses. Virginia is consistently ranked as the #1 state in the country for jobs and was just named the best state in which to make a living. Among the factors that keep Virginia the most job friendly state in America is our Right-to-Work status. Our laws protect Virginia's citizens from being forced to pay union dues to keep their jobs. They guarantee our citizens will not have to face union membership as a condition of employment. And, they provide citizens the freedom to join a union, not have that decision forced upon them. 

 "We call on Tim Kaine to denounce the President's attacks on our Right-to-Work laws and stand up for our Right-to-Work tradition and our limits on collective bargaining for state employees which was signed into law by then Governor Doug Wilder. As Chairman of the DNC, Tim Kaine aligned with unions who were fighting a Wisconsin bill on collective bargaining that was actually weaker than Virginia's. Will Tim Kaine join with the bipartisan coalition in Virginia that supports our collective bargaining law, or will he stand with the labor bosses who have pledged $400 Million to those who support a union agenda? Will Tim Kaine denounce the President's attacks and the assaults on jobs from the President's National Labor Relations Board members who are pushing a union agenda on all states regardless of their right-to-work status?

 "As members of the Virginia General Assembly, we work tirelessly to ensure the Commonwealth of Virginia is a place that is open for business. We want to foster an environment where taxes are low, commonsense regulations protect the public good and businesses thrive. Virginians need our U.S. Senators to stand up for our Right- to-Work policies; not turn a deaf ear when our right-to-work traditions are mocked and misrepresented."

Members of the Senate

Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment, Jr. 

Majority Caucus Chairman Senator Ryan T. McDougle

Senator Mark Obenshain

Senator Jeff McWaters

Senator Frank Ruff

Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel

Senator Dick Black

Senator Tom Garrett

Senator Bryce Reeves

Senator Bill Stanley

Senator Stephen Newman

Members of the House of Delegates

Speaker Bill Howell

Majority Leader Kirk Cox

Majority Caucus Chairman Tim Hugo

Delegate Barbara Comstock

Delegate Gordon Helsel

Delegate Charles Poindexter

Delegate Scott Lingamfelter

Delegate Dickie Bell

Delegate Greg Habeeb

Delegate Lacey Putney

Delegate John Cox

Delegate Danny Marshall

Delegate Michael Webert

Delegate Margaret Ransone

Delegate Ed Scott

Delegate David Ramadan

Delegate Lee Ware

Delegate Bob Marshall

Delegate Rich Anderson

Delegate Tommy Wright

Delegate Donald Merricks

Delegate Kathy Byron

Delegate Steve Landes

Delegate Ron Villanueva

Delegate Mark Dudenhefer

Delegate Peter Farrell

Delegate Jimmie Massie

Delegate Dave Albo

Delegate Mike Watson

Delegate Terry Kilgore

Delegate Israel O'Quinn

Delegate Manoli Loupassi

Delegate Chris Head

Delegate Joe May

Delegate John O'Bannon

Delegate Keith Hodges

Delegate Tony Wilt 

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J. Garren Shipley

Communications Director

Republican Party of Virginia