Republican lawmaker's proposal exempted husband from Michigan 'right to work' law

A Republican state representative in Michigan proposed an amendment to exempt her husband's job from the so-called "right to work" law which limits the ability of unions to collect dues.

State Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R) on Monday offered an amendment that would have added corrections officers like her husband, Brad, to the list of types of jobs not covered by the anti-union law. Police and firefighters had already been exempted from the legislation.

"When we talk about the brave women in police and fire we need to remember people in corrections," Lyon explained earlier this week, according to MLive.com. "These guys work in conditions that we can’t even begin to imagine."

"It's not financial. It's philosophy. I am saying we need to treat our corrections officers that way we treat our police men and women and firefighter men and women.”

Democrats, however, claimed that the proposal was an example of Republican hypocrisy.

"Why would she want to exempt her husband if this is such a great bill?" state House Democratic Caucus spokesperson Katie Carey asked. "We were kind of disgusted with it... We were just kind of disappointed that she would offer this amendment at the same time lauding this legislation."

On Tuesday, Republicans chose to gavel down the amendment without giving it a vote.

"I'm convinced of the value of our union and I'm here to tell you we will continue to pay union dues, the union that has represented Brad with such unequaled advocacy," Lyons declared in a Dec. 6 speech, adding that the "right to work" measure was about "the unions' freedom to make its case to members."

"Today, we are a proud union. Tomorrow, we will be a proud union family by choice," she said.

Following passage of the bill, Lyons asserted: "This is the day when Michigan freed its workers."

Watch this video from Michigan House Republicans, broadcast Dec. 6, 2012.