Minnesota Legislature Passes Childcare Unionization Bill

Minnesota continues to go in the wrong direction politically, it’s latest disastrous endeavor was to force the unionization of child-care and adult-care workers. Governor Mark Dayton is expected to sign the bill that passed through the Senate with a 35-32 majority.

The Pioneer Press’s “Political Animal” online publication was almost gleeful in it’s reportage of the passage of the bill. In the lead, author Megan Boldt writes,

“After a marathon overnight debate that lasted almost 17 hours, the Minnesota Senate approved a bill that would allow (emphasis mine) child care providers and personal-care attendants to bargain collectively with the state.”

Boldt continues her article mentioning that the bill Dayton signed into law was passed with a 35-32 majority and proceeds to throw four Democrats under the bus that had the good sense and judgment to join Republicans and vote against the lame law. You can read Boldt’s complete article here.

Proponents of the new law say that it will increase access for people seeking childcare and adult in-home health care, and improve working conditions and pay for those who provide such care. Like most Liberal-Progressive brain-children, it will in fact do the exact opposite of what it says, while at the same time increase the money flowing to Liberal union bosses in the state who will continue to use that money to crush political voices of opposition.

Republican Senator Sean Nienow of Cambridge properly described the law in his comments to the Pioneer Press.

“It receives the dirty diaper award. Few bills stink this bad and I think many members will have to hold their noses to vote for it,” -Nienow

“Many problematic bills have been moving through the legislature during this session.

“Among the very worst proposals that the DFL-controlled House is considering is the unionization of in-home private childcare providers. This legislation represents an unprecedented power-grab by AFSCME and their allies to unionize small business owners.”

Problematic? What an understatement! In her jam-packed, pithy article, it’s hard to pick one paragraph that stands out over the others in her description of how very bad this law will be. I recommend you read the whole thing. Here however, is what I believe the nut-graph of Lohmer’s comments as they appear in the middle of the story.

Lohmer writes,

“Unionizing childcare providers will also lower the quality of childcare. Through the requirement of paying union dues, taxpayer dollars meant for quality childcare programs will be redirected to union bank accounts and political campaign activities. Many providers are concerned that the deduction of dues would require them to stop accepting childcare assistance families or to make drastic cuts to their childcare programs — reducing the quality of care.”

You can read Lohmer’s brilliantly pithy column in it’s entirety here.

Lohmer and Nienow are correct in their assessments of this new law. Liberals in the state continue to blast bad law through the houses of legislature aimed at doing good, but in their naiveté they continue to harm small business owners and the middle class. At the same time they continue to support their one funding source that keeps them in power election after election, the powerhouse liberal labor unions.

Minnesotans need to come to their senses and do what Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker did recently, and that is to become a right to work state and end the tyrannous power grab of corrupt unions.

Update: The Childcare Unionization Bill passed the Senate earlier this week. Now it goes to the House for discussion and a vote. The Minnesota Chapter of Americans For Prosperity are encouraging people to go to the capitol and show their opposition. Call your House Representative and make  yourself heard. Saturday is a big day.