Republican gubernatorial candidate James Comer says passing a statewide right-to-work law would be his first priority if elected as Kentucky's next governor.
Comer, Kentucky’s agriculture commissioner and a Monroe County native, predicts the issue will be hotly debated during the general election, given that Democratic front-runner Jack Conway opposes such a law.
Right-to-work laws prohibit private-sector workers from being forced to join labor unions. Critics maintain they’re being used as a tool to crush labor organizations and drive down workers’ wages.
Comer says becoming right-to-work would help Kentucky compete for jobs against its neighbors.
“If you want to be considered a business-friendly state, one of the first things you have to do in your state is become right-to-work," Comer says.
Several Kentucky counties have passed, or are in the process of passing, local right-to-work ordinances. Marshall County this week became the first county in the state to pass a resolution denouncing right-to-work measures.
Comer is one of four Republicans running for governor. Also in the race are former Louisville Metro Council member Hal Heiner, former Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott, and former U.S. Senate candidate and Tea Party activist Matt Bevin.
Besides Conway, the only other Democrat running in the primary is retired Lexington engineer Geoff Young.
