NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Gov. Bill Lee will serve as the chairman of a campaign to put Tennessee's law prohibiting a company and a union from requiring workers to pay union dues or fees into the state Constitution.
The Republican announced Monday that he will take the position with the Yes on 1 Committee for the so-called right-to-work amendment on the ballot in November 2022. The campaign will coincide with his own reelection bid.
The state's law has been on the books since 1947, but Republican lawmakers have completed the lengthy process to put it on the ballot as a constitutional amendment.
Business interests are backing the change, while unions are opposing it. Other prominent Republicans are on board, including former Gov. Bill Haslam, who is serving as the committee's treasurer.
The Yes on 1 Committee says the constitutional amendment would make it harder to repeal the law in place. Opponents counter that the measure discourages workers from joining unions in a state where unions already have very little foothold.