Free-market group targets unions at ballot

While a "right to work" initiative on the November ballot has labor and business groups girding for battle, two lesser-known proposals that could go before voters also have unions on alert, reports Tim Hoover. Both of the initiative petitions are being pushed by the Independence Institute, a Golden-based organization that promotes free-market ideas. One would ask voters to amend the Colorado Constitution to prohibit state and local governments from withholding union dues from employee paychecks. The other would ask Coloradans to pass an amendment that would prohibit unions that have collective-bargaining agreements with governments from making campaign contributions. Proponents have until Wednesday to submit the 76,047 valid signatures of registered voters to get the paycheck-deduction initiative on the November ballot.... [read full story]