GOP push on labor gaining opposition

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 10:03 a.m.

Bipartisan opposition grew Wednesday to a GOP proposal that labor leaders say will limit political contributions.

Amid the mounting concerns, the Republican Party canceled news conferences in Reno and Las Vegas today that had been scheduled to announce the campaign.

Democratic Gov. Bob Miller and state Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas, joined leading Republican gubernatorial candidate Kenny Guinn in denouncing the GOP's "workers rights" ballot initiative. U.S. Sens. Harry Reid and Richard Bryan, both D-Nev., voiced their opposition on Tuesday.

Miller called the initiative a "terrible idea," saying all Nevadans have a responsibility to fight it regardless of their party affiliation.

"I think it's a clear case of politics, not principle," Miller said. "It's designed to provide for an uneven playing field. It's purpose is to quiet the voice of working men and women."

James, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the ballot initiative is creating an unnecessary division between labor and business in the state.

"I just think there are other issues we should be focusing on as a party," James said. "I don't see a need for this."

Nevada GOP Chairman John Mason has been leading the charge for the workers rights initiative, patterned after the Paycheck Protection Act being considered by Congress. The initiative aims to ban unions from deducting dues for political purposes without the consent of its members.

The Nevada AFL-CIO, fearing the GOP push is too intrusive on union affairs, has vowed to seek its own ballot question to prohibit corporations from making political donations without shareholder consent.

Both initiatives could muddy up the 1998 campaign season.

Republican candidates like Guinn, who enjoy support from business and labor, could be hurt the most.

Guinn turned the controversy into a public debate on Monday when he issued a statement voicing his opposition. His statement followed weeks of unsuccessful efforts behind the scenes to persuade Mason to drop the idea.

Citing recent poll results that show overwhelming public support for the initiative, including an 82 percent favorable rating among Republicans, Mason has refused to back off.

He did, however, agree to postpone the news conferences indefinitely to allow Republican candidates to assess how the initiative will affect their races.

Republican activist Charles Muth, who's involved in the campaign, said the party still hasn't settled on the exact language of the ballot question.

The decision to put off the announcement followed a "unity" meeting Guinn held in Reno with some 45 elected Republican leaders backing his candidacy.

The initiative was the focus of the summit, but concerns about its potential political fallout were raised. Mason was in attendance.

A GOP briefing paper on the initiative uses harsh anti-labor rhetoric similar to what Mason has stated in letters to Republicans the past several months.

"It is unconscionable to extort money from a member's paycheck to defeat candidates and legislation that the member supports," the paper says. "It is a violation of basic American rights to compel a union worker to make a political contribution to a cause he or she doesn't support."

Some candidates, like Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren, support the GOP initiative. Hammargren is eyeing a possible primary race against Guinn.

But the casino industry, the biggest contributor to political races, opposes the campaign.

Nevada Resort Association officials have pledged to fight it.

Nevada's two Republican congressman, Jim Gibbons and John Ensign, have yet to take a position.

Both representatives, however, co-sponsored the Paycheck Protection Act in the House.

Ensign has been critical of the national AFL-CIO for spending more than $1 million in an attempt to defeat him in 1996.

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