Delegate Dickie Bell (R-Staunton) issued the following statement regarding comments from Democratic gubernatorial candidates regarding Virginia’s Right to Work statute.
“I was deeply disappointed to hear Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Congressman Tom Perriello and Lt. Governor Ralph Northam’s comments about Virginia’s Right to Work laws at their recent debate. Virginia’s right to work status has a long history of bipartisan support from Republican and Democratic administrations.
“Congressman Perriello directly stated that he would work to repeal Right to Work, while Lt. Governor Northam praised the defeat of a right to work constitutional amendment last year and inferred that if the General Assembly makeup was different he would be willing to support a repeal. This is in stark contrast to the words ‘We should never change that’ stated by Governor McAuliffe on the campaign trail just four years ago.
“Virginia’s economic recovery is still lagging behind the national recovery and Virginia’s pro-business ratings are in steady decline. We should be looking for ways to incentivize businesses to come to Virginia and must do all in our power to restore our place at the top of the rankings as the best state to work and live. Our status as a right to work state has been one of our best tools to attract and retain businesses and there has never been a worse time to take that tool off the table.
“Other states across the country, including our bordering states of West Virginia and Kentucky, are recognizing the benefits and passing their own Right to Work laws. Nevertheless, Democrats in Virginia are threatening to go in the opposite direction. Should Perriello or Northam succeed in repealing our Right to Work laws, no one would benefit more than our bordering states. This region is already incredibly competitive and removing Right to Work would undoubtedly cause thriving businesses to go elsewhere.
“If we’ve learned anything over the last few election cycles, it should be that elections have consequences. At a time when statewide Democrats are trying to out left each other to win the Democratic primary, I’m pleased to see Ed Gillespie putting forth a strong economic agenda that we can all rally behind. I look forward to working with Ed Gillespie to help protect our right to work status and restore Virginia’s economy.”
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