RALEIGH─ Americans for Prosperity questions Governor Perdue’s willingness to defend North Carolina law in maintaining the state ban on collective bargaining by public employees.

She told the News & Observer today: “I am very hopeful the whole issue will be solved in Congress. I know that is an issue that is right there before them.”

Governor Perdue was referring to a bill that would allow first responders — including law enforcement and correctional offices — to engage in collective bargaining, according to the News & Observer. Both North Carolina and Virginia currently have state bans on collective bargaining by public employees, but the proposed bill would revoke those bans and grant national allowance.

In response to the Governor’s comments, Dallas Woodhouse, state director of Americans for Prosperity- North Carolina released the following statement:

“Americans for Prosperity has praised Governor Beverly Perdue in the past for her stance against removing the states 50-year-old ban against collective bargaining. However, her latest statements appear to indicate that she supports Congress overturning our laws by passing the The Public Safety Employer–Employee Cooperation Act, which would force all state and local governments to collectively bargain with police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel.

This would be an outrageous overreach on the sovereignty of the State of North Carolina. State Senate Leader Marc Basnight recently stated that it was not in the best interest of North Carolina to change its laws regarding public employee unions, and we agree.

If Governor Perdue has changed her mind and now supports lifting the ban on collective bargaining, she should announce her change of position and lobby the General Assembly to change state law.

But she has a duty to uphold the sovereignty of the State Of North Carolina by telling Congress to stay out of this issue. The decision over public employee collective bargaining in North Carolina should be left to our state taxpayers through our elected representative at the General Assembly. This decision should be made on Jones Street, not Capitol Hill. Governor Perdue has a duty to stand up for North Carolina’s right to make this decision.”