Wisconsin’s ‘right-to-work’ law inspires at least one road builder to grow in Minnesota.

Legislative debates on the issue are generally badly informed, partisan-driven, or woefully devoid of fact-based impartial evidence.

The state Senate’s majority leader brought up the possibility of exemptions meant to preserve construction unions’ role in training workers.

Backers of a right-to-work proposal say it would be easier to adopt than the 2011 law that stripped most public workers of the bulk of their collective bargaining rights.

When Jeremy Miller walked in the 2010 La Crescent Applefest Parade, his interactions with voters led to a lot of questions. “Who are you?” they asked. And: “You’re running for what?” And: “Are you even old enough?”

When so-called right-to-work legislation came up for a floor vote in March, Sen. Jeremy Miller was the only Republican to vote against the proposal. Although it was merely a procedural vote to send the proposed constitutional amendment to a different committee, organized labor was grateful for the freshman legislator’s public opposition.

In an appearance on Fox 9 Tuesday evening, Lakeville Republican Sen. Dave Thompson said he thought conservatives in the Minnesota Legislature are "a functional minority" and are "getting rolled" by their own Republican leadership.

GOP legislators began sounding the constitutional amendment drumbeat even before the start of Session 2012.

GOP Sen. Dave Thompson, the chief sponsor of the amendment in the Senate, urged leadership at a Tuesday Capitol news conference to move to the bill from its current position in the Senate Rules Committee and bring it up for a vote on the floor.

If Sen. Dave Thompson has his way, the road to the 2012 election will feature many scenes like the one that unfolded early Monday morning at the Capitol.