Warren County Passes Local Right-to-Work Law

Warren County has become the only local government in the country to approve measure making it illegal for companies to require employees to join a labor union.

The move comes despite an opinion by Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway that says local government lack the authority to pass such a law. In addition, labor unions have vowed to fight it in court.

The Warren County Fiscal Court passed the right-to-work law on Friday after a tense meeting that attracted union workers from across the state. Twenty-four states have passed right-to-work laws. But efforts to do that in Kentucky have been blocked by Democrats in the state House.

Warren County leaders said they wanted to pass the law because it would help them compete for jobs with neighboring Tennessee, a right-to-work state.