Republican Senate hopeful voted against working people on 7 out of 8 key bills
LANSING – State Representative Tom Barrett (R-Potterville) received a score of just 13% percent in a new legislative scorecard released yesterday by the Michigan AFL-CIO. The state labor federation analyzed the voting records of all State Representatives on 8 key votes during the 2017-18 legislative session. A copy of the scorecard is available online.
“Tom Barrett voted to slash the pay of working families when he voted to repeal prevailing wage. The studies show repealing prevailing wage won’t save the state a dime, but instead takes money out of the paychecks of working men and women and instead lines the pockets of corporate CEOs,” said Paul Hufnagel, President of the Greater Lansing Labor Council. “Barrett has shown that when working families need him most, he’s going to turn his back on them and side with corporate special interests instead.”
Barrett voted against the interests of Michigan’s working families on key issues such as the vote to repeal prevailing wage which will cut paychecks across the state and open critical infrastructure projects to low-skilled workers. Barrett also voted for HB 5141 which allows uncertified teachers into the classroom and for SB 574 which allows for-profit charter and cyber schools to receive money from local millages meant for improving public schools.
“Just like he did in his first term, Tom Barrett has failed working families again. It just shows whose priorities he’s really representing in Lansing,” said Ron Bieber President of the Michigan AFL-CIO. “Working men and women want a fair return on their work and excellent schools with qualified teachers to send their children to. Instead Tom Barrett has cast his votes to put corporate profits over working people.”
