Your Guide to Right-to-Work Bills, Lawmakers' Votes in Chesterfield Township Area

Protesters took to Capitol steps Tuesday in Lansing to sound off on right-to-work legislation that became law after Gov. Rick Snyder did an abrupt about-face on the issue last week and a series of related bills passed in the House and Senate.

[Did you participate in the demonstrations? Leave a comment, upload a photo or email New Baltimore-Chesterfield Patch!]

Read on for a description of each bill and to find out how lawmakers who represent local citizens voted.

House Bill 4054

The legislation makes Michigan a "right-to-work" state and was passed 58 to 52 in the House on Dec. 6, according to michiganvotes.org. The bill prohibits unions from requiring workers to pay dues as a term of employment. It also includes a $1 million appropriation to make it "referendum-proof," michiganvotes.org reports. (Visit legislature.mi.gov to download the full bill.)

• Rep. Andrea LaFontaine, a Republican whose district includes Chesterfield Township and New Baltimore: Voted yes
• Rep. Anthony Forlini, R-Harrison Township, representing the 24th District: Voted no
• Rep. Ken Goike, R-Ray Township, representing the 33rd District: Voted no

Senate Bill 116

The legislation that makes Michigan a "right-to-work" state was passed 22 to 16 in the Senate on Dec. 6, according to michiganvotes.org. The bill prohibits unions from requiring workers to pay dues as a term of employment. It also includes a $1 million appropriation to make it "referendum-proof," michiganvotes.org reports. (Visit legislature.mi.gov to download the full bill.)

• Sen. Jack Brandenburg, R-Harrison Township, representing the 11th District: Voted yes

House Bill 4003

The legislation that extends right-to-work regulations to government and school employees passed 22 to 4 in the Senate on Dec. 6. It passed 63 to 46 in the House on June 8, 2011, according to michiganvotes.org. (Visit legislature.mi.gov to download the full bill.)

• Rep. Andrea LaFontaine, a Republican whose district includes Chesterfield Township and New Baltimore: Voted yes (in 2012)
  
• Rep. Ken Goike, R-Ray Township, representing the 33rd District: Voted yes (in 2011)
  
• Rep. Anthony Forlini, R-Harrison Township, representing the 24th District: Voted yes (in 2011)
  
• Sen. Jack Brandenburg, R-Harrison Township, representing the 11th District: Voted yes (in 2012)
  

Senate Democrats, who walked out of the Capitol on Thursday in a show of protest after all 21 of their proposed amendments to the bill were defeated, did not vote on the legislation.