Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has tried to style himself as a staunch defender of states’ rights and the 10th Amendment, which delegates to the states powers not enshrined in the Constitution. “You either have to believe in the 10th Amendment or you don’t,” he’s said. “You can’t believe in the 10th Amendment for a few issues and then [for] something that doesn’t suit you say, ‘We’d rather not have states decide that.’”
However, proving once again that his commitment to states’ rights only applies when it’s convenient, Perry’s spokesman told The Street that the governor would support a national “right to work” law:
“Governor Perry would support Senator DeMint’s national right to work bill,” Perry spokesman Mark Miner told The Street in an email.
At the moment, states decide whether or not to be “right to work,” which is a policy that allows non-union members to work in unionized companies (which both lets those employees free-ride on the gains that the union secures for them and, obviously, weakens the union by allowing workers to enjoy its benefits while not offering it any financial support). The bill that Perry supports — proposed by another faux states’ rights supporter, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) — would overrule those states that have decided not to become “right to work” and force the policy upon them.
This is hardly the first time that Perry has ditched his belief in states’ rights in order to support right-wing goals. As Ian Milllhiser noted, Perry supports the anti-gay marriage “Federal Marriage Act,” which would overrule states that have adopted marriage equality. “Perry’s claim that he supports states’ rights to govern themselves, while simultaneously supporting the anti-gay ‘Federal Marriage Amendment’ is impossible to reconcile,” Milllhiser wrote.
So Perry is proving over and over that his dedication to states’ rights only applies when it’s in support of policies he likes. Otherwise, he is perfectly fine with big government coming in and dictating to states which rules they are going to follow.
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