Illinois' Democratic House speaker says he's scheduling a vote on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposal to allow employees to opt out of unions.
Speaker Michael J. Madigan announced Thursday the vote is scheduled for May 14, even though the governor hasn't filed a bill with the Legislature.
Rauner has spent recent months pitching city councils, county commissioners and business groups on the idea of local "empowerment zones." The zones would allow voters to make union membership voluntary, rather than mandatory, at unionized workplaces in their communities.
It's also a key part of a set of pro-business reforms the governor wants passed in exchange for new revenue.
Rauner says 'special interests' have to be stopped. But Madigan says the governor's proposal will have a significant impact on middle-class families across Illinois.
