Figure A
An increasing number of states are empowering workers to opt out of coercive speech: State legislation and employment levels by state, 2006–2024
| State | Year | Bills, initiatives, and statues | Status | Detailed status | Private sector employment | Public sector employment | Total employment | Status key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | ||||||||
| Alaska | Measure 1 (2024); SB 109 (2023) | Ballot Measure 1 | Enacted | SB 109 (2023) failed; Ballot Measure 1 (2024) Enacted | 221,000 | 83,000 | 304,000 | 2 |
| Arizona | ||||||||
| Arkansas | ||||||||
| California | 2023 | SB 399 | Enacted | Enacted | 13,894,000 | 2,540,000 | 16,434,000 | 2 |
| Colorado | 2024 | HB 24-1260 | Failed | Vetoed by governor | 2,274,000 | 466,000 | 2,740,000 | 1 |
| Connecticut | 2022 | SB 163 | Enacted | Enacted | 1,384,000 | 257,000 | 1,641,000 | 2 |
| Delaware | ||||||||
| Washington D.C. | ||||||||
| Florida | ||||||||
| Georgia | ||||||||
| Hawaii | 2024 | SB 2715 | Enacted | Enacted | 439,000 | 137,000 | 575,000 | 2 |
| Idaho | ||||||||
| Illinois | 2024 | SB 3649 | Enacted | Enacted | 4,881,000 | 703,000 | 5,584,000 | 2 |
| Indiana | ||||||||
| Iowa | ||||||||
| Kansas | ||||||||
| Kentucky | ||||||||
| Louisiana | ||||||||
| Maine | 2023 | SP 702 / LD 1756 | Enacted | Enacted | 485,000 | 84,000 | 569,000 | 2 |
| Maryland | 2024 | HB 0802 | Failed | In House | 2,085,000 | 761,000 | 2,846,000 | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 2023 | S.958 | Introduced | In Senate | 2,892,000 | 393,000 | 3,285,000 | 1 |
| Michigan | 2023 | HB 4236 | Introduced | In House | 3,931,000 | 479,000 | 4,411,000 | 1 |
| Minnesota | 2023 | HF 2442 | Enacted | Enacted | 2,331,000 | 359,000 | 2,691,000 | 2 |
| Mississippi | ||||||||
| Missouri | ||||||||
| Montana | ||||||||
| Nebraska | ||||||||
| Nevada | ||||||||
| New Hampshire | ||||||||
| New Jersey | 2006 | §34:19-10 | Enacted‡ | Enacted | 3,650,000 | 549,000 | 4,200,000 | 2 |
| New Mexico | ||||||||
| New York | 2023 | S.4982 / A.6604 | Enacted | Enacted | 6,917,000 | 1,392,000 | 8,309,000 | 2 |
| North Carolina | ||||||||
| North Dakota | ||||||||
| Ohio | ||||||||
| Oklahoma | ||||||||
| Oregon | 2010 | ORS 659.785 | Enacted | Enacted | 1,523,000 | 279,000 | 1,802,000 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 2024 | HB 2540 | Introduced | In House | 5,766,000 | 5,105,000 | 660,000 | 1 |
| Rhode Island | 2023 | H 7106 | Introduced | In House | 437,000 | 63,000 | 499,000 | 1 |
| South Carolina | ||||||||
| South Dakota | ||||||||
| Tennessee | ||||||||
| Texas | ||||||||
| Utah | ||||||||
| Vermont | 2023 | S. 102 | Enacted | Enacted | 249,000 | 46,000 | 295,000 | 2 |
| Virginia | 2024 | SB 485 | Introduced | In Senate | 3,132,000 | 911,000 | 4,043,000 | 1 |
| Washington | 2023 | SB 5778 | Enacted | Enacted | 2,915,000 | 561,000 | 3,476,000 | 2 |
| West Virginia | ||||||||
| Wisconsin | 2009 | SB 585 | Rescinded‡ | Passed but later rescinded | 2,401,000 | 353,000 | 2,753,000 | 3 |
| Wyoming |
Note: New Jersey statute §34:19-10 does not define communications regarding labor unions as "political matters" and thus allows anti-union captive audience meetings. Although no formal ruling was issued, Wisconsin entered a settlement to stop enforcing Act 290 following legal challenges. Employment data refer to workers 16+. Self-employed and self-incorporated workers are excluded. Data are not seasonally adjusted.
Source: Authors' analysis of state legislation and 2023 employment data from the BLS Current Population Survey, accessed via Economic Policy Institute. 2024. Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 1.0.49, https://microdata.epi.org.
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