Party line vote
Ft. Wayne Mayor Tom Henry tried to do the right thing but he just didn’t have the numbers.
For the second time in less than a month, the Fort Wayne, Indiana City Council has decided to override a mayoral veto affecting government unions. On Tuesday, the council voted 6-3 along party lines to keep a right-to-work ordinance for police officers and firefighters.
Last week, Mayor Tom Henry vetoed the ordinance, which allows firefighters and officers to opt out of being in their respective unions without losing their jobs. Six votes were needed to override the veto. All six came from Republican councilmen John Crawford, Tom Smith, Tom Didier, Russ Jehl, Marty Bender and Mitch Harper. Democratic Councilmen John Shoaff, Glynn Hines and Geoff Paddock voted against the override. Shoaff had originally voted to pass the ordinance on July 8. “We’re meddling in (the union’s) private affairs,” Shoaff said during a public discussion before the vote.
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