The Indiana House approved the bill, which bars employers from signing contracts that require workers to pay union dues, by a 54-to-44 margin, even though five Republicans joined Democratic lawmakers to oppose it. Earlier in the week, the state Senate voted 28-22 in favor of the measure with nine Republicans joining all 13 Democrats in voting against it. Among the Republican who voted against the measure were Sen. Ed Charbbonneau and Rep. Tom Dermody, both of whom represent Pulaski County.

The bill will now move to the Senate where it will be assigned to a committee. When the Republican controlled Senate signs off on the measure, it will proceed to Gov. Mitch Daniels' desk for his signature. Daniels has promised to quickly sign the bill, saying  it will help Indiana attract businesses and jobs to the state.

On Nov. 21, Bosma announced that his number one priority this session would focus on Right to Work and bringing more jobs to Indiana. “With the latest unemployment number stubbornly hovering at 9 percent, it is important that we bring more employment opportunities to Indianaand give Hoosiers the freedom to choose how their hard earned money is spent.”

Rep. Torr began the Right to Work pursuit in 2004 when he first filed a bill on this legislation. “Evidence shows that Right toWork is a job creation strategy and in these hard economic times it is imperative that we become the 23rd Right to Work state and put the over quarter million unemployed Hoosiers back to work.”

Opponents have labeled the bill a "union busting" measure intended to weaken a key Democratic constituency in an election year.

Under the law, employees in the state cannot be forced to pay union dues -- even if they work at companies where the workforce is unionized. Such statutes are in force in 22 states, mostly in the South and West. After Republican statehouse gains following the 2010 election, Wisconsin and Ohio passed variations of the Right to Work bill in 2011, dealing with public sector unions, which sparked mass controversy and resulted in recall petitions against Wisconsin's governor and several lawmakers. Ohio's measure was turned back in a public referendum in November.

Political observers have noted that Wisconsion and Ohio are potential swing states in the 2012 presidential election, and possibly Indiana as well.

Dermody, who resides in LaPorte,  told WKVI Radio that he has opposed the bill in the past. "I don’t believe government should be telling business what to do,” said Dermody. “If they want to engage into a private contract with their employees, they should be able to do that. I spent the summer listening to members of the Chamber of Commerce and the LaPorte Chamber of Commerce doesn’t support this. The Economic Development group does not support it. You have to listen to the people that you represent and come down and vote.”

HB1001 was finally heard on third reading Wednesday after the majority of the Democrat Caucus had delayed the first few weeks of the 2012 session by staying of the house floor to deny the Republican majority a quorum. Republicans responded by imposing $1,000-a-day fines on the absent legislators, which the Democrats fought in court. Members of the House Republicans attempted to address Right to Work in last year's session; however, House Democrats denied the House a quorum by leaving the state for five weeks. Therefore the issue was tabled and further studied in the Interim Study Committee on Employment this past summer.

In the end, however, the House Democrats conceded to the Republican majority and returned to the statehouse this week. Democrats sought to introduce several amendments, including an effort to put the right-to-work measure before voters in a referendum, but Republicans defeated them.

This session, the House conducted joint hearings with the Senate on the bill and heard over five hours of testimony and all those who wished to testify on both sides were heard. The bill passed out of committee over two weeks ago. On Monday, the bill was heard on second reading and after nearly five hours of debate nine amendments were heard and two amendments adopted.

“Passing Right to Work is what is best for Indiana. This has always been about freedom and economic opportunity for all Hoosiers,” said, Bosma. “I announced that our number one priority this session is to bring jobsto Indiana and a victory for Hoosiers has been made with the passage of this bill.”

The last state to pass right-to-work legislation was Oklahoma in 2001.