The decade-old fight over Michigan's most controversial labor law could be close to an end.

Driving the news: House Democrats moved forward legislation to repeal the 2012 right-to-work law last Thursday as union leaders cheered them on from the House gallery.

• The proposal is being heard before the Senate Labor Committee Tuesday at 8:30am.
• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has expressed support for repealing the measure.

Why it matters: The state's right-to-work law prohibits requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of employment. Democrats and union advocates say right-to-work reduces union membership, which ultimately weakens the political power of unions, and hasn't lured businesses to the state like Republicans had hoped.

• Republicans say right-to-work gives workers more freedom and attracts businesses to the state.
• This fight dates back to 2012, when the passage of right to work laws by Republicans prompted fiery protests at the state Capitol.

What they're saying: "Right-to-work was never about freedom — it was simply about control," Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park), the bill's lead sponsor, said in her House floor speech last week.

• Weiss cited a 1961 speech from Martin Luther King Jr. regarding these laws: "In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as 'right to work.' It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights."

The other side: "(Repealing right-to-work) will lead to fewer companies, fewer economic...

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