As the results flashed on the House of Representatives screens – solidifying a vote to kill a bill that would’ve made New Hampshire a “right-to-work” state – union members and legislators alike erupted in applause.

In a 200-180 vote, 25 Republicans joined Democrats to indefinitely postpone the bill, meaning it can’t return in a similar form for the next two years. House Bill 283 would’ve prohibited collective bargaining agreements from requiring workers to join or contribute financially to unions.

Union members and other advocates rallied on the State House lawn early on Thursday and lined the Capitol building’s halls, urging legislators to vote it down.

Before any debate, Derry Republican Stephen Pearson motioned to kill the legislation, arguing that to pass it would go against President Donald Trump’s wishes. He said right-to-work is no longer a priority on the national Republican agenda and only serves to “alienate” people from the Republican Party.

On a practical note, opponents of the bill said, voting it down wouldn’t change any of the current legal protections for workers.

“Many of you support right-to-work because you feel that someone should not have to join a union to get a job. I completely and totally agree with that,” Pearson said, but he argued current state law already prohibits coercing anyone to join a union as a condition of employment.

Antrim Rep. Jim Creighton, a Republican, had advocated for a full discussion and vote on the bill, saying he viewed it not as “anti-union” but as “pro-worker.”

“HB 238 is vital to fair employment practices,” he said. “Workers and employers should have the option to negotiate their own employment agreement. We owe it to our businesses to hear these arguments.”

Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Concord Monitor and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly, subscribe to her Capital Beat newsletter and email her at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.