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Labor protests have broken out in Michigan following Gov. Rick Snyder's announcement that he was shifting direction and seeking so-called "right-to-work" legislation in his state.

The Capitol in Lansing was shut down and mace was used by state troopers amid the protests of the legislation by unions there, the Detroit Free Press reports.

The legislation would allow public and private workers in Michigan to opt out of joining a union covering their workplace and paying dues.

Supporters say such proposals promote freedom and detractors say they can weaken unions to the point of making them irrelevant.

In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker has declined to say whether or not he would veto right-to-work legislation and instead repeatedly said it was not a priority. Snyder initially said he didn't want to deal with the issue either, the Free Press has reported.