The Rev. Jesse Jackson joined protesters and Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero in front of the city hall, and later moved to the Capitol. He spoke against the right to work bills that ended up passing in the Legislature just an hour later.

(Photo by Chris Clark | MLive.com)

LANSING, MI - The second of two right-to-work bills that did not exist until five days ago passed the House Tuesday, and Gov. Rick Snyder has promised to sign them.

After passage of the first bill, protesters started getting angry. They are sitting down in the Capitol rotunda, and police have started limiting access to the Capitol's higher floors. Michigan State Police confirmed there have been two arrests at the George W. Romney building, where protesters tried to rush through a door. The governor's office is at the Romney building.



Jesse Jackson joins protest inside Michigan Capitol 7 Gallery: Jesse Jackson joins protest inside Michigan Capitol

The second right-to-work bill, which passed 58-52, prohibits requiring private-sector workers to pay union dues as a condition of employment. The earlier bill, which would ban the practice for public-sector workers,

passed 58-51.

Both were approved by the Senate last Thursday. There are procedural hurdles that must be cleared, but they could be sent to Snyder as early as today.



The law will allow workers to "choose for themselves what is best for themselves," said Rep. Marty Knollenberg, R-Troy.



But Democrats said the thousands of people protesting outside the Capitol sent a powerful message that the measure was being taken up at the wrong time in the wrong way.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson came to town, speaking in front of Lansing City Hall and later showed up in the Capitol rotunda.

"Right-to-work laws mean right to work for less. More work and less wages. More work and less protection. More work and less benefits," Jackson said.

Democrats criticized the breakneck pace at which Republicans pushed through the legislation.



"The divisiveness is defined by looking out the window," said Rep. Harold Haugh, D-Roseville. "Our union brothers and sisters are here. They didn't have to be here. We didn't have to take this legislation up."

Rep. Kate Segal, D-Battle Creek, said the Legislature was “doing the wrong thing in the wrong way.”

An estimated 10,000 marching, chanting protesters gathered outside the Capitol and Lansing City Hall. And another 2,500 were allowed inside the Capitol.

Steve Benkovsky, Capitol facilities director, said it’s the largest protest he’s seen in his 16 years in the job, and that the estimate is solid.

“If we're not close within 500 people, I'd be surprised, “ Benkovsky said of his office's estimates.

Email Tim Martin at tmartin4@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter: @TimMartinMI