Republicans fully restored Littleton Republican Sen. Tim Neville’s “Right to Work” bill, SB16-70, following a surprise turn in debate when an amendment submitted Friday by pro-labor Sen. Jessie Ulibarri, D-Westminster, was mistakenly approved unanimously by the Republican majority.

The Ulibarri amendment turned Neville’s bill upside down, stripping it of its anti-union provisions and transforming it into a bill that guarded the right to organize and that protected workers who supported unions from potential employer abuse.

“There were things in that amendment that (were) wrong,” said Senate President Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, Monday. “We didn’t catch it all until the weekend.”

Ulibarri told The Colorado Statesman that he was surprised when Neville mistakenly accepted his amendment as “friendly” and that the subsequent unanimous vote of approval it received was a pleasant shock.

“This never happens,” he said.

A Republican amendment proposed Friday restored the bill’s anti-union right-to-work language, but left Ulibarri’s anti-discrimination wording in as well. Ulibarri said he thought his wording better suited the bill’s title, which concerned “the prohibition of discrimination against employees based on labor union participation.”

Cadman told the chamber Monday that Ulibarri’s amendment, although initially accepted as “friendly” by Neville, in fact fully intended to gut Neville’s bill. He added that perhaps the lesson learned for all of the Senate members was to just say no to any amendment that is only partially agreeable.

Neville told The Statesman following Friday’s second reading that there were aspects of the amendment he liked and that he encouraged his Republican colleagues to support — but that the amendment clearly had to be refined if it was going to be attached to his bill.

The bill now moves to the Democrat controlled House.

— kara@coloradostatesman.com