Wisconsin is one step closer to becoming the 25th right-to-work state.

The Wisconsin State Assembly today approved right-to-work legislation barring unions from requiring workers to pay the equivalent of dues.

The Republican-controlled State Assembly passed the bill 62-35 in a party-line vote after almost 20 hours of debate.

Gov. Scott Walker, who is expected to run for president in 2016, said he will sign the bill Monday.

After he was re-elected to a second term in November, Walker had said he did not expect right-to-work legislation to make it to his desk this session. But Walker, known for taking on unions in his state, changed course.

Under the legislation, workers will not have to pay dues to a union they have not joined, or as a condition of employment.

>>>Should Wisconsin Pass a Right-to-Work Law? These 2 Charts Explain the Debate.

Opponents of the measure, which affects private sector employees, say it will diminish wages for workers in the state.

Rep. Dana Wachs, D-Eau Claire, said in a statement that right-to-work legislation “does nothing to stimulate the economy or create jobs in Wisconsin.”

“In fact, it will hurt working families, make wages lower, and decimate workplace safety and security,” Wachs said. “We should be investing in a robust middle class to create a secure economic future.”

Wachs said that Walker’s support of the legislation suggests that he is placing his presidential ambitions before the people of Wisconsin.

“Wisconsin workers and families deserve much better than to be used as pawns in his ambitions for higher political office,” Wachs said.

Rep. Kathy Bernier, R-Lake Hallie, told Wisconsin’s WEAU that the bill doesn’t prevent individuals from joining a union or unions to organize.

“I encourage those who are happy with their union to continue to participate,” Bernier said.

“This issue is really about individual liberty and the constitutional freedom to associate. No one should be forced to pay dues as a condition of their employment. If a union provides good service to their members they will continue to thrive. That’s good for workers and Wisconsin.”

James Sherk, the senior policy analyst in labor economics at The Heritage Foundation, said that workers should be free to choose whether to join a union.

“Unions should have to demonstrate their value to workers and earn their voluntary support,” Sherk said. “Federal law allows unions to negotiate contracts that only cover their members. Unions voluntarily represent non-members in contract negotiations. They should not be able to force the workers who see no value in their services to nonetheless pay dues or get fired.”