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OK, you can have dues checkoff for United Way, but not for your union. Why not? Your union publishes a political newsletter! Does that sound unconstitutional to you? Not to the lame ducks in AL!
"(CN) - Alabama's lame-duck governor called a special session at which he rammed through an unconstitutional law, under the guise of "ethics reform," which prohibits teachers from allowing automatic payroll deductions for union dues, and makes union members criminally liable if such dues or PAC contributions are used for "phone calling for any political purpose," or "distributing political literature of any type," the Alabama Education Association claims in Huntsville Federal Court...
One of the reforms was to prohibit payroll deductions for contributions to PACs. This was included in Act 2010-761 aka Senate Bill 2. But the Act did much more than that. It states: "No person in the employment of the State of Alabama, a county, a city, a local school board, or any other governmental agency may arrange by salary deduction or otherwise for any payments to a political action committee or arrange by salary deduction or otherwise for any payments for dues of any person so employed to a membership organization which uses any portion of the dues for political activity."
The Act defines political activity as "... (3) Engaging in or paying for any form of political communication, including communications which mention the name of a political candidate. (4) Engaging in or paying for any type of political advertising in any medium. (5) Phone calling for any political purpose. (6) Distributing political literature of any type. (7) Providing any type of in-kind help or support to or for a political candidate."
OK, you can have dues checkoff for United Way, but not for your union. Why not? Your union publishes a political newsletter! Does that sound unconstitutional to you? Not to the lame ducks in AL!
"(CN) - Alabama's lame-duck governor called a special session at which he rammed through an unconstitutional law, under the guise of "ethics reform," which prohibits teachers from allowing automatic payroll deductions for union dues, and makes union members criminally liable if such dues or PAC contributions are used for "phone calling for any political purpose," or "distributing political literature of any type," the Alabama Education Association claims in Huntsville Federal Court...
One of the reforms was to prohibit payroll deductions for contributions to PACs. This was included in Act 2010-761 aka Senate Bill 2. But the Act did much more than that. It states: "No person in the employment of the State of Alabama, a county, a city, a local school board, or any other governmental agency may arrange by salary deduction or otherwise for any payments to a political action committee or arrange by salary deduction or otherwise for any payments for dues of any person so employed to a membership organization which uses any portion of the dues for political activity."
The Act defines political activity as "... (3) Engaging in or paying for any form of political communication, including communications which mention the name of a political candidate. (4) Engaging in or paying for any type of political advertising in any medium. (5) Phone calling for any political purpose. (6) Distributing political literature of any type. (7) Providing any type of in-kind help or support to or for a political candidate."
I'm sure they are suing in federal court. For starters, state's don't have the authority to determine the activities of a PAC. They also don't have the right to determine what unions do with dues--that's also regulated by the feds (no contributions to candidates, but in addition to servicing in grievances and negotiations, they can do voter education and get out the vote campaigns for their own members).
Well it certainly looks like the unions are the latest "bad boy".
Don't worry though..everyone will get their turn as the pointing finger of hatred moves from group to group.
The GOP Governor was a 'lame-duck', but the GOP legislature that passed the law was newly-elected. Note that Alabama elected a Republican House and Senate for the first time in 136 years (since Reconstruction after the Civil War). The newly-elected GOP Governor would've passed the same laws.
Democratic Party corruption was one of the major reasons for their defeat. The 'ethics reform' that the article disparages bans PAC to PAC transfers, which allowed the AEA to launder money. The Democrats actually had many of the ethics reform measures in their platform, but never got around to passing ethics reform (136 years wasn't enough time for them).
The law that the OP refers to doesn't disenfranchise anyone, nor is it unconstitutional - the State just won't act as a collection agent for unions anymore. Individuals can still contribute to PACs, but they have to make their own arrangements through direct-deposit or writing checks.
I'm of two minds on this one. On one hand, public service unions like teachers donate almost exclusively to the democratic party. Such contributions are actually coming from the taxpayers. That should not be happening. On the other hand, the employees should b allowed to privately donate their income as they see fit. Doubt this law will stand up in court and rightly so. Isn't there a law or regulation regarding unions donating to a candidate or party you oppose with your union dues?
The law that the OP refers to doesn't disenfranchise anyone, nor is it unconstitutional - the State just won't act as a collection agent for unions anymore. Individuals can still contribute to PACs, but they have to make their own arrangements through direct-deposit or writing checks.
That's how I'm interpreting it. I can think of one very good reason why the government shouldn't do it, it's not their job. Let the teacher pay the administrative expense for paying the dues.
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