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Chester County Press

Uncle Irvin: Supreme Court to the rescue

01/19/2016 01:24PM ● By Richard Gaw





Twenty states, including Pennsylvania, permit school districts to check off and deduct school teachers' union dues and remit the aggregate dues directly to the union, even over the objections of the teachers who do not want to join the union.

This practice allows teachers' unions to use taxpayer tax revenues to fund political action groups, to lobby, and contribute to elected state officials, all whom have a major role in funding public schools.

Many groups in these 20 states have tried in vain to change these rules, which are obviously not in the public's interest. The for-change groups have failed miserably, largely because the union uses the teachers' dues to influence the legislature, not rescind the anti-public regulation.

However, it was just announced that the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the constitutionality of mandatory teachers' deductions. All too often, important public policy has to be decided by the courts instead of state and federal legislators who are influenced by special interest money.

(Uncle Irvin's column is his opinion only, and is not a news story.)