The Supreme Court dealt a blow to Utah’s teachers union on Tuesday by limiting how it can collect contributions from its donors. The high court ruled that the union could not collect donations for its political action committee by automatically deducting money from their members’ paychecks.
The precedent was set in a very similar “paycheck protection” law in Idaho.
“Idaho’s law does not restrict political speech, but rather declines to promote that speech by allowing public employee checkoffs for political activities,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in the court’s 6-3 decision. “Such a decision is reasonable in light of the state’s interest in avoiding the appearance that carrying out the public’s business is tainted by partisan political activity.”
The 10th District Court, which covers Utah, waited to act on Utah’s 2001 law to see how the Supreme Court would rule on Idaho’s law, which is part of the 9th District Court.