Education A State Capitals Roundup

Court Overturns Law on Idaho Union Dues

By Vaishali Honawar — December 13, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A federal judge has ruled unconstitutional an Idaho law that bars automatic deductions from state workers’ paychecks for union political activity, handing a major victory to the Idaho Education Association, which was a party to the lawsuit.

The state’s Voluntary Contribution Act, passed in 2003, required unions to get written permission from members to use any of the dues they collected through automatic deductions for political activities.

But U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill, in Boise, said in a decision made public Nov. 30 that the automatic deductions could stay in place if the union agrees to cover the costs.

Sherri Wood, the president of the 11,900-member Idaho Education Association, pointed out that membership in the union is voluntary. “Idaho is a right-to-work state,” she said, adding that members can ask for refunds of the portion of their dues spent on political activities.

But Sen. Brad Little, a Republican who strongly supports the law, said he would study the ruling carefully to consider ways to fight it. He maintained that union members have no control over which political candidates their unions support, or which activities they fund.

“I want to make the hurdle [for automatic deductions] a little higher,” he said.

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Join this free virtual event to learn about SEL strategies, skills, and to hear from experts on the use and expansion of SEL programs.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: February 5, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz News Quiz: Jan. 30, 2025: Interim Ed. Dept. Leader | Navigating Immigration Policies | Teacher Evaluations | And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
Al Drago/AP
Education Briefly Stated: January 29, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Jan. 23, 2025
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
Al Drago/AP