State Representative Woody Burton authored an amendment to House Bill (HB) 1334 regarding school employee paycheck deductions. The amendment passed the Indiana House of Representatives on Thursday with a 64-33 vote.
“In its original form, this bill would prevent union dues from being automatically deducted from a teacher’s salary,” said Rep. Burton. “If an employee wants to contribute to a union, they can still do so, however, they would now have to write a check themselves.”
The amendment authored by Rep. Burton allows a school to deduct dues for a school employee organization, or union, from the pay of a school employee if the employee provides written authorization for the deduction. The authorization is valid for one year and may be renewed for successive one year periods. However, the dues deduced may not be used for political activities.
“I think this amendment does a great job of separating policy from politics,” said Rep. Burton. “Unions often work to influence policy in accordance with their interests, and I believe that should be permissible. However, the gray area comes when unions use their financial contributions to contribute to political campaigns or political action committees. I feel it is improper for a public employer to collect money that would go to a political campaign or a political action committee (PAC).”
HB 1334 will be up for a final vote in the House on Monday. To stay up-to-date on this bill and any other piece of legislation in the General Assembly, visit www.in.gov/legislative.
