Author: Jerrick Adams

  • Federal judge rejects Minnesota teachers, transportation worker lawsuits seeking refund of union fees

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    Federal judge rejects Minnesota teachers, transportation worker lawsuits seeking refund of union fees On Feb. 12, a U.S. district court judge ruled against three Minnesota teachers seeking refunds of fees they were required to pay to their union before Janus v. AFSCME. In Janus, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public sector unions cannot require…

  • Tennessee lawmakers consider bills limiting disclosure of nonprofit donor information

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    Legislation introduced last week in Tennessee would prohibit  a public agency from disclosing identifying information about a nonprofit’s donors.  What the bill proposes SB1608  would bar any public agency (including state and municipal government units and courts) from: Requiring a tax-exempt nonprofit to provide a public agency with personal information about its donors, members, supporters,…

  • Federal Labor Relations Authority submits brief defending rule on union dues

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    FLRA submits brief defending rule on union dues On Feb. 5, the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), which administers the laws governing federal labor relations, submitted a brief defending a February 2020 decision permitting federal workers to stop paying union dues at any time after their first year of dues-paying membership. Before this, federal workers…

  • Union representative salaries before the New Jersey Supreme Court

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    New Jersey Supreme Court reverses appellate division ruling on union representative salaries  On Feb. 3, the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously reversed a 2019 appellate court ruling that said the Jersey City Board of Education could not pay salaries of union representatives.    Parties to the suit The plaintiffs were New Jersey taxpayers Moshe Rozenblit and…

  • U.S. Census Bureau postpones release of apportionment report, redistricting data

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    On Jan. 27, Kathleen Styles, a U.S. Census Bureau official, announced that the bureau would deliver its final apportionment report by April 30. Styles also said the bureau hoped to release redistricting data after July 31.  The U.S. census is conducted every 10 years and kickstarts the entire redistricting process. Under its original operational timeline,…

  • Iowa lawmakers consider bill limiting disclosure of nonprofit donor information

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    Last month, we spotlighted three states (Iowa, Nebraska, and Tennessee) considering bills that would bar public agencies from publicly disclosing identifying information about nonprofit donors. This week, we take a closer look at the Iowa legislation.  What the bill proposes Iowa SSB1036 would bar any public agency (including state and municipal government units and courts)…

  • U.S. Census Bureau says it will deliver apportionment data by April 30, redistricting data after July 31

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    On January 27, 2021, Kathleen Styles, an official at the U.S. Census Bureau, announced at a National Conference of State Legislatures event that the bureau would release its final apportionment report by April 30, 2021. Styles also said the bureau hoped to release detailed redistricting data after July 31, 2021. Census results are used to…

  • Ohio teacher appeals Sixth Circuit decision upholding exclusive representation law

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    Ohio teacher appeals Sixth Circuit decision upholding exclusive representation law  On Jan. 22, Jade Thompson, an Ohio Spanish teacher challenging her state’s laws allowing exclusive representative collective bargaining, appealed her case to the United States Supreme Court. Parties to the suit Thompson is the plaintiff. Attorneys from the Buckeye Institute and Baker and Hostetler, LLP,…

  • Federal appeals court considers challenge to Santa Fe donor disclosure ordinance

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    On Jan. 21, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit heard oral argument in a challenge to a Santa Fe city ordinance requiring entities spending $250 or more advocating for or against ballot propositions to disclose their donors.   The parties to the suit The plaintiff is the Rio Grande Foundation (RGF), an economic…

  • Ballotpedia’s Union Station: Third Circuit rejects challenge to class action suit over union fees

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    Third Circuit rejects challenge to class action suit over union fees On Jan. 15, 2021, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania’s decision in Bethany LaSpina v. SEIU Pennsylvania State Council et al. The lower court had dismissed…