Kansas Workers Fight to Preserve First Amendment RightsJanuary 24, 2013 Kansas lawmakers are considering legislation that would drastically curtail the rights of teachers, firefighters and other public workers to participate in the political process.
The bill would also ban public-sector unions from spending voluntary political action contributions on almost any kind of political activity – including lobbying and taking part in referendums. Public sector unions are already prohibited from supporting or opposing candidates for office. Says Topeka Local 304 Business Manager Paul Lira:
Local 304 represents both outside line and municipal workers throughout the Topeka area. On Jan. 23, Lira testified in front of the state House Commerce, Labor, and Economic Development committee – which sponsored the legislation – telling its members that:
Lira says Kansas unions play an important role in the legislative process of this historically Republican state, promoting issues of workplace safety, fair pay and workers’ rights. He says:
But that changed over the summer. Right-wing billionaires like the Koch brothers and Washington, D.C. – based antiunion organizations like Americans for Prosperity and the Club for Growth spent millions of dollars on radio and TV ads to oust moderate Republicans during last August’s primaries. Former Senate President Steven Morris – one of the Republicans who lost his primary to a conservative challenger – told the Huffington Post that the Koch brothers, who helped fund the campaign of his opponent, are using Kansas as a testing ground for their ideological agenda. He says:
A companion bill has been introduced in the senate. Gov. Sam Brownback (R) has not taken a public position. Lira says the so called “paycheck protection” bill, which is sponsored by Koch brother funded lawmakers – is only one part of a national campaign to roll back unions and quash workers’ rights. He says:
Click here to tell Kansas legislators to vote no on HB 2023.
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