General Assembly was right to end taxpayer subsidy of teachers’ unions politics
Kentucky’s students are struggling. COVID-related school closures and remote learning resulted in tragic learning loss and unprecedented childhood mental health anxieties. More than half of the state’s fourth and eighth graders can’t read at grade level. Scores for minority students are much worse, especially in our urban school districts.
Even with these challenges, it’s telling that Kentucky’s teachers’ unions focused much of their lobbying efforts in the 2023 legislative session on preserving the use of taxpayer-funded payroll systems to collect membership dues. It’s only the latest example of the unions elevating their interests over children and the taxpayers.
In years past, the teachers’ unions have fought against empowering parents with choice in their child’s education, rallied against pragmatic changes to our state’s collapsing pension systems and opposed tax reforms that let Kentuckians keep more of what they earn.
Make no mistake, the teachers’ unions primary mission is politics. While Kentucky’s educators may think their dues are used to support them in the classroom, a significant portion is sent to the National Education Association (NEA), which in turn, spends those dollars supporting liberal political candidates and progressive policy organizations.
According to Americans for Fair Treatment, in 2020-21 the NEA spent $374 million. $66 million went to political activities; another $117.8 million went to ‘contributions, gifts, and grants,’ spending that is also largely political in nature. Only 9% of their spending was on ‘representational activities,’ or money spent directly to assist their members.
By joining the union, Kentucky’s teachers are required to fund political speech they may not support. To address this, Senate bill 7 (enacted last session) will require unions to provide their members with an annual report detailing their spending. Employees will now be aware of how their dues are being used, allowing them to make informed decisions about whether to continue supporting these organizations’ political activity.
The legislation also prohibits the use of government payroll systems from collecting and transferring a teacher’s membership dues to the unions. Nothing in the law prevents a teacher from joining the union. In fact, in legislative testimony the head of the Kentucky Education Association shared that their organization’s website is already set up for online enrollment and dues collection. The new law simply gets government out of the middle of the transaction.
Legislators exempted organizations representing police and firefighters, expressing their appreciation for the hazardous nature of those professions. Unlike the intensely political teachers’ unions, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Professional Firefighters Locals take a non-partisan approach in their advocacy.
The legislature also established the Educators Employment Liability Insurance Program, which, when funded in next year’s budget, will provide liability insurance to all certified employees of Kentucky public schools. Teachers have historically relied upon the unions for liability coverage, but policymakers recognize this is a legitimate state function and now have the framework in place to provide this important protection for educators.
Kentucky’s teachers’ unions have been a political force in state politics for decades – and almost certainly will continue to be. At least now, taxpayers won’t be forced to subsidize the roadblocks they throw up against the efforts we must make to help our struggling students.
Sarah Durand is VP for Government Affairs at KYFREE and former Chief of Staff to First Lady Glenna Bevin. Andrew McNeill is President of KYFREE and former Deputy State Budget & Policy Director.
Originally published in the Frankfort State-Journal 6/26/23
