A Lusk-based Republican’s bill to restrict government agencies from collecting union dues, and to require unions of public employees to report where their money is going, remained alive Friday in the House of Representatives – after squeaking through its first committee vote and surviving its first House debate.
Sponsored by Wyoming Rep. JD Williams, R-Lusk, House Bill 178 has two main parts.
The first, if the bill becomes law, would bar public employers – like agencies and school districts – from deducting dues for labor organizations and political groups from employees’ paychecks.
The second part would require labor organizations containing public employees to submit a report that includes, “at a minimum:”
- The quantity of public employees it represents and which pay dues or fees;
- How much revenue it receives, itemized by source category;
- How much it spent on supporting political candidates, influencing policy and legislation; litigation and legal services – and paying independent contractors, consultants and vendors;
- And an itemized list of all receipts from and to a person if the transactions exceed $5,000.
That report would go out to all members, publish to the group’s website and be “available to any person upon request.”
Anyone who violated the law could face a misdemeanor, though the bill doesn’t list the penalties for that.
The bill contains a carveout saying it shall not “impair the right of firefighters” to bargain collectively as state law allows.
“It’s important to note this legislation does not prevent or stop anyone from voluntary association,” Williams told the House Education Committee in a Wednesday meeting on the bill. “If a public employee wants to join a union, they’re fully capable of doing so.”
The bill’s impact is, “the state would not be involved in that transaction,” said Williams.
Later under a question about the bill’s “narrow focus” by Rep. McKay Erickson, R-Afton, Williams added that the bill “removes the responsibility from the state employer to be the accountant, to collect union dues.”
The Wyoming Department of Education supports the bill. WDE chief of staff Dickie Shanor called it “just good policy” and said the transparency component would be helpful.
Nope, Says Wyoming Education Association
The Wyoming Education Association, whose website says it comprises nearly 5,000 members, called the bill an infringement on an employee’s personal choice to have his or her employer perform paycheck deductions on the employee’s behalf.
Tate Mullen, government relations director for WEA, pointed to Wyoming’s libertarian streak and noted that WEA members “self-select” or choose to have member dues deducted from their paychecks.
Mullen also criticized the reporting requirement, saying it’s a proposal “to mandate to non-governmental organizations to provide information.”
“This is the embodiment of big government. This is not a Wyoming value,” said Mullen. “I ask you to vote no.”
Marcie Kindred, executive director of Wyoming state American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, told the committee that setting up a payroll deduction system is a low-maintenance process – and that adding the reporting requirement would be more costly than letting that process continue.
Kevin Reddy of Federated for Firefighters of Wyoming, said though the bill tries to carve out firefighter unions, its definitions are misaligned with that goal – and they may still fall under the bill’s restrictions.
Fueling The Machine
Speaking for the Wyoming chapters of parent-advocacy group Moms for Liberty, Patricia McCoy voiced support for the bill.
“The same system that issues taxpayer funded paychecks to teachers is also being used to move money into private labor organizations and political activity,” said McCoy. “Many families have watched union leadership promote policies, agendas that run directly counter to the values of parents across Wyoming.”
McCoy continued: “Even more concerning, we’ve seen unions use these financial resources to sue the very state that funds our schools.”
To many families, she said, “that feels like being required to supply the fuel for a machine that’s actively working against you.”
WEA President Kim Amen had articulated a counterpoint to that before McCoy spoke, saying that while educators are paid with public money, they exchange their work for that to make it their own.
James Halverson, deputy Wyoming director for libertarian-leaning group Americans for Prosperity, told the committee that he joined various associations while he was an educator and coach – and now believes that had they been more transparent, it would have motivated their members even more.
“We think that’s a good thing for those organizations,” said Halverson.
The Narrow Vote
Saying he’d like other lawmakers’ help finessing the bill, Williams recused himself Wednesday from the committee vote to advance it.
It advanced to the House floor with four lawmakers in favor and three against it.
Republican Reps. Laurie Bratten (Sheridan), Joel Guggenmos (Riverton), Tomi Strock (Douglas) and Committee Chair Ocean Andrew (Laramie) gave the aye votes.
Erickson and his fellow Republican Reps. Martha Lawley (Worland) and Daniel Singh (Cheyenne), gave the nays.
Rep. Tom Kelly, R-Sheridan, was marked excused. He’s missed most of the session due to a painful back issue requiring surgery, according to his public statements this month.
Singh said he voted against the bill because it felt like it was targeting WEA, according to his Wednesday statement to the committee and a later, confirming text he sent to Cowboy State Daily.
“I definitely see how having a public employer provide that financial service would be problematic when it’s being done on behalf of an employee to advocate for a particular union,” said Singh. “However, it feels like this bill is targeted toward – specifically – one specific union.”
He tends to disagrees “vehemently” with that group, said Singh, later confirming he was referring to WEA.
But, Singh added, “I wouldn’t in any way shape or form want to strip them of their voice.”
For The Unsung
He said he’s heard from people multiple times who would like to voice an opinion contrary to the position of the group that represents their field.
But those people have been “unwilling to share their identities with me – for fear they’ll be retaliated against and even lose their job,” said Andrew. “(That) is my motivation for voting aye.”
Though Some Call It ‘The Teacher’s Union’
WEA is an educator advocacy group that has sued the state of Wyoming over its school funding model and a new school-choice programs in recent years. It lobbies at legislative committee meetings and performs other types of advocacy, including public messaging.
Despite some lawmakers – like Sen. Charlie Scott, R-Casper, christening it “the teacher’s union,” WEA has rebutted the term.
When he was still executive director of WEA in 2023, Ron Sniffin told Cowboy State Daily that WEA is a “professional association for education employees” focused on supporting educators, and that in his recollection, it has never called for an employee strike.
Wyoming law only allows firefighters to bargain as a union, Sniffin said at the time.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
