Meeting in the Capitol on Thursday, Wyoming’s Senate Judiciary Committee rejected the idea that unions and political groups comprised of public employees should have to report how many public employees they represent, how much money they make and what causes their money supports.
But the committee advanced the other half of House Bill 178, saying state government entities, with exceptions for firefighters and other public safety entities, should not be collecting dues on behalf of unions and political groups.
The bill’s next stop is the state Senate floor. It would have to survive one main debate and two more readings in the Senate — plus House approval of the changes the Senate adds, and the governor’s desk — to become law.
Four members of the all-Republican Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to advance the bill to the Senate floor, and one member voted not to do so. The four in favor were Committee Chair Jared Olsen (Cheyenne) and Sens. John Kolb (Rock Springs), Barry Crago (Buffalo), Larry Hicks (Baggs). The one against was Sen. Gary Crum (Laramie).
Kolb questioned the bill’s proposed language requiring private organizations containing public employees to report their financial information and membership data.
“I don’t know what dog we have in the fight on these other reporting requirements,” said Kolb. “Why are we getting involved in that?”
Crago agreed and articulated the parameters for that amendment.
The committee approved the change.
Crum proposed an amendment to place public safety entities — though not firefighters — under the bill’s ban on government entities collecting dues.
That amendment failed 3-2.
Wyoming law recognizes firefighters’ rights to bargain collectively, but not other entities, Olsen said during the meeting.
Wyoming Education Association government relations director Tate Mullen opposed the bill.
He said the group doesn’t pull money from its members without their consent, and “we are incredibly transparent with our membership.”
He asserted that the bill poses a “significant equal protection issue with the exemption for firefighters.”
Mullen acknowledged that the law permits firefighters to bargain collectively but noted that the bill contemplated a separate matter: whether state entities could transfer voluntary paycheck deductions into private groups of which public employees are members.
Mullen said the bill has an ulterior motive.
“The intent is to bust unions and bust associations,” he said. “It violates the very founding principles this nation was formed on.”
He gave those comments before the committee gutted the reporting requirement.
’State Shouldn’t Be Involved’
Tyler Lindholm, the Wyoming director for Americans for Prosperity, told the committee his group supports the bill.
“The state shouldn’t be involved in anything to do with private associations, private unions, anything like that,” said Lindholm. He said bank transfer fees can come with paycheck deductions, and the state entities “are picking up that cost.”
Speaking for the Freedom Foundation, Jeff Daugherty said the practice is “just not OK” and work, time, auditing and other requirements are associated with setting up those payment systems.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
