Bill to Start Eliminating State Payroll Deductions Is Great First Step

State Chamber supports HB 1749 and hopes future legislatures will build on it

Oklahoma City (March 26, 2015) – A bill headed to the governor’s desk would no longer allow payroll deductions from teachers’ paychecks that go to unions that lobby state government. House Bill 1749 by Representative Tom Newell and Senator Nathan Dahm does not prevent any teacher from giving to such groups, but they have to take care of it themselves rather than use government time and property to do so.
 
“We believe that taxpayer resources should not be used to fund politics and believe it is wrong to use public taxpayer resources to collect union dues and campaign contributions,” said State Chamber President & CEO Fred Morgan. “Collecting political money from a public worker’s paycheck creates the potential for corruption, or at least the appearance of corruption, as union executives turn around and make campaign contributions to the very officials they negotiate with.”

The State Chamber would like to thank Representative Newell and Senator Dahm for their hard work in carrying the bill and leadership in the House and Senate that let the bill be heard. We look forward to this bill being signed into law and hope that this policy can be expanded in the future to protect the paychecks of all Oklahoma state employees.

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