LJC In The News
How AFSCME’s Demands Invited the Janus Case
(The Chicago Tribune)—It’s fitting that Mark Janus, the plaintiff behind a highly anticipated U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week, works for Illinois government. The union he sued is particularly influential in politics and policy here — with perilous outcomes for taxpayers. The 200-page American Federation of State, County and Municipal...
Teacher Who Challenged Union Speaks Out About U.S. Supreme Court Case
(Capital Public Radio)—This month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hand down a major decision in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31, impacting teachers and other public employee unions. Rebecca Friedrichs is a teacher and was the lead plaintiff challenging the California Teachers Association’s “agency shop” arrangement, which requires non-union member teachers...
Group Sues to End Illinois Tax Breaks for Retaining Jobs
(The Chicago Tribune)—The legal arm of the conservative Illinois Policy Institute on Friday filed a lawsuit to end the state’s practice of awarding tax credits to businesses for retaining jobs. The Illinois Policy Institute is closely aligned with Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner, who will be sworn in Monday. Rauner, a Republican...
Chicago’s Airbnb Home-Sharing Rules are ‘Draconian,’ Lawsuit Says
(The Chicago Tribune)—A group of homeowners is suing the city of Chicago, alleging the city’s new “draconian and unintelligible restrictions” on Airbnb and other home-sharing platforms are unconstitutional and punish responsible homeowners. This is the second lawsuit filed this month that takes aim at the city’s new home-sharing rules, which...
President of AFSCME Local: Supreme Court May Give Workers a Choice, but Unions Still Have a Critical Choice As Well
(The Hill)—On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado. The small-business owner inadvertently took on the Goliath of the far-left political machine when he declined to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, citing the constitutional protection of his...
Union Activity Ramps Up in Advance of Supreme Court Decision
(Wall Street Journal)—As organized labor braces for a Supreme Court ruling that could make it easy for public-sector workers to stop paying some dues, unions across the country are reaching out to hundreds of thousands of members to persuade them to keep paying dues. The Service Employees International Union has...
Let’s Support Teachers By Backing Their Freedom To Choose Whether Or Not To Join a Union
(The Hill)—As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week this week, teachers across the nation remain remarkably underappreciated. In at least five states so far this year, educators are voicing their discontent by organizing walkouts and strikes to protest lagging salaries and woefully inadequate supplies. Viral social media posts of classrooms in...
Ruling for Janus Would Reduce Conflict in Washington State Schools
(Real Clear Education)—On February 26th, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Mark Janus, a child support specialist working for the Illinois state government, was challenging state laws that force him to pay dues to the AFSCME union....
Teacher: Agency Fees Are 100 Percent Political – And Unions Know It
(The Hill)—The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in Janus v. AFSCME, a case involving “agency fees” that unions impose on workers who aren’t members to cover union activities with the exception of political action. Since the oral arguments took place, most news outlets, court watchers and even most union leaders...
IC Alum Central in Supreme Court Case
(Journal Courier)—To Illinois College alum Mark Janus, who is at the center of a history-making Supreme Court case, it’s about standing up for what he believes is right. It’s that belief that resulted in his fight against the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union to the U.S....
Forced Public Employee Union Fees Violate the Nation’s Constitution
(Monticello Times)—On Monday morning in the nation’s capital, Americans exercised their right to demonstrate peacefully on the steps of the Supreme Court. Hundreds of public employees, unions officials, and lawyers like me from all over the country, came with signs and chants to demand two very different versions of freedom....
Mandatory Union Fees Return to the Supreme Court
(CATO Daily Podcast)—LJC Director of Litigation Jacob Huebert spoke with the Cato Institute’s Caleb Brown about Janus v. AFSCME, our Supreme Court case challenging laws that force government workers to pay union fees.
...Supreme Court Set for Historic New Term
(The Hill)—The Supreme Court is beginning a new term on Monday with a blockbuster docket of cases touching on civil rights, free speech, presidential power, redistricting and privacy rights. . . . Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 31 The justices are revisiting an issue...
Unions Act As If They’ve Already Lost
(Wall Street Journal)—The Supreme Court has only just announced it will hear Mark Janus’s case, but labor unions are already acting as if they’ve lost. Mr. Janus, a state employee in Illinois, wants to stop paying union “fair share” fees, which ostensibly cover the cost of collective bargaining. If he...
Janus v. AFSCME: The Worker’s Right to Choose
(State Journal-Register)—Becoming an Eagle Scout taught me about public service. It means caring for your neighbor. It means being an active member of your community. And it means standing up for what you believe in. I’ve tried to pass those lessons along to the Scouts I’ve led in Springfield. The...