(New York Post)
I run the organization New York is trying to shut down.
A few days ago, at the tail end of its legislative session, Albany lawmakers passed a bill giving Attorney General Letitia James sweeping new powers to investigate and fine any organization — even those based in other states — for communications she determines to “falsely impersonate” a union.
The fine is $1,000 per incident: $1,000 for every mailer or email my group, the Freedom Foundation, sends to tens of thousands of workers annually.
The bill claims it’s meant to stop the impersonation of union representatives, but its real purpose is to stop groups like mine from telling public employees what their unions don’t want them to know: That they have a constitutional right to decline union membership and dues without losing their jobs.
Eight years ago this month, the US Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that forcing public employees to fund the labor union designated on their behalf with either dues or so-called “agency fees” violates their First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and association.
It’s a message that unions are determined to keep their members from receiving.
To read this article in full, click here.
To learn more about Janus v. AFSCME, click here.