Bill Description: House Bill 98 prohibits public officials from allowing school district funds, personnel, and other resources to be used in support of teachers’ unions and expands the list of “official actions” subject to the Ethics in Government Act.
Rating: +3
Does it increase government spending (for objectionable purposes) or debt? Conversely, does it decrease government spending or debt?
Public sector unions seek to have government serve its own interest at the expense of the common good. They lobby for increased government spending through teacher salaries; they stem efforts to remove employees for malperformance; they hinder government efficiency, and they leverage their funds for political activism. It is improper for the government to subsidize activities that are directly opposed to the public interest and thus also improper to subsidize public sector unions.
In recognition of this fact, House Bill 98 would amend Section 74-402, Idaho Code to state that "it is in the public interest to … ensure that taxpayer funds are not used to support teachers unions." This prohibition includes but is not limited to directly “contributing public funds to, or expending public funds on behalf a teachers union or its affiliate” and “increasing a professional employee's compensation” with the intent of paying “teachers union or affiliate dues, fees, assessments, fines, or contributions”
(+1)
House Bill 98 likewise prohibits “providing any form of compensation or paid leave to a professional employee, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of engaging in teachers union activities.”
(+1)
Does it in any way restrict public access to information related to government activity or otherwise compromise government transparency, accountability, or election integrity? Conversely, does it increase public access to information related to government activity or increase government transparency, accountability, or election integrity?
House Bill 98 greatly improves government transparency and accountability by expanding the list of activities included in “official actions” that must be reported as conflicts of interests under the Ethics in Government Act. These include, but are not limited to, “supporting or opposing any candidate for federal, state, or local public office; influencing the passage or defeat of any federal or state legislation, federal or state regulation, local ordinance, or any ballot measure;” and “promoting or soliciting membership or participation in, or financial support of, a teachers union or its affiliate.”
The bill will also end the practice of teachers’ unions receiving more access to “personal or contact information of a professional employee to a teachers union or its affiliate” than the public official is required to disclose under state law.
(+1)
