The Kentucky Education Association is celebrating a decision by a Franklin County circuit judge to strike down a state law that prevented public sector unions like the KEA from collecting dues through payroll deduction. Judge Thomas Wingate noted Senate Bill 7 allowed some public sector unions to collect dues that way – but not others. Eddie Campbell is the KEA president.
“It's taken away our payroll deduction ability since April, but we knew it was unconstitutional under equal protection, which is why we filed the lawsuit along with the Nichols County Education Association.”
The General Assembly overrode Governor Beshear’s veto of SB 7 and Campbell said since April, they’ve found other ways to collect dues from about 80 percent of their 42,000 active and retired teachers.
“It has made us stronger as an organization. Having to go through this, so we don't know what the future holds. But we're looking at the decision and what our next steps can be.”
Campbell says one step could be reinstating the payroll deductions. Meanwhile, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who’s running for governor against incumbent Andy Beshear, is appealing the ruling. I’m John McGary.
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