A federal judge has told the state it cannot enforce a law that says unions can’t use payroll deductions to collect donations to union-operated political funds.
The bill was adopted last year on party-line votes by the Republican-led Legislature and signed by Governor Rick Snyder.
But a federal judge says it appears to violate both free speech and collective bargaining rights.
Also, the ban on payroll deductions applies to unions’ political fundraising, but corporations could still use payrolls deductions for corporate-run political committees.
Andrew Nickeloff is a union attorney.
“The problem is that the Legislature was picking and choosing political winners and losers,” he says.
The state can appeal the judge’s order.
