Oral Arguments on in WEA Case

As I write, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in the monumental First Amendment case Washington v Washington Education Association & Davenport v Washington Education Association. The 9 justices will determine whether the free speech rights of union bosses or individual workers take precedence, and much more. The Colorado Attorney General submitted an amicus brief in favor of the rights of states to set policies that require organizations to obtain members’ permission before using their money for political campaigns. As I wrote in the Rocky Mountain News a few months ago, this case indeed could have a bearing on Colorado.

I have blogged about this case before here and here. At the forefront of the cause of freedom in this case is the Evergreen Freedom Foundation in Washington state. They have set up a special Web site explaining the case with a frequently updated blog reporting on events from Washington, D.C., where they have gathered 30 teachers from different states to watch the proceedings and participate in a press conference with national media. Also, read this encouraging post at Constitutionally Correct from someone who participated in a moot court session with the Washington State Attorney General earlier this week.

Check the usual suspects, like SCOTUS Blog and Bench Memos, for more updates and analysis on the WEA case. Or simply do a Google News search for “Washington Education Association,” and watch the articles roll in. Stay tuned to this one, folks. The only thing left to wonder is what the Smart Guys will have to say about the case.