The day before Colorado voters go to the polls (or at least the few that haven't cast ballots already) to decide Amendment 49 - the Ethical Standards initiative concerning the use of government payroll systems - the U.S. Supreme Court today heard oral arguments (PDF) in Ysursa v. Pocatello Education Association (H/T Liberty Live). What's the connection? The Ysursa case is reviewing a law known as the Idaho Voluntary Contributions Act. As I pointed out many weeks ago, Amendment 49 is a better version of this clean government payroll law. I previously discussed this issue with Mike Reitz of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation on an iVoices podcast: It likely will be several months before our nation's highest court renders a verdict … [Read more...]
Backroom Deal Sheds Light on Colorado Labor Union Leader Priorities
Much ado has been made out of the 11th-hour deal that pulled four labor union-sponsored initiatives from the Colorado ballot. As opined by the editors of the Rocky Mountain News:On Thursday, labor peace was restored in Colorado. At least until the 2009 legislature convenes. The announcement that two labor-backed groups would remove Amendments 53, 55, 56 and 57 from the November ballot - and in return business groups would fund a joint business-labor campaign to defeat Amendments 47, 49 and 54 - is a positive development. The state's economic health was in the crosshairs of the labor measures, a couple of which probably had a good shot at passage. There's no doubt that the "economic health" and well-being of Colorado families and … [Read more...]