Another state is now following Alaska’s lead and bringing in a little more freedom to government workers. The attorney general of Indiana issued an advisory opinion on June 17 which stated that the state of Indiana must notify public-sector employees of their First Amendment rights against compelled speech that could be associated with payroll deductions for labor-union dues. In addition, the state must provide employees with an annual opportunity to opt-out of paying those union dues.
The Indiana attorney general asserted that the state must “show, by clear and compelling evidence, that an employee has voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently waived his or her First Amendment rights and consented to a deduction from his or her wages.”
Indiana is the third state, after Alaska and Texas, to affirm public employees’ rights following the U.S. Supreme Court case Janus vs. AFSCME. This is an important step in protecting the free speech of public employees in Indiana, and Alaska Policy Forum encourages every state to follow in the footsteps of Alaska, Texas, and now Indiana.
Photo by Chris Lewis, CC BY-NC 2.0.