Special Session Update

So far during this special legislative session, three bills have been passed. One bill was the PAC to PAC transfer ban, another was the lobbyist registration bill, and the third was the gift ban bill... though that one was heavily amended.

Another bill has passed the Senate. This bill, SB2, impacts AEA's ability to raise money for political activity, and the AEA isn't happy about it.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/index_2.html

The state Senate on a 22-12 vote today gave final legislative approval to a bill that Democrats said was aimed at limiting the political influence of the Alabama Education Association and Alabama State Employees Association.

Senate Bill 2 will become law if Gov. Bob Riley signs it. It would ban employees of state agencies and public schools from having their employers deduct from their paychecks payments to a political action committee.

The proposal also would ban payroll deductions for dues to organizations, such as AEA, that use a portion of the money to engage in several forms of campaign activity. The activities include polling, engaging in or paying for any type of political advertising and distributing political literature.

In other words, the AEA and other similar organizations cannot deduct money from a paycheck that would then be spent on politics. Roughly, that is. The devil is always in the details.

The AEA is mad because it would affect their ability to collect money to use in their lobbying.

AEA chief Paul Hubbert released the following statement:

Message from AEA Executive Secretary Dr. Paul Hubbert and AEA President Anita Gibson

Many AEA members are well aware of the highly controversial illegitimate actions taken by the Legislature this week aimed at punishing your professional association and taking away your long-held rights to free speech and advocacy for schools and the students they serve.

The bill is headed to Governor Riley for his signature that makes it illegal under penalty of imprisonment and fines for education employees, who have payroll deduction for dues, to engage in any political activity at the association's direction. Political activity consists of things such as making phone calls from home for any political purpose, mentioning the name of a political candidate, conducting public opinion polls about any issue, distributing any type of political literature, or supporting a candidate. Your local association could not even support the continuation of a school tax or hold political forums where candidates appear. You cannot discuss the merits of an elected superintendent. The ramifications of this bill are broad and repressive and AEA will take all necessary action to resolve issues related to this bill.

Alabamians and many AEA members voted for a change for a better day in this past election, but the change they got was to muzzle teachers and school employees regarding any issue facing public schools, from protecting the Education Trust Fund to keeping class sizes small. Every educator, every parent, and every citizen who values their community should be outraged at this Legislature.

There are reasons to be deeply concerned about these but do not be unduly alarmed. AEA remains strong because its membership is strong.

Know this. AEA is here to protect you, fight for public education, ensure your legal rights, and remain Alabama’s strongest voice of public education with its 104,000 members. The dues structure remains in place, and no one is going to be denied membership by any school board or education entity.

You will hear much misinformation from news accounts and other sources, but the important point is to realize that AEA is the only trusted source of accurate information. Don’t fall victim to scare tactics by the State Superintendents’ Association or the school board association, both of which did everything possible to be exempted by the actions of the Legislature. You will receive and can depend on accurate information in the Alabama School Journal, AEA’s Web site myaea.org, and your local UniServ director.

The legislation that passed today by the newly elected Republican-controlled house and senate does not interfere with the day-to-day responsibilities of your association, but it does severely limit your right and your association’s right to political activity. AEA will be fighting on every front to overturn this injustice and restore every educators right to be a full citizen of the state of Alabama.

Once final action comes on the legislation and the ramifications are fully researched by our legal team, we will communicate to you the demands of the new law.

Also, watch for additional information in this week’s Alabama School Journalthat will be published on a later date so that we can give you the most up-to-date and accurate information. In the Journal will be the names, pictures, and contact information of the house and senate members who voted against you, and those who voted for you.

Contact those who vote with you and thank them for being strong and for standing up for the people that voted for them.

Also, call those who voted against you. Ask them one question: “What was so important here in Montgomery that would make you vote against school employees back home?”

Notice that one phrase, highlighted above? Do you believe that the AEA is the only source of trusted information available? If so, I bet you're a member of the AEA.

The other section I highlighted is important. Regardless of what Hubbert says here, the AEA is a TEACHER'S lobbying group. It doesn't lobby for schools or students, just TEACHERS. Like any other employee's union, their job is to gouge the employer (our state government) for as many benefits as they can get. And that's the extent of their concerns.

I haven't finished reading all of the bills that have passed, yet, but I am working on it.