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On Thursday, Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, applauded Gov. Kevin Stitt’s executive order calling on the State Board of Education to take action to protect school employees’ First Amendment rights to decide whether to pay union dues.

 

“Like Governor Stitt, I urge the State Board of Education to give teachers an opportunity each year to decide if they want union dues deducted from their paycheck,” Daniels said. “We must protect school employees from pressure to remain in a union by reminding them of their First Amendment right of association to decide to continue or end their union membership.”

 

In 2021, Daniels authored Senate Bill 634 to address this First Amendment issue. The bill was passed by the Senate but was not heard in the House. The legislation would have aligned Oklahoma with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME, which said public employers cannot presume employees know and have waived their First Amendment rights in regard to payroll deduction of union dues.

 

“There are Oklahoma teachers who do not agree with the progressive left agendas of the Oklahoma Education Association and National Education Associations and are dismayed at the failure to focus on improving student academic performance.  These teachers will quietly welcome action by the State Board of Education to implement the Governor’s executive order,” Daniels said.

 

Daniels added that when it comes to the First Amendment, there is no such thing as "one and done."