Florida’s state legislature has advanced a significant piece of Governor DeSantis’s Teacher’s Bill of Rights during the current legislative session.
AFFT covered this proposal last month, but this week, the bill protecting public-sector employees was passed out of committee by a 5-3 vote.
The protections were introduced by Florida State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia within Senate Bill 256 (SB 256), known as “Employee Organizations Representing Public Employees.” The bill would:
- Require that unions use membership authorization form when recruiting public employees,
- Mandate that unions immediately terminate public employees’ membership upon the request of the employee,
- Prevent unions from automatically deducting membership dues from public employees’ paychecks,
- Make unions more accountable to public-sector employees, and
- Bar unions from giving gifts to certain public officials.
According to ‘Where Do Your Dues Go,’ the Florida Education Association (FEA) spent $5.3 million on politics and lobbying in 2021. This bill could affect the FEA’s political spending by potentially limiting the number of dues money used for politics and lobbying.
If you are a Florida teacher and have feedback on this bill or would like to learn more about how to make your voice heard in your state, we want to hear from you! Reach us by phone at (833) 969-3247, text us at (412) 282-3214, or email us at info@americansforfairtreatment.org.