May 21, 2015      10:20 AM
Anti-union bill receives abbreviated hearing in House State Affairs
Chairman Cook leaves it unclear as to when and if his committee might vote on SB 1968; there was talk that teachers would be exempted but that has not happened
With
pressure mounting on Texas House Republicans to pass a
bill that would weaken organized labor in Texas even more than it already is, House
State Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Byron Cook on Thursday split the difference between simply holding
a quick vote or holding the kind of marathon hearing his panel is sometimes
known for.
Two hours of testimony was heard in his committee. That's after union organizers said that roughly 250 showed up to testify, most of whom were not heard.
"This
bill came over severely flawed," the Corsicana Republican said of SB
1968 by Sen. Joan Huffman,
R-Houston. Cook said that the Senate version was so badly drafted
that if it was on the floor of the Texas House, a freshman lawmaker would be
able to kill it easily on a point of order.
The
bill would outlaw the ability of government employees to have their union dues
automatically deducted from their paychecks. Police, fire, and EMS employees
are exempt from the bill as it is currently drafted. There has been some significant
chatter that teachers unions might be taken out of it as well, but that has not
happened.
By Scott Braddock
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