Supreme Court's conservatives appear set to strike down union fees on free-speech grounds

LA Times ^ | 2/8/2018 | David G. Savage

[SpeedyInTexas]

Paying union dues and baking a wedding cake may not seem like classic examples of free speech—except perhaps at the Supreme Court.

This year, the high court is poised to announce its most significant expansion of the 1st Amendment since the Citizens United decision in 2010, which struck down laws that limited campaign spending by corporations, unions and the very wealthy.

[fastrock]

The first steps the Commonwealth of Kentucky took was to allow individual counties to determine their own RTW status. Those counties of conservative nature went RTW, those counties bordering the RTW States of Tennessee and Indiana followed several months later. The Commonwealth went fully RTW when conservatives and GOP gained control of both houses and Gov Matt Bevin was elected.

[CMRosary]

Perhaps he/she worked for UPS, as opposed to some over-the-road trucking company. Lots of northern states, in fact, have a very strong union presence; finding non-union work that pays well can be very difficult.

[Jeff Chandler]

Expansion of the 1st Amendment via judicial meddling ought not be tolerated

So you agree that rulings in favor of the baker and against the Teamsters would be an expansion of the 1st Amendment?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SpeedyInTexas.

[Professional]

Same here. I thought he was a Bloomberg republican. Man was I wrong!

[Beagle8U]

I was sure that Trump would lose in grand fashion, but I stopped calling his supporters ‘Trumpanzees’ and was rooting for him in the end.

[ptsal]

Bkmk free speech

[grey_whiskers]

So far Trump is the best POTUS in my lifetime, and I didn’t think much of him when he got the nomination. I guess he kinda grows on ya.

President Trump is what happens when a REAL Republican "grows in the job."

[xkaydet65]

You are correct, but Marbury v Madison is the toothpaste that, absent a Constitutional Convention, will never go back in the tube. In the 19th Century the power was used rarely, compared to today, and not always wisely, i e Dred Scott. In our time the calendar is filled with opportunities to remake the Constitution.

[lastchance]

If allowing a boy to wear a dress to prom is constitutionally protected free expression than a decorated wedding cake is too.

[confederatecarpetbag]

Wouldn’t this be the reverse of expanding the 1st Amendment? It seems to me if SCOTUS rules as intimated here, it would mark a return to the limits outlined in the Constitution. It would be the freeing of liberty from its judicial-activist cage .

[Maine Mariner]

I live in Maine, and understand what you are saying.
But you just made the point for the unions-work for a union earn better wages.

[CMRosary]

But you just made the point for the unions-work for a union earn better wages.

Only in places where the system was/is rigged that way.

Unions inflated wages artificially for decades. Once they found their increasing demands untenable, they began losing ground—hence, the rise of “right-to-work” states.

[ByteMercenary]

... more to the point, public service unions should be illegal. In negotiations for contracts there is NO advocate for the taxpayer who is the main source of the revenue under discussion.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

As a California conservative forced to be in a union, I have been forced for over 30 years to donate to Democratic Party politicians. I don’t want to donate my money to Democratic Party politicians, but since my union dues are extorted from me for that purpose, I have no option. A thoroughly evil and despicable practice.

The California Democratic Party would be starved of money if it was not for this extortion of union dues that gives them a strangle-hold over this state.

It is about time the Supreme Court ended this criminal extortion practice. Not that it does me any good on the cusp of retirement, but at least future generations of California conservatives will not have their money extorted to give to a party they hate.

[Pollster1]

Paying union dues and baking a wedding cake may not seem like classic examples of free speech . . .

I have always seen giving free individuals a choice on whether to give money to anti-American socialists such as unions, and giving us a choice on whether to participate in speech we find offensive in the form of a custom wedding cake are precisely the sorts of expression that were intended to be protected by the First Amendment.

[Monkey Face]

The few states I’ve worked in have been right-to-work states, and the unions hate it. But to them, I say, “Ni!”

[Vaquero]

The NeverTrumpers don’t want a parade? What’s not to like about a parade? Even the National Review intellectuals want it to happen.

I’ve been pro Trump since the beginning. I oppose military parades. We know what we have. Let’s keep the word wondering.

I personally hate ceremony. It is useless showiness. It’s what the Soviets did.

[taildragger]

"I have been forced for over 30 years to donate to Democratic Party politicians."

I am curious F.I.N.F....

As much crap as the UAW gets here on FR, they do have a conscientious objector clause on Religious grounds to get out of this portion of the Dues. Yes I think you have to go through hoops to do so. So did your Union have such a clause?

Here is a guy fighting the good fight, Terry Bowman, founder of "UnionConservatives". His website is down at the moment, however he is using other social media. Met him through a friend and volunteering for a candidate back in 2010. He was one of 5 co-chairs for Team Trump's MI bid in 2016. He is the real deal, keep an eye on his efforts in this arena...

https://twitter.com/terry_bowman?lang=en

[i_robot73]

>
Morality and legality are two different issues and one should not dictate the other. The owner of an ambulance service may have a moral obligation to help a pervert as you say but that does not mean that morality should be law. I believe homosexuality is immoral but I do not believe we should have laws against. Speeding is illegal but not immoral. Morality is the realm of religion and individual conscience. Laws are the application of state power to maintain an just society. They should be not intertwined.
>

Oh, Schiff, you started it now (spot on though). Unfort, there’s (R)N(C) despots a plenty around here (drug-war crusaders, SS\MediXYZ crusaders, etc.)