Free to care

Laura and Sandy are small business owners in downstate Illinois. Because they receive state aid to care for low-income children, Laura, Sandy and 50,000 other Illinois day-care providers like them were forced by the state to join a union and pay dues. But in June 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a groundbreaking ruling in...

Laura and Sandy are small business owners in downstate Illinois.

Because they receive state aid to care for low-income children, Laura, Sandy and 50,000 other Illinois day-care providers like them were forced by the state to join a union and pay dues.

But in June 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a groundbreaking ruling in the case Harris v. Quinn, stating that state governments cannot force-unionize participants in state entitlement programs, or force them to pay union dues as a condition of receiving help from the state. After Sandy and Laura petitioned the state, Gov. Pat Quinn applied the decision in this ruling to day-care providers as well.

With the money they were once forced to contribute to the union, Laura and Sandy can now reinvest in their business and save for future expenses. Learn more about this victory and other efforts to restore the rights of workers and entrepreneurs at illinoispolicy.org