A bill freeing government unions from representing nonmember workers has been filed multiple times in recent years. But rather than rally around it, government unions stand in the way.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Janus v. AFSCME means state workers previously paying “fair share” fees will no longer see any money deducted from their paychecks on behalf of a union.

What Harris has in common with Janus is immense courage. Both show the power of a single individual, an Illinoisan, to change the course of the state and the nation.

The state will stop deducting agency fees from workers who have opted out of the union, effective immediately.

The Janus case could mean the restoration of government workers’ constitutional right to free speech.

Springfield native Mark Janus saw his case come before the U.S. Supreme Court for oral arguments Feb. 26.

For the last four decades, millions of government workers across the nation have faced an unfair decision: Pay fees to a union, or lose your job. But Janus v. AFSCME could restore government workers' constitutional rights to freedom of speech and association.

A solution to the union’s “free rider” claim is on the table. Why doesn’t it enjoy union support?

For four decades, government workers have been denied their First Amendment right to freedom of association, but that could change with a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2018.

Government workers in Illinois can opt out of union membership, but they still have to pay fees to the union. Those fees are not supposed to go toward political activities, but a close look at AFSCME’s most recent union report demonstrates how unions use fair share fees for activities most people would consider “political.”