January 12th, 2006
State AG visits
Just back from a visit to Washington, D.C., state Attorney General Rob McKenna visited Anacortes Friday. McKenna met with about 10 business people at the Chamber of Commerce, and then headed for lunch with Mayor Dean Maxwell. Washington state attorneys Wednesday argued a case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding union dues and the state’s teachers’ union. McKenna is trying to reverse a Washington state Supreme Court decision in the case, Washington v. Washington Education Association. The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that the issue is whether non-union workers must contribute to union political activities. “In 1992,” read the Journal, “voters approved an initiative directing unions to require non-members to ‘opt in’ and approve the use of their fees for political activities. But the state Supreme Court declared that campaign finance law to be unconstitutional.” McKenna argued in support of the initiative, and told his Chamber audience he is confident the court will agree with his argument.