Originally posted Apr 04, 2013

(Ted Houston, KFYI News) - A federal judge has declared two bills passed by the Arizona legislature in 2011, regulating the behavior of labor unions, unconstitutional.

Senate Bill 1365 required employee consent before their employer could deduct money from their paychecks for “political purposes” including lobbying. Judge Murray Snow found the law was unconstitutional because it exempted public safety unions, which the bill’s sponsor, former Republican Sen. Frank Antenori, said he had done because public safety unions told him they operate differently from most other unions.

SB 1365 never took effect because it was put on hold due to the lawsuit against it. The other measure, SB 1363, limited picketing by striking workers. Judge Snow ruled that the law limited free speech.

The president of the Arizona Education Association, Andrew Morrill, said the laws were passed to retaliate against teachers who protested K-12 funding cuts by the legislature.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne’s office is deciding whether to appeal the ruling.