The Governor of Illinois, Bruce Rauner, today issued an Executive Order banning fair share fee agreements for public sector workers in the state. Under the Order, all state agencies are “prohibited from enforcing . . . Fair Share Contract Provisions.” Much of the Order describes the Governor’s reading of Harris v. Quinn and his conclusion that fair share fees are now unconstitutional, amounting to compelled speech that violates the First Amendment. The Governor is also pursuing judicial action to invalidate fair share fees, telling the Chicago Sun Times that he is “simultaneously filing what is known as a declaratory judgement action in the federal court asking ultimately that the (Illinois) Supreme Court declare that these fair share provisions are unconstitutional.”
The Executive Order is here.