Governor Dayton is going to pay back the unions that bought his office for him – and he doesn’t care how much of your money he spends to do it:
In his relentless effort to pay back the unions for his close victory in 2010, Governor Mark Dayton is sending the state’s lawyers into court Thursday July 18th to argue against a group of childcare providers who are trying to block implementation of a new law. The new law was passed over strong Republican opposition in the 2013 session and will force childcare providers, most of whom are small independent businesses, to join a union.
…unless they stop taking state money, which means the availability of daycare for low-income parents is going to drop.
Thursday’s court action is just the latest in a long running battle between Mark Dayton and small childcare providers who take care of Minnesota children while their parents go to work.
- Shortly after his election, Governor Dayton tried to force a union vote on childcare providers through executive order. That action was blocked by a Minnesota district court judge who ruled Dayton had grossly overstepped the limits of his power.
- With the help of $11 million in campaign spending from his union allies, Gov. Dayton succeeded in flipping both the House and Senate in 2012 into a more union-friendly Democratic majority.
- During the 2013 session, despite overwhelming opposition from childcare providers and parents, Dayton and his new legislature passed a law that will force small independent childcare providers into a union against their will. The law will also drive up the cost of childcare for all Minnesota families while leaving fewer choices for those with lower incomes.
If you’ve got time to make it to a court hearing, tomorrow (Thursday) would be the day for it. It’ll be at 9:30AM in room 15E of the Federal Courthouse in Minneapolis.
Governor Dayton is turning his back on Minnesota families by asking for the lawsuit to be dismissed. Show your support for Minnesota families by attending the hearing.
You can be sure plenty of hangers-on in purple and yellow shirts will be there.
Time to put right to work not only into the law, but into the state constitution, to avoid this kind of chicanery.
One note is that they’re only forced to join (as in Michigan) if the vote succeeds, which is why they’re including providers no longer providing care in the vote. Go figure that one. But watch out, because it was the law in Michigan for a few years.
Don’t suppose Governor Deer-in-the headlights will actually be there. As is typical of the Dem mentality…hide from constituents.
Mitch:
Don’t forget green. That’s AFSCME’s color. How appropriate since they all care about is money!
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Too bad the judge is a liberal Clinton appointee – I wish them luck.
I wonder where the client will fit into this mess? A close family member is severely disabled physically and uses a caregiver subsidized by the state. We are very grateful that the state, actually the taxpayers, provide this, as this person is unable to perform any feasible job, or care for any daily physical needs. The type of care required truly puts the “personal” in “personal care attendant” (PCA) if you understand what I’m implying.
Under this program, the client is the “boss,” so to speak and is responsible for choosing the PCA, which is important given the very personal aspect of the needs the PCA accomodates. They must also make sure that the PCA fulfills their obligations and signs a bi-weekly “timesheet” verifying this.
So if this great unionization come to pass, will my family member lose the ability to determine who handles their bathing, dressing, and all similar intimate duties?
We realize that this is other people’s money, are grateful for it, and are not proud that such aid is taken. However, the potential loss of privacy and control, just to satisfy political, under the table obligations to financial supporters by the DFL is shameful.
This isn’t even taking into account the increased financial obligtions that this plan will impose on the MN taxpayer.
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