Supreme Court Takes First Step Correcting Minnesota Democrats’ Overreach

Landmark Decision Gives Minnesota Child Care Providers Hope In Legal Battle Brought On By Democrats’ Overreach

Saint Paul— This morning, the United States Supreme Court issued a major decision ruling that self-employed personal care attendants are not full-fledged government employees and as such cannot be forced to pay fees to a public employee union. This landmark opinion is of particular importance in Minnesota, where under one-party democrat rule, small business owners had been re-classified as government employees in an effort to unionize child care providers in Minnesota. The hyper-partisan deal passed by a one vote margin and signed into law despite bi-partisan opposition smacked of political payback to unions that spent huge sums of money to elect democrat majorities and a democrat governor.

Minnesota Jobs Coalition chairman Ben Golnik said in a statement, “Today’s opinion is a victory for Minnesota personal care attendants and self-employed child care providers. The Harris opinion should begin the process of rolling back Mark Dayton and the DFL’s overreach in their attempt to unionize Minnesota small business owners. We are optimistic Minnesota child care providers currently awaiting a decision from the 8th Circuit will receive a speedy reprieve from Mark Dayton’s overreach. It is our hope they may soon return to their work re-focused and without fear of being compelled to pay a union as a condition for providing their services to low-income children whose families rely on government assistance.” Golnik continued, “While we are glad the Supreme Court has set the ball in motion to provide relief to these small business owners, after four years of failed leadership, it is clear that Minnesota needs relief from all of Dayton’s harmful economic policies.”

Background:

Minnesota Senate File 778 was passed by a one vote margin despite bi-partisan opposition. (Journal of the House of Representatives p.6345) http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cco/journals/2013-14/J0520062.htm#6345

Chad Hartman: “Is this just the governor saying ‘thank you’ to labor which helped him get elected?” Rep. Michael Nelson (Author of unionization bill in the House): “Um, there’s probably some of that. Um, you thank the people and you try to work for the issues that the people that support you” (Chad Hartman Show WCCO-Radio May 15, 2013)

Supreme Court Opinion in Harris v. Quinn: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/11-681_j426.pdf