Rauner in DC for Supreme Court argument hearing on mandatory union dues case

Gov Rauner after SCOTUS hearing Monday, with Liberty Justice Center's Pat Hughes to right

WASHINGTON - Monday, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner attended oral arguments before the Supreme Court of the United States on Janus v. AFSCME, a landmark court case that, his office says, "aims to restore free speech to public employees and forever alter the relationship between taxpayers and public unions."

Rauner boasted what he claims as his part in initiating the case.

“Shortly after taking office in 2015, I took action to protect the free speech and free association rights of government employees who are forced to pay union dues and fund political causes they don’t agree with,” said Rauner. “Today, as these arguments are heard before the United States Supreme Court, I am proud of what we started three years ago. The gravity of the court’s decision will be felt not just in Illinois, but across America and I am confident that they will side with free speech for the people of our great nation.”

But not all involved in the case recall the lawsuit beginning with Rauner. The Liberty Justice Center sent a letter to the governor last week, calling him on exaggerating his part in the effort as he campaigns for re-election.

"You have made the Janus case a centerpiece of your re-election campaign. In numerous interviews, you are falsely claiming involvement in the case and making predictions about its success – even though the justices of the Supreme Court have yet to hear oral arguments," the Chicago-based group said. 

Liberty Justice Center said they have represented the plaintiff in the litigation process, along with the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. The federal district court dismissed Rauner from the case in 2015, ending Rauner's involvement. 

 

"Ironically, there was an official role for you to play in the lawsuit. Elected officials from Michigan, Alabama, Indiana, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and other states all submitted amicus briefs in support of the lawsuit. You could have filed an amicus brief or joined theirs, but you did not...," Liberty's letter said.

Rauner's office defies Liberty's claims, saying that in 2015, the Rauner administration issued an executive order – and filed Rauner v. AFSCME in federal court – making it illegal for public sector unions to collect dues from government workers who opted out of a union. When a federal judge ruled that, as governor, Rauner didn’t have standing to represent workers in the suit, Mark Janus, an employee of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services stepped in.

The Rauner administration says it "wants to change a law that requires public employees to pay dues even if they aren’t in the union, a practice that has gone on in America for the last 40 years."

“No person should be forced to give up a portion of their pay each month to fund public sector union activity,” Rauner said. “It’s a fundamental violation of cherished American rights to free speech and free association.”

Liberty Justice Center representatives, who also attended the oral argument hearing cautioned the governor, "...Claiming involvement in a case and then speaking unsolicited on behalf of those actually charged with winning the case is irresponsible and grossly misleading. It’s also inappropriate to make predictions about a case’s likelihood of success."