California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is doing little to hide his desire to succeed the current White House occupant, seems to be aiming to use the same strategy Joe Biden used — sucking up organized labor and government employee unions specifically.
Newsom’s record is full of union sales — which helps explain how he has managed to make the Golden State an open cesspool. But the most recent was his June 27 approval of a state budget. This budget could force taxpayers into subsidizing union dues while giving California’s labor unions unprecedented financial aid to replenish their Janus-depleted funds.
The “Workers’ Fairness Tax Credit” would change union dues from a deduction to a credit. Budget allocations of $200 million are made to “begin” a policy that pays union members for their union dues.
The Assembly Floor Report states that “the credit level will be established in the budget each fiscal year, but will not exceed 33 percent of the dues paid.”
Senate Bill 189 was signed into law by the Senate on June 30. It includes a plan for “implementing a tax credit under Personal Income Tax Law in order to offset a portion cost associated with union membership.”
The tax credit is still at least two years away. In 2024, legislators will have to decide if the state has sufficient funds to pay for it. Additional legislation is required to allow the program to start.
The 16 percent of state workers who are union members would be affected, which was 2.24 million in 2021.
John Moorlach, an ex-Republican state senator from Costa Mesa said to the Epoch Times, “This is a huge gift to union members.” “We are back in an era where associations wield too much power.”
Moorlach was the only CPA present in the legislature from 2015-20. He noted that a union worker who had paid $1,200 in dues but owed $1,000 in taxes would reduce his liability by $400 (one-third), leaving the state with only $600.
He added, “(The law has a bad smell). It doesn’t smell right. It’s a major tax law change.”
Maxford Nelsen, Freedom Foundation director of labor policy, said that “if this tax credit becomes law,”. It’s extremely troubling.
Nelsen stated that the legislation is the latest in a long list of union pushbacks after the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Janus v. AFSCME which affirmed mandatory union membership, dues, and fees in the public sector are a violation of workers’ First Amendment rights.
He said, “I can tell you that this proposal is the worst we have seen.” “It’s only one or two steps away from the state of California writing checks for the Democratic Party. That’s quite outrageous.
Jon Coupal, president, of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, stated that California is the government of the unions.
Just a few months ago, Democrats in Congress tried to enact a federal tax deduction above the line for union dues payments. This would have been available to all taxpayers, even those who don’t itemize.
This proposal is one of many union giveaways included in Biden’s Build back Better program. It is currently stuck.
California’s dominant Democratic Party writes Dan Walters in CalMatters. “California’s dominant Democratic Party” is the conclusion of columnist Dan Walters. It’s no surprise that legislators often enact measures to help their allies recruit or maintain dues-paying members.
However, the arrangement has an obvious exception: its own workers.
California’s Legislature has resisted several attempts to allow employees to form unions. These efforts were pushed mainly by Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (ex-Assemblywoman) who was recently appointed the top official at California Labor Federation.
The measure is very similar to legislation that was recently passed at the federal level.
The House of Representatives approved in May a union-backed, Biden-drafted bill that gave House staffers legal protections to unionize. The resolution was put into effect in July. Workers from eight progressive offices filed petitions at the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. This is the first step toward forming a union.
All indications are that this will also be approved in California. Gavin Newsom will gladly sign it into law when it does.
Because there is nothing that would make the governor or the unions pulling his strings happier than to transform the entire country into California, if not Venezuela.
