To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here. Comptroller won’t abide by Rauner union EO Friday, Feb 13, 2015 * I told subscribers about this earlier today. The Sun-Times rewrote the story… Gov. Bruce Rauner’s appointee for Illinois Comptroller, Leslie Munger, won’t abide by his executive order setting aside “fair share” union fees without a court order. It’s a decision that the state’s top lawyer is backing. “We agree with the Comptroller,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s spokeswoman Natalie Bauer said in an email. “Fair share fees are constitutional under the current law and she must follow the law.” That’s the same statement the AG’s office sent me yesterday. …Adding… More from CS-T… (T)he governor’s executive order does not apply to other constitutional officers, according to Illinois Attorney General office chief of staff Ann Spillane. “There’s no question that under the current law that fair share fees

are constitutional,” Spillane told the Sun-Times. “(Leslie Munger) can’t ignore validly-signed contracts. She is an independent constitutional officer, an executive order doesn’t change her conduct.” Munger is charged with enforcing state statute and collective bargaining agreements unless or until a court order says otherwise, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office said. Hint: There is at least one more EO out there which applies to other constitutional officers. * The Illinois Federation of Teachers responded after my item was published… Following a Capitol Fax report that Comptroller Leslie Munger (R) and Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) will not implement Governor Rauner’s Executive Order regarding fair share fees, IFT President Dan Montgomery issued this statement: “As we said earlier this week, the Governor’s actions were a blatantly illegal abuse of his power, so we’re glad to see a bipartisan confirmation that the constitution still matters. A democracy does not allow one man to implement his ideological will as he chooses, and so Comptroller Munger and Attorney General Madigan rightfully put the law over politics. As he considers his upcoming budget plan, the Governor would be wise to do the same. Our state has serious financial challenges, and Governor Rauner’s out-of-touch, partisan attacks on middle class families and the unions who give them a collective voice isn’t the way to solve them. Let’s hope we can start working together in earnest next week.” * From AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch… “It is gratifying to know that two of our state’s constitutional officers are clearly committed to upholding the Constitution. That they include both a Democrat and a Republican shows that preserving the integrity of our democracy isn’t a partisan or political issue. No elected official has the right to place themselves above the law. “We have said that Gov. Rauner’s executive order was clearly illegal, and meant solely to strip workers of their ability to have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. State employees throughout Illinois will welcome Comptroller Munger and Attorney General Madigan’s determination that the order should not stand. “We renew our pledge to work constructively with anyone of good faith to move beyond the governor’s polarizing attacks and begin to address our state’s real challenges.” - Posted by Rich Miller

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