HF 2176

as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to employment; regulating payments to 
  1.3             employees for political purposes; proposing coding for 
  1.4             new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 181. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [181.065] [LIMITATIONS ON EMPLOYERS OR LABOR 
  1.7   ORGANIZATIONS.] 
  1.8      (a) No employer or labor organization may increase the 
  1.9   salary of an officer or employee, or give an emolument to an 
  1.10  officer, employee, or other person or entity, with the intention 
  1.11  that the increase in salary, or the emolument, or part of it, be 
  1.12  contributed or spent to support or oppose a candidate, state 
  1.13  official against whom recall charges have been filed, political 
  1.14  party, or political committee. 
  1.15     (b) No employer or labor organization may discriminate 
  1.16  against an officer or employee in the terms or conditions of 
  1.17  employment for the failure to contribute to, the failure in any 
  1.18  way to support or oppose, or in any way supporting or opposing a 
  1.19  candidate, ballot proposition, political party, or political 
  1.20  committee. 
  1.21     (c) No employer or other person or entity responsible for 
  1.22  the disbursement of funds in payment of wages or salaries may 
  1.23  withhold or divert a portion of an employee's wages or salaries 
  1.24  for contributions to political committees or for use as 
  1.25  political contributions except upon the written request of the 
  2.1   employee.  The request must be made on a form prescribed by the 
  2.2   commissioner of labor and industry informing the employee of the 
  2.3   prohibition against employer and labor organization 
  2.4   discrimination described in paragraph (b).  The request is valid 
  2.5   for no more than 12 months from the date it is made by the 
  2.6   employee. 
  2.7      (d) Each person or entity who withholds contributions under 
  2.8   paragraph (c) shall maintain open for public inspection for a 
  2.9   period of no less than three years, during normal business 
  2.10  hours, documents and books of accounts that shall include a copy 
  2.11  of each employee's request, the amounts and dates funds were 
  2.12  actually withheld, and the amounts and dates funds were 
  2.13  transferred to a political committee.  Copies of such 
  2.14  information shall be delivered to the commissioner of labor and 
  2.15  industry upon request. 
  2.16     (e) A labor organization may not use agency shop fees paid 
  2.17  by an individual who is not a member of the organization to make 
  2.18  contributions or expenditures to influence an election or to 
  2.19  operate a political committee, unless expressly authorized by 
  2.20  the individual.