By Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon
Imagine there was an organization that donated almost exclusively to left-wing candidates, promoted radical racial and gender ideologies, and constantly attacked America’s Christian heritage. Now imagine that your tax dollars subsidized this organization.
Well, you don’t have to imagine, because it’s sadly true. Idaho tax dollars are currently being used to support the teachers’ union—and with it, the broader left-wing agenda.
We love our teachers in Idaho, but I’m baffled by how much influence the ultra-liberal teachers’ union has in our conservative state. Too many Republican legislators are afraid to cross it, even on common-sense legislation like cutting off taxpayer subsidies.
Here’s how it works: School districts help collect union dues by deducting them directly from teachers’ paychecks. Some of that money is forwarded to the national teachers’ union, which supports progressive political advocacy. Last year, those funds were used to defeat a conservative member of the West Ada School Board.
Many districts also allow teachers to take paid leave to conduct union business—including lobbying—at taxpayer expense, a practice that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. In at least two cases, Boise and Twin Falls, public funds are even used to cover teachers’ union dues.
This year, the Idaho GOP unanimously passed a resolution calling for an end to these taxpayer subsidies. Rep. Judy Boyle introduced House Bill 745, a narrowly tailored bill that protects unions themselves but prohibits these kinds of taxpayer subsidies. It passed the House with a nearly two-thirds majority, but I’m told it won’t receive a committee hearing in the Senate.
Are you kidding me?
This bill passed the House last year but died in Sen. Jim Guthrie’s drawer in Senate State Affairs. This year, it was routed to the Senate Commerce Committee, but now Sen. Dan Foreman appears to be pulling the same stunt.
The Idaho GOP strongly supports this bill, and the people of Idaho deserve to have their tax dollars going toward the common good—not private organizations that use their influence to promote a radical agenda. Imagine if government employees had their donations to the Idaho GOP subsidized by taxpayers. You wouldn’t stand for it, and neither would I.
The teachers’ union is preparing an onslaught of campaign expenditures targeting Republican lawmakers who supported last year’s school choice legislation. They’re calling it “May Matters,” and they aim to radically reshape our Legislature to fit their agenda. And your tax dollars are helping make it happen.
Lawmakers can put a stop to this now. Sen. Foreman needs to bring this bill up for a hearing, where I’m confident it will pass. It’s long past time for the taxpayers of Idaho to stand up and say no more subsidies for an organization that hates us and what we believe.
About Dorothy Moon
Dorothy Moon was elected to serve as the chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party in July of 2022, and reelected in 2024. Moon served three terms in the Idaho Legislature as State Representative for District 8. Moon’s career in public service has focused on the advancement of individual liberties and reducing the size and scope of government.
