Harris v. Quinn ruling shines light on importance of leadership
On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Pat Quinn was wrong to issue an executive order that forced the unionization of Illinoisans who are not state workers. This groundbreaking ruling asserts that state governments cannot force-unionize participants in state entitlement programs or force them to pay union dues as a condition of...
On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Pat Quinn was wrong to issue an executive order that forced the unionization of Illinoisans who are not state workers.
This groundbreaking ruling asserts that state governments cannot force-unionize participants in state entitlement programs or force them to pay union dues as a condition of receiving help from the state. Because of this ruling, parents like Pam Harris will be free to care for their children and loved ones without fear of union intrusion.
Even though this decision provided a needed victory for freedom and fairness in Illinois, the fact that a decision by the highest court in the country was needed at all is indicative of the severe lack of leadership that has plagued Illinois for decades.
In 2003, when the first forced-unionization executive order was enacted under then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, an Illinois state senator by the name of Barack Obama voted “present” on the measure.
This wasn’t the only time President Obama was unsure of his stance on an issue during the eight years he served in the Illinois General Assembly. As a matter of fact, Obama voted “present” an astounding 129 times. On 36 of those occasions, he was the only member to vote “present” of the 59 senators.
There is an inherent wrong in choosing to take a pass when a situation calls for a stand. When it comes to supporting (or defeating) laws that will affect the lives of families that you were elected to serve, very few instances come to mind during which taking a pass is adequate. If you can’t take a stand to defend a mother caring for her disabled child, on what can you take a stand?