FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: sydney@pelicaninstitute.org | 504-717-1606
June 9, 2026
New Law Protects Public Employees’ First Amendment Rights and Ends Automatic Dues Collection
BATON ROUGE, LA — Workers for Opportunity, a national organization dedicated to advancing workplace freedom for employees across the country, applauds the Louisiana legislature for passing—and Gov. Jeff Landry for signing—SB 312, transformative legislation that restores critical First Amendment protections to the state’s public sector employees.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2018 ruling in Janus v. AFSCME, it became clear that no public servant should be forced to financially support a union as a condition of employment. This new Louisiana law codifies that principle by removing the bureaucratic obstacles that have historically prevented workers from exercising their constitutional rights.
“This is a monumental victory for public servants across the Pelican State,” said David Guenthner, Executive Director of Workers for Opportunity. “For too long, the machinery of state government has been used to collect union dues automatically, often trapping employees in financial obligations to which they never truly consented. By signing this bill, Gov. Landry is ensuring that a public employee’s paycheck belongs to the worker, not to a political organization.”
Under the new law, Louisiana public employees gain significant new protections, including the ability to cease all financial obligations to a union immediately. Further, the law renders the right to end financial support unwaivable, putting an end to the predatory union tactic of forcing new employees to sign away their Janus’ rights during the onboarding process.
“When public employees are empowered to make their own choices regarding their hard-earned paychecks, the entire public sector benefits,” Guenthner added. “Thanks to our partners at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, Louisiana is bolstering the principle that union membership is a voluntary association rather than a forced condition of employment. It demands that unions actually earn the trust and support of their members, rather than taking their membership for granted.”
“Louisiana’s public employees take pride in their hard work to deliver services to our state and communities. They should be rewarded for their dedication and given the choice of how to spend their paycheck, not trapped in an organization they feel doesn’t serve them,” said Sarah Harbison, General Counsel at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy.
Louisiana joins a growing list of states that have taken proactive steps to dismantle the barriers between public employees and their constitutional rights. Louisiana is fostering a more transparent, accountable and worker-centric public sector.
Workers for Opportunity recognizes Gov. Landry and the Louisiana legislature for their commitment to workplace liberty and for ensuring that the voice of the Louisiana worker is protected and empowered.
Workers for Opportunity is a project of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. WFO’s goal is to advance the liberty of employees across the country and protect their First Amendment rights by ensuring they have a full and informed choice in union membership.
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