Dupage Policy Journal

I’ve recently drafted a Parents Bill of Rights, that if elected I will sponsor into Legislation, which is aimed at protecting the fundamental rights of parents and to stop the overreach of the government.  This Bill would ensure that parents, not the government, can make decisions for the wellbeing of their child and raise them according to their values.

However, if Amendment 1 passes and the IL Constitution changes, unions would be above the law.  Unions would have the power to include language in their contracts to conflict with any element of the Parents Bill of Rights or any law for that matter and would therefore override it, as no law can supersede the Constitution. Union contracts would carry the weight of the constitution. 

Even if a law already exists in the books, if the unions don’t like it, they can contradict the law in their contracts and the contract would supersede any law.  Whatever language is in the union contract, wins out. 

It increases their power as they can bargain for anything and no one can change it because of the constitutional aspect of Article 1 of the Constitution.  It’s taking the power, and the spending power away from elected representatives of the people.  Essentially, it would create a 4th branch of government as it gives unions unprecedented and unchecked power. 

Amendment 1 is a dangerous power grab and grants government unions power over the law with regard to anything that falls within their contracts.  

Teacher’s union could decide only “qualified professionals,” such as someone holding a master’s degree in library science, can determine the curriculum and can include controversial books or topics of their choice such as sex ed and CRT.  

Many factors could fall under the broad category of “workplace conditions” in their contracts. They could require permanent masks, Covid vaccines and boosters to be a requirement in schools to protect teachers under a safety in the workplace clause. They could decide to shut down schools and have schools open only 150 days as opposed to 180.  They could ban “non-employees” on school property which would supersede a parent right to observe.  Parental notification could also be removed under a Teacher-Student privacy clause.  

I use the example of the teacher’s union, to illustrate the dangerous power unions would have over the law, but this would apply to any public government body such as the city government or even the forest preserves.  This goes well beyond the scope of simply concern about higher taxes.  This is an attack on our liberty and freedom as Americans and the public needs to be aware of the serious consequences if this Amendment passes.  

Kathleen Murray 

Republican Nominee for IL State Senate District 21