BERWICK — A recent item mailed to homes across the 27th state senate district appears to be from state senator John Gordner (R-27th, Berwick), but the senator says it’s not from him, “It has my smiling picture on the front and my smiling picture on the back. I did not send these. My office did not send these. These were not sent with my authorization.”
Gordner said the mailer is from Americans for Prosperity with a P.O. Box out of Harrisburg. The mailer asks people to call Gordner’s office in support of the Paycheck Protection Act. Gordner supports the legislation and says the state house and senate are trying to get it passed by governor Tom Corbett before governor-elect Tom Wolf is sworn in, since he claims he won’t sign it.
Gordner says the legislation would prohibit employers from collecting both union dues and Political Action Committee contributions. Gordner said the law says some are required to donate to a political cause, “It is law that says that the state can do it. It ends up being a contract negotiation. Administrations at the state level and school districts at the local level agree to it as part of a contract negotiation.”
Gordner continued, “This paycheck protection would say that the state and school districts could not do it and that it would leave unions to collect dues on their own, as is done in private settings.” Wolf will be sworn-in on January 20, so legislators are working this week to try and advance the legislation. (Ali Stevens)