Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration is looking to spend between $500,000 and $600,000 on an outside law firm to assist the state in its effort to end automatic deduction of union dues.
The state posted a request for proposals for a law firm that has experience arguing cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Related: Alaska Attorney General sues to limit union dues
The contract would replace one the state has with a Virginia-based firm, Consovoy McCarthy. The state hired the firm on Aug. 2, six weeks before the government sued to immediately stop the automatic dues deductions. The Alaska State Employees Association has filed a countersuit.
The state wants to be the first in the country to limit automatic deductions of union dues.
Anchorage Superior Court Judge Gregory Miller issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, blocking the state from stopping the dues deductions.
Related: Court blocks Dunleavy union rule change. For now.
Andrew Kitchenman is the state government and politics reporter for Alaska Public Media and KTOO in Juneau. Reach him at akitchenman@alaskapublic.org.
