A federal judge has sided with the Florida Education Association in litigation over a provision of a state law enacted last year, finding that a prohibition on payroll deductions in existing public-employee collective bargaining agreements (CRAs) is unconstitutional.

Judge Mark Walker of the Northern District of Florida issued a decision Nov. 6 enjoining the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC) from enforcing Senate Bill 256’s ban on payroll deductions for most public-sector unions. That portion of the law violates the Constitution’s contracts clause, Walker concluded.  

Specifically, the court found that the ban on payroll deductions violated the rights of two plaintiffs, the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association and Hernando United School Workers, whose existing CRAs were impaired by the law.