KNEA’s August Primary Endorsements

The KNEA recently sent out its “Educator Voter’s Guide” for the August primary election that is “for Kansas NEA Members Only.” Apparently, this piece was sent out by KNEA as its “KNEA News” instead of being a publication of its KNEA Political Action Committee. As an IRS 501(c)5 labor organization the KNEA apparently can send out endorsements without using its PAC:

A section 501(c)(5) labor or agricultural organization may engage in some political activities, however, so long as that is not its primary activity.

I am not yet sure whether Kansas Laws may apply to KNEA’s political endorsements made as an IRS 501(c)5 instead of its PAC.  I have requested feedback from the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission about this matter, but have not received a reply.

The KNEA IRS 990 for the year ending June 30, 2007 showed KNEA had $8.2 million in gross receipts, It’s almost surprising KNEA isn’t more involved in political activities without using their PAC, since its political activities are “not its primary activity” from the viewpoint of the IRS.

Yesterday’s Meadowlark article, Half Million in Unitemized Contributions to KNEA PAC, revealed the huge amount of money the KNEA PAC has, mostly from unitemized contributions from teachers. The following shows the complete list of KNEA affiliated PAC’s, which allows the KNEA PAC to act like a “super PAC” in Kansas to channel multiple money streams to their selected candidates:

• Ark Valley Educational Employees PAC
• Blue Valley NEA PAC
• DeSoto Teachers Assn PAC
• Dodge City NEA PAC
• Emporia Education Assn PAC
• Hutchinson Teachers PAC
• Junction City Teachers PAC
• Konza Teachers’ PAC
• Lawrence Teachers PAC
• Leavenworth NEA Teachers PAC
• Manhattan-Ogden Teachers PAC
• McPherson Education Assn PAC
• Olathe Teachers PAC
• Salina NEA PAC
• Shawnee Mission NEA PAC
• South Central Kansas NEA Educator PAC
• Southwest UniServ Teachers PAC
• Teachers of Sunflower PAC
• Topeka Teachers NEA PAC
• UniServ Dist 114 Teachers PAC
• UniServ Southeast Teachers PAC
• United Teachers of Wichita Committee on Political Education
• Walnut Valley Teachers UniPAC
• Winfield NEA Teacher’s PAC

Sadly, the KNEA PAC isn’t about education in Kansas, but rather the power and control of the money related to education. Few of the KNEA-endorsed candidates will act in a fiscally responsible way, especially in tough economic times.

Teacher Union Facts suggests:

“The NEA has been the single biggest obstacle to education reform in this country. We know because we worked for the NEA.” Billy Boyton and John Lloyd, former executive directors of the Nebraska and Kansas NEA affiliates, respectively

• NEA PushesLiberal Agenta at Convention, PoliPundit, July 7, 2008.
• At the Feminists Majority Foundation’s annual Women’s Leadership Conference held at NEA’s national headquarters in March 2008:
  Dr. Tiller declares infants born alive as “just sloppy medicine” yet Gov. Sebelius vetoes late term abortion restrictions in Kansas?, Kansas Meadowlark April 22, 2008.
• Teachers Union Facts: Kansas
• UnionFacts: National Education Association (NEA)
• U.S. Department of Labor Union or Trust Search

Tags: KNEA PAC, NEA, Political Action Committee