Rauner happy with court's fair-share review; AFSCME critical

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Gov. Bruce Rauner is pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether non-union state employees must pay "fair share" fees to cover bargaining costs.

The high court announced Thursday it will hear an Illinois case by Mark Janus . The child-support specialist says that forcing him to pay union fees violates his First Amendment rights. The defendant in the case is the American Federation of State, Council and Municipal Employees Council 31.

Republican Rauner says employees "should not be forced to give up a portion of their pay each month to fund public-sector union activity."

Rauner says his 2015 executive order prohibiting state-agency "fair share" collection set the Janus case in motion.

An AFSCME statement calls the case a plan to "rig the economic rules against everyday working people."