Two Republican lawmakers in Colorado are looking to prohibit teachers from striking, with the potential for firing, fines or even jail time if they do strike.
As The Denver Post reports, Senate Bill 264, introduced Friday, seeks to prohibit public school teachers and teachers’ organizations from being involved in a strike and would bar districts from paying teachers for any day they participate in a demonstration.
Under the bill, school districts would be able to seek an injunction to stop a strike in court and any educator who doesn’t comply would be in contempt and therefore face fines or up to six months in jail -or both. It would also allow a school district the ability to fire a teacher if they violate a court order prohibiting a strike.
The bill comes amid a broader conversation about school funding and teacher pay that prompted some teachers to make a visit to the state capitol last week, with a second round of demonstrations planned for later this week.
It wasn’t clear Monday when the bill would get its first hearing.