Opponents of the law said all along that conservative legislative Republicans were just sick of seeing the UEA PAC underwrite campaigns of Democrats and moderate Republicans who often voted with the teacher union — especially in the litmus-test vote against tax vouchers for private schooling.

The UPEA, on the other hand, tended to back legislative incumbents, both Republicans and Democrats, who advocated fair treatment of state workers.

The UPEA gave Democratic gubernatorial candidate Scott Matheson Jr. $30,000 last year but had given considerable funds to GOP candidates also.

The UPEA, UEA and other groups sued the state over the 2001 law, which was amended several times to meet some of the concerns coming out of the state court action.

The UPEA then settled out of the suit — "We didn't want to spend more money on legal fees," says Wood. But the UEA and four other government worker unions switched to federal court, which should hear more arguments this month, said Kuziak.

For years, the UEA has been a major player in legislative races. Some argue that its political clout has weakened recently, although the teacher union and its supporters have been able to stop any tax credits to parents who send their children to private schools. Another tuition tax credit bill will be seen in the 2006 Legislature.

While government worker unions lost the political battle over paycheck deductions, there was one small victory: Former Rep. Chad Bennion, R-Murray, sponsored the 2001 bill and was an outspoken critic of UEA and other government worker political activities.

Democrat Tim Cosgrove barely lost to Bennion in 2002 — with various unions giving Cosgrove $4,775, or 27.6 percent of his contributions. Now-Rep. Tim Cosgrove, D-Murray, beat Bennion in 2004, with unions providing his campaign with $11,648, or 42.6 percent of his campaign funds.

Across the nation, conservative groups have moved to stop governments from deducting union or association dues from worker paychecks. And Utah GOP lawmakers said it is just wrong to make taxpayers foot whatever bill is associated with deducting union PAC dues.

But union leaders feared that if they couldn't automatically have dues taken from members' paychecks, it would be more difficult to raise PAC contributions.

And that's what has happened. Said Vik Arnold, UEA government affairs director: "We went from having 60 percent of our members donating (to the PAC) through deductions to around 10 percent" without paycheck deductions.

The UEA PAC is coming back, however. Reports show it raised only $39,968 in all of 2004. But in the first eight months of 2005 it's raised $63,808 — a far cry from the $181,700 teachers contributed in 2002, reports show.

"We used to ask for a $15-a-year PAC contribution," Arnold said. "Now we're asking for $48 a year."

While fewer are giving, those that are giving are giving more, he added.

"It's difficult," said Kuziak. Like all Americans, teachers worry about identity theft and are hesitant to give out their checking account numbers for electronic debit transfers or credit card numbers for automatic withdrawals. "For us, it's not all about money. We'll still work very hard to get 5,000 people to (neighborhood ) caucuses (where party delegates are picked); get 5,000 people to vote to support education."

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