In 2002 (after the law passed, but before the courts allowed it to take effect), the union raised $182,000 and spent $415,500. (It carried over $403,000 in cash from the previous election cycle).

And the union's political activities have been about half ever since.

"We did have to draw down our reserves" after 2004, Arnold said. In 2004 the union PAC raised only $40,000.

"We went from all of our (PAC) contributions coming through payroll deductions to zero," he says.

And that is exactly what some supporters of the new law — more than a few of them who had been targeted for defeat by the UEA — wanted, Arnold says.

A co-sponsor of the 2001 law was Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, president of the Utah Taxpayers Association. The UEA has given campaign cash to Stephenson's political challengers for years.

Van Tassell said he can't speak for all the motives of backers of the payroll deduction ban. But from the UTA's point of view, he doesn't care what kind of political speech government employee PACs espouse, governments must stay out of collecting union PAC dues. "It would be wrong for taxpayers to subsidize the UTA PAC collections with payroll deductions, too," Van Tassell said.

Arnold doesn't believe that cash drop-off now will be as steep or drastic as before. That's because Utahns, teachers included, are accustomed to setting up automatic transfers through their bank's Web site or bill-pay service. Those payment methods have become increasingly popular in the past few years, and "many of our members are comfortable" with those donation methods, Arnold said.

In any case, Arnold said UEA-supported candidates in 2008 "had significant victories over pro-voucher" legislators. "We prefer to look at election results, rather than who is spending the most money. And we got a lot of bang for our buck in 2008."

Still, one of his great political concerns is raising enough PAC money to help elect and re-elect moderate Republicans to the Legislature.

Said Arnold: "We actually give about as much to keep good (GOP) moderates in the Legislature as we do to elect Democrats — it is a top priority for us" to continue to oppose some of the policies of "the radical right wing" of the Utah Republican Party.

E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com; lee@desnews.com

UEA PAC activity:

Year Raised Spent

2008 $97,368 $178,540*

2006 $81,301 $165,550

2004** $39,968 $268,539

2002 $181,745 $415,458

*The UEA raises PAC money in odd-numbered, off-general election years as well, and spends little of that cash on nonpartisan municipal races in those years, thus able to spend those carry-over funds in general elections for legislators and governors.

**Couldn't use member payroll PAC deduction.