BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho officials on Tuesday voted to use $280,000 from of the state's Constitutional Defense Fund to pay legal fees for the opposing side after losing a federal court decision involving work unions.

The 4-0 vote by the Idaho Board of Examiners follows a court order in December.

Idaho lawmakers in 2011 approved the Fairness in Contracting Act making it illegal for unions to subsidize union contract bids to make them competitive with non-union contractor bids.

But the federal court ruled the state law isn't valid because it pre-empts the federal National Labor Relations Act.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed.

Idaho Building and Construction Trades Council and Southwest Idaho Building and Construction Trades Council sued and attained a preliminary injunction before the law went into effect.

 

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