A Johnson County lawmaker has defended a proposal to require annual votes on the status of local teachers unions, an idea criticized by Kansas’ main union as a distraction from more important matters.

The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal (http://bit.ly/21ZGdQj) reports that the bill would require yearly votes to be held on whether teachers want their local union to continue representing them.

Republican state Sen. Jeff Melcher says the goal is to give each year’s new incoming teachers a voice so that the unions will better understand what their members want.

Most local teachers unions in Kansas are affiliated with the Kansas National Education Association and the National Education Association.

The Kansas National Education Association describes the bill as the latest in a long line of attempts to cripple unions.

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Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.com.