RALEIGH -- State lawmakers have given final approval to a bill that opponents said is aimed at inflicting political punishment on a teacher’s organization.

The House voted 63-51 to cut off dues check-offs for the North Carolina Association of Educators. The move would create an exempt the group from state law allowing payroll deductions for a list of unions and other employee associations.

“It’s a vindictive mean spirited act to draft this bill and to vote for this bill and to single out one group and take away a right that a number of groups have because you don’t agree with their speech, that’s what’s going on,” said Rep. Jennifer Weiss, D-Wake. “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should and just because you can, doesn’t make it right.”

House Majority Leader Paul Stam, R-Wake, didn’t directly respond to questions surrounding the bill’s motives. “What you’re saying by that is that you can read into the soul of every single person who is going to vote for this bill and you know they’re mean people,” he said. “That’s an argument …that has no validity.”

However, House Speaker Thom Tillis had stronger words during a news conference earlier in the day. He referred to the NCAE as a “political machine for the left.”

The payroll deductions provide hundreds of thousands of dollars to the teacher's association, which represents educators' interests. NCAE executive director Scott Anderson said about 80 percent or more of the group's revenues come from the check-offs.