exodus dems trigger statehouse showdown

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interview Monday with National PublicRadio in which he discussed the labor fightwhich has caused a government stalematein Wisconsin — where Senate Democratshave fled to Illinois to prevent a vote on a

bill that limits collective bargaining --anow, apparently, his state.

Today, the union members who have filledthe Statehouse — an estimated 4,000according to the Indiana State Police —held a rally, chanting such things as “DitchMitch” and “Save Our Families,” which hemust have heard as he worked in hisnearby Statehouse office.

Union supporters say the bill which hassparked the protests, House Bill 1468 sucha measure would weaken bargaining power because companies under collectivebargaining agreements would no longer have to hire union members. Supporters,including the state's Chamber of Commerce, say it would makes Indianamore appealing to business and will bringjobs to the state.

Tim Kilbourne, a plow truck mechanic for the city of Indianapolis, said he and other workers would keep coming to theStatehouse until legislators kill the bill.

"All these bills here is to kill the worker," hesaid.

House Minority Leader B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, “has taken a page out of the

Wisconsin Senate playbook apparently” bykeeping his caucus in hiding, Bosma said.“They are shirking the job that they werehired to do.”

In Wisconsin, Senate Democrats have fledto Illinois to deny Republicans the quorumthey need to pass legislation limitingcollective bargaining for many publicemployees.

Asked at what point he would call in theIndiana State Police to attempt to round upthe Democrats, Bosma said: “We’ll see howthe day goes.”

Bosma said he spoke to Daniels and saidthe governor is “very supportive of our position to come in and try to do our work.He was not pleased that the Democratsweren’t here to do their work. And like meis just waiting to see how the course of theday proceeds.”

Austin told reporters that “it doesn’t matter where they (Democrats) are at this point.What matters is that they’re trying to figureout a way to save the state from this radicalagenda.”

Asked if they were in the state, Austin said

only: “They’re working hard.”Advertisement

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2/22/2011



Indiana Democratic Party Chairman DanParker said it’s not important where theDemocrat lawmakers are.

“This is a principled fight,” Parker said.

What’s important, he said, is that they arestanding up to an agenda they believe willcut wages for Indiana workers, both inunions and those who do not belong tounions. They’ll return, he said, when theydrop the bills Democrats see as an “assaulton the middle class.”

Bosma, though, said Republicans are“counting on common sense and a sense of responsibility to prevail and that they wouldget back here and do the job that theywere elected to do."

The last time a prolonged walk-outhappened in the Indiana legislature was inthe mid-1990s, when Republicans were incontrol and tried to draw new legislativedistrict maps, eliminating a district thatlikely would have been a Democrat one, in

the middle of the decade. Democrats wonthat standoff, staying away several daysuntil Republicans dropped the plan.

Call Star reporter Mary Beth Schneider at(317) 444-2772.

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2/22/2011



Indiana House seats normally occupied byDemocrats sit empty after the party's representativesbolted the Statehouse to avoid anti-unionlegislation, idling their Republican counterpartsacross the aisle. / MATT DETRICH / The Star

Todd Kegley, President of Local 9231 of NewCarlisle, screams a chant as he and other unionmembers from throughout the State of Indianaprotest several anti-labor bills outside the Senatechambers at the Indiana Statehouse on Tuesday. /MATT DETRICH / The Star

Fast facts

A look at some numbers related to the Democrats’walkout today:2nd: Indiana is the second state to see Democratic

lawmakers walk out this session. FourteenWisconsin Senate Democrats fled their state over their Republican governor’s push to restrictcollective bargaining and require governmentworkers to pay more of their health-care andpension costs.2: Number of Indiana’s 40 House Democrats whowere in the chamber when Republican Speaker BrianBosma tried to begin the session today. Another Democratic rep was elsewhere in the Statehouse.Two-thirds: That’s how many representatives mustbe present for a quorum in the 100-member body.21: How many other states have right-to-work lawssimilar to the bill under consideration in Indiana.14.7 million: Number of workers in unionsnationwide last year.7.6 million: Number of people who work for governments.$125 billion: Possible deficit total for U.S. states inthe next fiscal year.$200 million: How much unions spent last year to

try to keep the Democrats in control of Congress.— Star staff and news services

Related Links

Daniels: I won’t send state police to round up

Dems

Twitter updates: Follow showdown

Passion: Right-to-work bill stirs both sides

Poll: Public employee unions have support

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2/22/2011



Need-to-know: key Q&As on today's

Statehouse exodus

What the blogs are saying about the

walkout from Indiana Democrats

Daniels: I won’t send state police to roundup Dems

Bloggers: What they're saying

IURC begins new hearings on $1.9B sale of

Indy utilities

Indiana union workers rally at Statehouseto protest bills

House OKs 1st of 3 townships reform

measures

Reader survey: Are union limits needed?

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exodus dems trigger statehouse showdown

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