Indiana Democrats Protest Jobs Bill by Calling in Sick
Taking a page out of the official Wisconsin congressman playbook, Indiana Democrats are now fighting a labor bill by staying home.
The Republican supported anti-union labor bill is much in the same vein of what we saw in Wisconsin a short time ago, and Indiana Democrats are protesting it by skipping out entirely. Most opted out of floor sessions twice yesterday, and without 67 members present, the state House is stuck with a bill going lukewarm, unable to advance its agenda.
The bill itself is a cog in the machine Republicans are building to make Indiana a “right-to-work” state, the goal of which is to prevent workers from being forced into unions and bringing more jobs to the state, according to them. In contrast, Democrats are saying the bill will cut employee pay after all is said and voted in.
Democrats are personally facing fines with price tags of $4000 each as they delay the bill by staying home. In the words of one Indiana Dem, “We don’t have enough votes to govern the chamber, but we have enough votes to govern the timetable of what work is done.”
As far as today is concerned, Democrats aren’t sure whether or not they’ll ultimately show. After the House vote, Senate passage is likely to follow. Despite an almost certain win, Republicans are still frustrated with the AWOL-Democrats, with one saying: “We shouldn’t have to strong-arm people or say pretty please for them to do the job they were hired to do.”
I ask you, left-or-right-leaning reader, is this the way to do things in state politics or are you frustrated that your tax dollars are funding these impromptu vacations?
