The battle over right-to-work got nasty today in the Indiana Legislature, as lying sack of-- House Speaker Brian Bosma went back on his promise. He had struck a deal with House Democrats: If they ended their boycott of the Legislature, they could propose an amendment to the heinous right-to-work-for-less bill that would put it on the ballot.
A new poll showed that's what an overwhelming majority -- 71 percent -- of Hoosiers want.
Then the Republicans solicited a legal opinion that said a referendum wouldn't be constitutional. So the Democrats continued their boycott.
The Associated Press reports,
Indiana’s House Democrats are again blocking divisive right-to-work legislation because of what their leader calls a Republican “trick.”
Democratic House Minority Leader Patrick Bauer said he learned Monday night of a Republican plan to undermine the Democrats’ effort to put right-to-work legislation on the ballot. Democrats boycotted the House again Tuesday in response.The Indy Star reports Bosma will impose $1,000 fines on each Democrat for every day they don't show up. (Note: This is the way Hoosiers filibuster. Bosma staged his own damn walkout in 2001. And if you think about it, Republicans have been filibustering the U.S. Senate for at least the last four years.)
Our friend House Minority Leader Patrick Bauer said Democrats won't pay the fines,
...arguing that it is against Indiana law to seize money from someone’s paycheck and that fines imposed last year are being challenged in court.Our friends at the AFL-CIO put out a call: "Come to the Statehouse!"
We can’t let this stand. We can’t allow democracy be steamrolled by the Republican majority in the House.
Come to the Statehouse tomorrow morning for the 9:00 a.m. House session. Please continue to meet and talk to your elected representatives face-to-face about the negative impacts of RTW.
Continue to write and call them and urge them to vote “NO” on this bill, or at least for a public referendum. And, continue to volunteer at local phone banks to help spread the word.
With each passing day, our movement grows stronger and our opposition grows more desperate. We are winning this debate, and they know it – let’s keep the pressure on!And special props to our Teamster brothers and sisters in Indiana who are working so hard to defeat this terrible bill.
