There was one hell of a rally going on in Indiana last night, when
Daniels delivered his remarks to empty chairs and boos. Many Democrats boycotted the speech inside the House chamber. Outside the chamber, the angry voices of Teamsters and other union members boomed against the marble walls. Teamster trucks circled the Statehouse as thousands rallied against the right-to-work bill that Republicans are frog-marching through the Legislature.
The people of Indiana, for the first time ever, gave their response to Daniels' speech afterward:
Facing an unprecedented partisan attack on collective bargaining rights, tonight, for the first time in Indiana history, working Hoosiers from around the state joined together to offer a formal reply to the Governor’s State of the State address.
The group, which included a teacher, sanitation worker, carpenter, steelworker, pastor, electrician, automotive worker and home health care provider, discussed the anti-worker agenda being pursued in the General Assembly and specifically the right to work for less legislation.
“On his first day in office, Gov. Daniels took away the collective bargaining rights of public workers, then he further restricted the collective bargaining rights of teachers like me. Now he's going after everyone else,” said South Bend teacher Jennifer Peck. “As a teacher, I'm already paying the price for these partisan politics; however I am here tonight because I know that a "right to work" law would make things so much worse for Hoosiers.”
