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| Former Speaker now Minority Leader Patrick Bauer (D- South Bend) |
Then Gary Welsh's position on the walkout abruptly changes when he posts an update on the post reflecting the fact that the Democrats demands are more than the right to work agenda:
UPDATE: House Democratic Leader Pat Bauer released a statement tonight listing many more demands than just dropping the right to work legislation. They want Republicans to drop education reform measures, including school vouchers and charter school initiatives opposed by teachers unions. They are also fighting an unemployment insurance bill that attempts to put the state on a footing to begin paying back the more than $2 billion debt the state owes the federal government because the state's unemployment trust fund is bankrupt. There are multiple legislative demands being made by the House Democrats, including the state budget bill. This tactic by the House Democrats is complete bullshit. Hey, you lost the election. You don't get to decide the entire legislative agenda. Earlier, Gov. Daniels believed House Democrats only walked to block vote on the right to work bill, but it is now quite clear the House Democrats are determined to block every single major reform measure proposed this session, effectively nullifying the election of a House Republican majority. This is nothing short of taking hostages like terrorists and demanding ransom be paid before they are willing to conduct the public's business. I believe the House should simply convene and conduct business without the quorum and let the Democrats take their case to the courts. The Speaker should immediately order the suspension of all salary and benefits to Democratic members of the House and their staff until they return for business. Boot the entire Democratic staff from the building and lock the doors to their offices until the Democratic members return. Let's not negotiate with terrorists....Gary's post then goes on to provide a list of bills that Minority Leader Pat Bauer said that the Democrats are demand be killed:
HB 1002 (Charter School Expansion)My guess is the demand as to the additional bills is just a negotiating tactic by the Democrats. I expect they will all return to work when the right to work bill is pulled from consideration. And it will be pulled...not because of anything Governor Daniels has said (the Indiana General Assembly has rarely listened to the Governor's Office, which is, institutionally, one of the weakest in the country), but because the Democrats have the power to completely shut down the legislature. Republicans have other bills they want passed and they won't want those bills to be sacrificed because of the right to work legislation which isn't a priority for many GOP legislators. The Democrats on the other hand will drop their walkout demand on the other bills, including the education reform measures.
HB 1003 School Vouchers. School Vouchers. Allows a family of four making [under] $80,000 a year to receive taxpayer dollars to send their children to a private school
HB 1479 (Private Takeover of Public Schools. Allows the state of Indiana to take over poorly performing schools and for these schools to be managed by for-profit companies. It removes local decision making in schools.
HB 1584 (Public School Waiver of State Laws. Allows school boards to seek waivers of almost any school law or regulation.)
HB 1468 ("Right to Work.")
HB 1216 (Public Works Projects and Common Construction Wage)
HB 1203 (Employee Representations. Ends employee rights to join a union by secret ballot and opens employees up to retaliation and firing by an employer who finds out they are trying to use their right to bargain. This is preempted by federal law. Will require the state to use taxpayer dollars to defend this legislation.)
HB 1450 (Unemployment Insurance)
HB 1585 ( "Right to Work" for Public Employees. Removes collective bargaining rights at the local level.)
HB 1538 (Minimum Wages)
HB 1001 (Budget Bill)
That's what will happen. Bet the farm.