House Democrats resume boycott as deadline nears

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Indiana Rep. B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend

Updated: February 26, 2012 8:16AM

INDIANAPOLIS — House Democrats renewed their boycott Tuesday a day after they abruptly walked off the floor.

House Democratic Leader Pat Bauer said Democrats could return as early as Wednesday as the House nears a deadline next week on when bills need to clear the chamber.

“Who knows what ill wind may blow between now and then?” Bauer said.

Republicans want to make Indiana the 23rd state to bar unions from collecting mandatory representation fees. The measure passed the Senate Monday. But Democrats walked off the House floor Monday after losing a series of party-line votes in an effort to change the right-to-work measure, including one to put the issue to a statewide vote.

Bauer said Democrats who stayed off the floor wanted to give the public time to understand the bill after Monday’s amendments.

House Speaker Brian Bosma ordered $1,000 fines to be levied on the absent Democrats, though many of the Democrats have joined a court order temporarily blocking the collection of those fines from their paychecks.

“It continually surprises me that someone is elected to do a job and paid to do a job,” Bosma said, “but doesn’t show up to do a job.”