Court steps into legislative fines dispute

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Updated: January 27, 2012 11:31PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Supreme Court has agreed to step into a legislative dispute over the collection of $1,000-a-day fines imposed on Democrats who boycotted the House to protest a right-to-work bill.

The court voted 4-1 Friday to accept jurisdiction over the state’s appeal.

The attorney general’s office asked the high court to intervene after a Marion County judge blocked the House from collecting fines through payroll deduction. In a related development Friday, the judge extended his order blocking the fines for another 10 days.

Attorney General Greg Zoeller says the dispute properly belongs in the Legislature, not in the courts. He says that under constitutional separation of powers, a court cannot interfere in the workings of the legislative branch.

House Minority Leader Patrick Bauer didn’t return a phone call seeking comment.