INDIANAPOLIS – House Democrats stayed in the building this time but stymied the first day of the legislative session Wednesday by refusing to come to the floor to open business.
Last year they spent five weeks in Urbana, Ill., caucusing. This year they are sticking to a Supreme Court consultation room down the hall from the House chambers.
Either way, the House lacked the 67 members needed for a quorum.
House Democratic Leader Patrick Bauer – standing with his caucus – said Democrats want statewide hearings on the right-to-work bill before it is rammed through the process.
He did not, however, promise that Democrats would return if those hearings occur.
"What's the urgency?" Bauer asked. "There needs to be time for the public to have input."
GOP House and Senate leaders announced right-to-work as their top priority in November. House Democrats did not seek statewide hearings until now.
"This is just another source of delay tactics," Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma said.
He also said he will not take the issue off the table as he did last year to salvage work on the state budget and other key matters. The right-to-work bill would prohibit unions and employers from requiring all workers covered by a union contract to pay a fee to the union for representation.
"States that have enacted right-to-work have lower wages," said Dave Martin, 49, a UAW member from Kokomo. "There's a fight against the middle class. If we don't do something, there won't be a middle class."
He was one of hundreds of protesters from around the state to come to the Statehouse on Wednesday to denounce the bill, which they believe will weaken unions and lower wages in the state.
Supporters believe it will attract jobs from companies that now focus on the current 22 right-to-work states.
Bosma said the issue has been at the forefront for a year and that a legislative summer study committee heard 20 hours of testimony. A joint House/Senate hearing on the measure is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday.
If the House has not convened by then, members can go to the hearing informally and listen to testimony but not vote. The Senate, however, which operated without incident Wednesday, can move its right-to-work bill along the normal process.
Bosma asked to meet with Bauer three times Wednesday, but Bauer didn't respond until late in the day.
Bosma was also miffed that a registered lobbyist for the AFL-CIO was seen by the news media leaving the caucus room.
"This is a shocking development," he said. "Why are they meeting with registered lobbyists while delaying public business?"
Bauer said his caucus had questions about the labor bill and the lobbyist is an expert who could answer them.
Rep. Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, said the House Democratic caucus had a lot to discuss Wednesday and that it's unclear what will happen today.
"We're facing a pretty substantial change in policy, and we want to make sure the public understands it," he said.
House Democrats this year face an even tougher choice on whether to show up because a new law with stiff $1,000-a-day fines could be called into play if members miss three consecutive session days.
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