Ind. House Democrats protest right-to-work legislation, newly rescinded Statehouse rules

The Statehouse in Indianapolis was not void of drama Wednesday as the first scheduled day of legislation of the new year was interrupted by union protesters and a filibuster by the Democratic Party.

Early in the morning, demonstrators lined up to protest new regulations enacted by the Indiana State Police that put a cap on occupancy for the Statehouse of 3000, including approximately 1700 employees.

Democrats said the policy restricted speech, and suggested it was a Republican effort to stifle protests against pending right-to-work legislation, which caused a Democratic walk-out last spring.

After public outcry, Governor Mitch Daniels rescinded the policy, allowing protesters to flood the Statehouse this morning.

"I've asked the fire marshal to rescind the new policy and restore the traditional unlimited access here to the building," Daniels said in a press conference Wednesday morning. "That's in place right now. All the doors are open … We will do that unless and until there's a problem."

The action didn't end there, as Democratic lawmakers failed to appear on the House floor for a quorum call after legislators held morning caucuses.

House Minority Leader and Democrat B. Patrick Bauer said  this was a filibuster, not a walkout, and that his caucus would return to work if Republicans agreed to schedule hearings on the right-to-work issue.

"We refuse to let the most controversial public policy bill of the decade be railroaded through with the public being denied their fair and adequate input," Bauer said. "What's the urgency?"

Bloomington State Rep. Peggy Welch was one of a handful of Democrats who remained on the House floor. Welch told the Indianapolis Star that although she opposes right to work, her constituents expected her to be at work and that a filibuster was unlikely to have an effect on legislation.

The Republican leadership was surprised, they said, especially since they had planned to "hit the ground running" with their legislative agenda, according to a statement released Tuesday. Speaker of the House, Republican Brian Bosma, said he was "honestly shocked" when Indiana AFL-CIO president Nancy Guycott, a registered lobbyist, was seen leaving the Democratic caucus.

"Pat Bauer and his team not on the floor at the appointed time. Here we go again Indiana. Elected officials need to show up to work!" Bosma said on Twitter late in the afternoon.

Bauer said he planned to meet with Bosma, but did not say when the Democrats would return to the House floor.