Statehouse Dems fined by Republicans

Republicans in the Indiana General Assembly are fining Democrats for not appearing at legislative sessions in protest of the right-to-work bill currently being debated.

House Republicans voted to assess fines of $1,000 per day, which began Wednesday and will continue until a vote for the bill can take place, according to a Republican caucus press release.

“It was my intention to proceed in a civil fashion and to do the business that the people of Indiana elected us to perform, but that is not the position we find ourselves in at this moment,” House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said in a release Tuesday.
“House members that choose not to show up to work and vote on the issues before them face fines of $1,000 per day.”

Democrats have criticized Republicans for not being willing to compromise on right to work, which would prevent labor unions from automatically extracting membership dues from workers’ pay.

“Hoosier families want jobs, not lower paychecks,” Democratic Leader Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, said in a statement.

— Michael Auslen