Indiana Dems follow Wisconsin Dems to Illinois, fleeing anti-union vote

Union members from throughout Indiana protest several anti-labor bills outside the Senate chambers at the Indiana Statehouse, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, in Indianapolis.

/ Matt Detrich,AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star

Updated at 4:45 p.m. ET with Daniels' statement urging Republicans to set aside the legislation.

Taking a page from the Democratic playbook in Wisconsin, Indiana Democrats fled to Illinois today to thwart Republican efforts to pass anti-union legislation.

Only two of 40 Democrats were present for today's Illinois House session, the the Indianapolis Star reports, depriving the legislative body of the 67 lawmakers needed to call a quorum and conduct official business. The two Democrats present were there in the event they needed to make a motion and second a motion, to ensure Republicans did not conduct any business without a quorum, according to the Star.

An unnamed source told the newspaper that the Democrats likely fled to Illinois, where Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn would likely help the lawmakers avoid being taken into police custody and returned to Indiana. When asked whether he would call Indiana State Police to round up the lawmakers, Republican Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma said, "We'll see how the day goes."

Wisconsin Democrats similarly fled to Illinois last week to avoid an anti-union vote and have yet to return.

Indiana Democratic chair Dan Parker told the Washington Post that he was not sure if all of the Democratic House members had left the state yet, but that "they are not going to allow Republicans to try to lower wages for middle-class Hoosiers."

"Republicans have decided to bring their Wisconsin assault to Indiana, and we're not going to just sit around and take it," he said.

At issue is a Republican bill that would prohibit union membership or fees from being a condition of employment. Supporters call it the "right to work" bill and argue that obligatory union dues -- even for those who do not join a union -- are an impediment to business in the state. Opponents, who call it the "right to work for less" measure, argue it would weaken unions and thus drive down wages.

Republican Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has said he supports the policy but has said other legislative matters should come before this, according to the Star. Daniels gave a statement to WISH-TV today, saying, "For reasons I've explained more than once I thought there was a better time and place to have this very important and legitimate issue raised."

Furthermore, the governor said he won't be sending the state police after the Democrats. "I'm not gonna divert a single trooper from their job of protection the Indiana public," he said. "I trust that people's consciences will bring them back to work."

Still, on NPR on Monday, Daniels praised Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker for pushing legislation in his state that would scale back collective bargaining rights for public unions.

"I think that what [Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker] is trying to do is in the public interest," Daniels said. "The most powerful special interests in America today are the government unions."

Thousands of workers protested at the Indiana Statehouse Monday morning, according to the Associated Press, and the AFL-CIO is leading continuing rallies today. Rallies continue today in Wisconsin as well.

Meanwhile, union protests are also continuing in Ohio, where police and firefighters stand in opposition to a Republican plan to weaken collective bargaining rights, the Cleveland Plain Dearler reports.

As the debate over public spending and unions continues to spread across the country, more lawmakers are weighing in. On CBSNews.com's "Washington Unplugged" yesterday, Republican Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell reiterated his support for Walker, saying, "every governor's got tough choices to make."

Watch the interview below:

21 Photos

Wisconsin protests

[RobAla]

When Republicans were the minority, they went to work as they were elected to do. However, the Democrats want to throw down their toys and stomp out of the room when they do not get their way. Any elected official who refuses to go to work to do what they are elected to do should be fined. Their pay should be docked for every hour missed. If they continue to refuse to go to work for a certain length of time (2 weeks sounds reasonable), they should be declared AWOL and forfeit their office. It would be better to have the expense of a special election to replace them than to have no representation at all.

What a bunch of childish crap!

[LIBERALS-lie]

republicans didnt run like chickens when LIBERALS passed "health care reform"

[LIBERALS-lie]

gotta love the MEDIA BIAS...Doctors giving striking teachers fake sick notes (Fox News) and CBS does not bring this up.

[RobAla]

These doctors should have to come before medical boards for malpractice. I think they should be in jeopardy of losing their license to practice medicine for giving out fake sick notes.

[LIBERALS-lie]

Dems run away crying like little girls

[Multi-Basking]

"...the governor said he won't be sending the state police after the Democrats."

Indiana police have no authority to go into another state on police business. Esp when no crime has been committed.

[tsigili]

More Dems with zero guts.

[Jhihmoac]

...And I thought I procrastinated too much...SHEESH!

[carolo43]

Notice how people react differently when it's their rights who might be in jeopardy? Different story here if this was about gun rights.

[Zann-Zel]

Google "Scott Brown is a" and see what comes up....

[retm-w]

Google scott brown and read his BIO, he's a quitter just like palin. He dropped out of college.

[jabber2]

Good for the Dems. Let's keep this going. Ohio should be next. This is a thrilling time in America. Finally the middle class is fighting back. I am so sick of welfare for the rich and tax breaks for the multi-national corporations. THese guys don't create jobs and their money doesn't trickle down. The jobs they do create aren't in America. They are anti-american and they hate the middle class. I am tired of the little guy being blamed for the economic melt down created by the Republicans starting with Reagan (worst president of my lifetime). We need to keep the protests going and stay out in the streets.

[catmomtx]

Now, if only the tea party, middle and low income Republicans could take a moment to understand what Republicans policies will do to them and come on board it would be even better.

[mryoubrian]

1.3 million U.S. businesses do not pay ANY corporate in come taxes.
52-55,000 Americans found a need to have a Swiss bank account in 2008.
One of the biggest oil companies in the USA made 29 billion dollars last year....... they paid $0.00 in taxes ..........and even got a 159 million dollar refund!
This is what was meant by redistributing the wealth- the wealthy need to start paying their fair share... I made $14,700 last year and paid 25% in taxes.

We need to go to a flat tax of 15% for every person and every single business in the USA. NO DEDUCTIONS FOR ANYONE. Then we can get the tax code down from 170,000 pages to just 1. (and save 150 billion dollars a year for the running of the IRS.)
They should pay-

Corporations --15%
Single person -15%
Married couples --15%
Small businesses--15%
Work visas--15%
Wall Street bankers--15%

Estonia did this at a rate of 25% for 10 years. They rebuilt all their schools, their roads, infrastructure and paid all their national debt. Now they want to put it up for a referendum for the people and want to lower it to 8% from now on. How come we are such a backwards nation?