INDIANAPOLIS — The day after their face-to-face meeting, an end to the month-old standoff that has shut down the Indiana House of Representatives continued to elude the Republican and Democratic leaders.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, and House Minority Leader Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, called their half-hour chat "very positive," but by Thursday, both sides' hopes seemed to have deflated.
Democrats characterized the standoff as a negotiating process. But Bosma said he is "not conducting some big, backroom deal," and said nothing has changed.
"I'm trying to moderate my hopes because there have been several moments when I think we were being led on a little bit," Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels said Thursday.
He said it looks like Bosma has met Democrats "80 or 85 percent of the way to what they said they wanted. And then, as we've all seen, the demand list keeps changing."
Initially, Democrats fled to stop a "right-to-work" bill that would have ended compulsory union membership.
On Feb. 22 — the day they arrived at the Comfort Suites hotel in Urbana, Ill. — Democrats sent back a list of 11 Republican-backed measures they identified as the reasons for their decision to boycott.
That list included education reforms such as expanded charter schools, private school vouchers and funding formula changes, as well as several labor-related bills.
"We will remain here until we get assurances from the governor and House Speaker Brian Bosma that these bills will not be called down in the House at any time this session," that letter said.
In the days afterward, Bauer changed his tone, saying that was just a "list of concerns." Republicans declared "right-to-work" dead for the year, and Bauer chopped eight of those bills off the list without any concessions from Republicans.
That left two issues. Vouchers were one. The other was House Bill 1216, which would allow more government construction jobs to go to non-union contractors, and therefore, Democrats say, cut into workers' wages.
The two sides quickly reached a deal on vouchers after Republicans agreed to drop the caps on the number of students eligible from 10,000 in the first year and 20,000 in the second year to 7,500 in the first year and 15,000 in the second year. There are no caps at all starting in the third year.
New demands?
Last week, Bauer said the last remaining point of contention was the labor-related public works bill. But early this week, when Bosma said Republicans had made their final offer on that bill, Bauer sent back a new list of objections to what he called Republicans' "radical agenda aimed at Indiana's middle class."
His concerns had expanded again to include vouchers, teachers' collective bargaining restrictions, a measure that allows new charter schools to lease unused public school buildings for $1 — all "schemes to dismantle public education," he said.
It appeared an end to the impasse might be imminent on Wednesday when Bauer drove to the Statehouse and met with Bosma one-on-one. The only issue they discussed, both said, was the labor bill.
When Democrats didn't show up Thursday, Bosma gaveled the House out of session until Monday afternoon. In the meantime, he said, he will talk with the bill's author, Republican Rep. Bill Davis of Portland, and his Republican caucus.
"My main concern is that he's comfortable and that the integrity of the bill is maintained," Bosma said. "That doesn't mean you can't adjust an item here or there. We've never said that any of these bills were handed down off Mount Sinai."
Bauer wasn't available to comment, but he released a statement indicating he wants to hear what changes Republicans may make.
"We are still awaiting a response from Speaker Bosma, based on the recent exchange of ideas. Until then, we will have no comment," Bauer said.
If Republicans are willing to amend that bill, Democrats could add those concessions to the death of the "right-to-work" bill and the slightly lowered caps on the vouchers program.
"There's plenty of opportunity now for the Democrats to say, 'OK, we've got some victories, and we'll come back and do our duty,'" Daniels said.
On the House floor Thursday, Democratic Rep. Scott Pelath of Michigan City, who was one of two Democrats present for procedural purposes, said his party is "tempering optimism" about where things stand.
"One thing we always have to guard against when you're negotiating and trying to reach a solution is unreasonable optimism," he said. "Negotiating is hard work. It's not glamorous. It involves people making tough decisions that they don't necessarily want to."
Democrats have already received their $22,600 salaries this year. But they are forfeiting $155 in daily expense payments, and also being fined $350 each session day for which they are not present.
"We're exactly where we've been," Bosma said. "We continue to hope that Democrats will return."