Perhaps the Democrats stayed away too long for their own good.
As late as Thursday Republicans were making concessions to missing House Democrats in an effort to get them to return to the Indiana General Assembly and do what they were elected to do.
The Democrats rejected the GOP cave on some union-related legislation and remained in Illinois.
They would continue “doing what we think is right,” according to Win Moses, Democrat House member from Fort Wayne staying in Urbana. We don’t know how refusing to do one’s job and shutting down the General Assembly becomes the right thing, especially since the majority has agreed to your demands on multiple levels. Moses, who we are told is personally a good fellow, perhaps learned a different right and wrong than that which we became familiar on the laps of our parents, in Sunday school or even watching Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. He and his fellow partisans might have learned their version from teachers devoted to unions terrified of school vouchers and charter schools.
Republicans declared they were done with the missing Democrats and will begin inserting Republican ideas and reforms into legislation still in process. They say they will work with the Democrats on hand in Indianapolis to deliver a state budget and redraw boundaries for political districts.
We encourage them to do so.
Gov. Mitch Daniels says the missing Democrats have now forfeited their participation this year. We agree. If operations can be completed without them — let’s go ahead and draw those districts and create that budget minus consideration of their desires of Urbana. We cannot continue to be held hostage by a minority that is not serious about the governing of our state and the overall welfare of its citizens.
Republicans also increased fines for missing Democrats last week. We have in the past said that voters should not return the absent House members to any office of public trust again. We also do not think voters should return any legislator, Republican or Democrat, who would vote to waive or lower these fines at any point in the future.
This is not politics as usual. It should not become so.
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