Check this out.  As you know there’s a big rally slated for the Capitol tomorrow by the unions to protest the Republican agenda.  Protests are fine, that’s what America is all about.  However, when your goal is to do harm to the Indianapolis economy, we have a problem.  Don’t believe me, read the first page of the attached unions memo that’s circulating right now. Brilliant way to endear yourselves to the public.

My monthly column appears in the Indianapolis Star today.  It’s on unions and collective bargaining. Check it out.

I’ll give you a political gossip update tomorrow.

A number of people wanted to hear my interview with Betty Cockrum of Planned Parenthood of Indiana.  Luckily, I have it right here.

Betty Cockrum – part 1

Betty Cockrum – part 2

Betty Cockrum – part 3

And in case you were wondering, I do plan to sit down soon and talk with a representative from Indiana Right to Life. I’ll embed that interview as well.

As the Statehouse Standoff enters into its third week, soon to be followed by its fourth, I noticed something interesting during the daily media availability with Democratic Leader Pat Bauer, a most interesting concession.

Yes, I know there’s a lot of talk about concessions and compromise but this one was a little different.  If I am reading my tea leaves correctly, the South Bend Democrat threw House Republicans a bone with the Indianapolis City-County Council Democrats attached to it. To fully understand this you have to do something that very few media types in the Statehouse do, cover both ends of  Market Street.

The concession the Democratic leader threw out was opposition regarding HB 1538.  The bill would prohibit a local government unit from establishing, mandating, or requiring a minimum wage that exceeds the state minimum wage unless federal or state law provides otherwise. It would allow the locals to set wage rates as a part of a contract.  It’s sponsored by Mike Speedy, a Republican and former City-County Council member.

Democrats had argued that it was legislation that would harm working families because it would keep labor at a minimum wage level.  But Monday, Bauer said opposition was ending and they would have to fight that battle another day.  What’s important about this is not only does it take the number of bills Democrats find objectionable from four down to three, but it also, for all intent and purposes, throws City-Council Democrats under the bus.

This is where covering both ends of  Market Street comes in handy.  The word on the street for a while has been that Council Democrats were expecting a ton of cash from labor unions in exchange for raising what could be considered the “county minimum wage” should they retake the Council this election.  By taking HB 1538 off the table, the bill can go forward when Democrats return.  There is reportedly very strong Republican support for the measure in both the House and Senate so it would pass easily if it were to come up for a vote.

So it looks like Bauer is slowly giving in to the Republicans.  Remember, there were originally 11 objectionable bills.  That number was lowered to four when Bauer and House Speaker Brian Bosma met last week.  Now the number seems to be three, with the added bonus of City-Council Democrats thrown in for good measure.

I know some of my critics will accuse me of engaging in wild speculation.  Unfortunately for them, I happen to be in the unique position of actually showing up and keeping a close eye on stuff like this.  And I get the added bonus of being pretty close to the mark.

House Republicans will attempt another quorum call at 11 a.m.

Another day of no quorum at the Indiana House of Representatives.  Only two absentee Democrats showed today, State Representatives Terry Goodin and Peggy Welsh.  Democratic State Representative Steve Stemler did not participate in the walkout.

When asked whether they woould be back anytime soon, Goodin said they would stay gone for as long as it takes, even if it went past the April 30 adjournment date.  However, he also said that if the government shutdown because lawmakers failed to past a budget, the Republicans were to blame for not negotiating.

Goodin also says that although “right to work” legislation has been taken off the table, similar language still exits in other bills which he says are just as detrimental to working families.   He says Democrats would come back tomorrow if Republicans were willing to negotiate.

I’ve embedded Goodin’s entire remarks below as well as those from House Speaker Brian Bosma,  Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene and do another quorum call at 3:30 p.m.

Terry Goodin

Brian Bosma

And in case you were wondering, there won’t likely be any lawmakers here Thursday or Friday because of the Big Ten Tournament.  The hotel rooms are all booked and lawmakers get kicked out.  And yes, Democrats who did not show up today were fined $250.00.

Lots of things to talk about this morning, so let’s get started…

If anyone thought having a few days to think would change embattled Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White mind and he would step down, not so much.  I communicated with White this weekend via text messaging and when I asked if he was going to step down, his response was “…I have no intention of resigning.”  Of course, it’s still early in the process.

Speaking of communication, there wasn’t much of that between Indiana House Republicans and some of their missing Democratic counterparts.  House Speaker Brian Bosma told me that as of late Sunday afternoon, he had no communication with Democrats saying they would return today.  However, some of them reportedly did return to Indiana over the weekend.  I’m told by witnesses that Democratic State Representative Sheila Klinker was in-state.  She apparently made an appearance at a charity fundraiser at the J.W. Marriott in downtown Indianapolis.  The House is scheduled to convene today at 1:30 p.m.

The Mayor of Indianapolis and one of his Democratic opponents apparently just missed each other by a few minutes this weekend.  The Mayor spoke at an event on the revitalization of Lafayette Square.  Melina Kennedy reportedly also appeared shortly after the Mayor left and went to another event.

Speaking of Democrats, I don’t put a lot of stock in on-air radio polls; however one conducted by a WTLC-AM in Indianapolis revealed an interesting snapshot in the Democratic primary race for Mayor.  Of all the callers picks for Mayor in the Democratic race, Melina Kennedy scored 48%, Ron Gibson 30%; Sam Carson 4% and undecided were at 19%.   Like I said, I don’t put a lot of stock in on-air radio polls, but sometimes they get your attention.

And speaking of primaries, the U.S. Senate campaign between Dick Lugar and Richard Mourdock looks like it has the potential to get real intense real fast and real quick.  I received an e-mail from the Lugar camp attacking statements made by the State Treasurer regarding the incumbent’s record.  They go into detail regarding Lugar’s votes on various issues such as the START treaty and DREAM Act.   They also accuse the Mourdock camp of making statements so “demonstrably false as to be slander.”

And speaking of Senators, former U.S. Senator is making a fundraising appeal for the Indiana Democratic Party.   The e-mail requests $25-$100 to help restore “civility to the political debate as well as pull our communities back to the moderate values we all share.”  Oh, before I forget it was Birch Bayh who was on the e-mail, not Evan.

A legitimate question has been asked regarding the absentee Indiana House Democrats.   If their pay is being docked because they have unexcused absences at the legislature, does that same rule apply for those who work for other units of  government?

According to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Directory, the following State Reps hold the following positions…

Vernon Smith, professor of Education, IU Northwest

For the record, I’m an adjunct faculty member at Ivy Tech as well.  I know some lawmakers get an excused absence from work when they come to the statehouse and some forgo their pay as well.  I know House Democrats have made it clear they are not taking per diem, but I think the ones who work for other units of government might want to clarify to the taxpayers if they’re foregoing their other salaries as well since their absences from the Statehouse are unexcused.

I recently received a copy of this e-mail sent out by Indiana House Democratic Leader Pat Bauer regarding the Statehouse Stalemate.  I thought it was worth reprinting here.

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On Wednesday, I met face to face with the leader of the Indiana House Republicans.

I think we had a good discussion. They’re not yet prepared to meet us even halfway on the issues dividing us, but it’s clear that the GOP is starting to realize that my caucus will not be bullied or taunted into backing down in our fight for working families.

Maybe they didn’t consider at first that we’re not doing this to grab headlines. This isn’t about winning the next election or keeping our jobs as legislators.

We’re doing this because if we go home now and allow the Republicans to attack workers’ rights with impunity, Indiana families will suffer.

Their wages will fall. Their retirements will be at risk. Their children’s schools could be dismantled, and their voices in the workplace will be stifled.

We cannot allow that to happen.

I’m extremely proud of my Democratic colleagues, both here and around the country, for sticking together and doing everything we can to make sure working families are protected, but we can’t win this fight alone.

You can lend your voice too by signing the DLCC’s petition in support of Democratic legislators across the country who are fighting for working families.

Click here or visit www.dlcc.org/WorkersRights to sign on.

I don’t plan to go home for good unless I’m confident that the rights of Hoosier families can be protected.

I went into Wednesday’s meeting with an open mind, hoping my Republican counterpart would do the same. I delivered a message from my Democratic colleagues – firmly, but respectfully – that the issues dividing us are more important than anyone’s political ambitions. Thanks to our meeting, I’m cautiously optimistic that that message is slowly beginning to sink in.

That makes me hopeful that a meaningful compromise can be achieved.

But until then, I will continue to draw strength from my fellow Indiana House Democrats. All of us want to go home, but all of us recognize that the discomfort we’re experiencing ourselves is nothing compared to pain Indiana families will experience under the GOP proposals.

And that’s why, together, we’re going to continue standing up for the rights of working families.

Sincerely,

B. Patrick Bauer
Democratic Minority Leader
Indiana House of Representatives

p.s.  Visit www.dlcc.org/WorkersRights to sign the petition today!

There’s nothing like having your blog back up and running just when the two big political stories of the year (so far) are breaking.   Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White is indicted on seven counts (several of which relate to voter fraud).  And the Indiana House Republicans vote today to fine absentee Democrats $250 a day, starting Monday, for every unexcused absence from the Legislature.  Most the details about both these events have been written, so you can link them here and here.   What this blog post is about is my advice to both parties involved.

Charlie White.

First of all Charlie you are innocent until proven guilty.  I know you plan to fight the charges and you have no intention of resigning.  I also know you feel this is a personal witch hunt and this type of behavior takes place in Marion and Lake County and nothing ever happens.  I understand how this can annoy you.  With that said, the powers that be (Mitch Daniels, Eric Holcomb, Todd Rokita and a number of party establishment folks) are asking you to take a breather for a while.  Please note, they are not asking you to resign, per se (read their statements very carefully).  They are saying you should vacate the office until all this is said and done.

If my memory serves me correctly, the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office is the only statewide elected office that has a Deputy Secretary of State created by statute, so you could step down, have your Deputy takeover, and return, provided there’s no guilty verdict, when all this is done.  That way you keep the position and you focus your energy on your defense.  I’m not saying this can’t be done, but as long as this indictment is hanging over your head, your effectiveness will be grossly compromised.

Indiana House Democrats

It’s easy for me to understand how you guys can fall in love with the Land of Lincoln, but it’s time to act like grown ups and come back to Indiana.   You got your victory when right-to-work was taken off the table and now you really are overreaching.

You guys are reminding me of my buddy in college when we’re at the bar and he’s been hitting on the totally hot chick all night.  He’s about to seal the deal and then he says that one extra thing, usually it’s “would your roommate like to join us?”  And that sends the whole thing south.  When you started adding other bills to your list, one of which had already passed, you turned into my college buddy.

And all the rallies and Skype town halls won’t change a thing.  If anything, the longer you stay, the more annoyed everyone else gets. I know you say you are hearing from your constituents and they want you to stay, but I hate to break it to you, your constituents are only 40% of the electorate.

You guys have already gotten hit with a fine that’s going to cost your caucus more than $9,000 a day starting Monday.  It’s time to man up, come on back, and fight the fight on the House floor.   If the GOP ideas totally bite, then the voters will throw them out in the next election.  It’s called the political process.

That’s my friendly advice.  Take it for what it’s worth.

Editior’s Note:

No, Indiana Barrister was not hacked by the unions nor the Executive Director of the Marion County Democratic Party, we moved to a new server and it took longer than we planned.  Lucklily, the Indiana House Democrats haven’t come back yet, so you haven’t missed too much.   Below is what I posted on my other blogs this morning.  The only main update is that House Speaker Brian Bosma is expected to levy some fines in about 30  minutes against the absentee Democrats.  You can follow me on Twitter (AttyAbdul) or Facebook for the latest daily updates.  Thanks for the patience.

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When we asked House Democratic Leader Pat Bauer if he thought he made progress in Wednesday afternoon meeting with House Speaker Brian Bosma to end the political stalemate at the Indiana General Assembly, he told us they were a  “couple steps closer”.  Now seeing how there about 282,000 steps between Indianapolis and Champaign-Urbana, Illinois two steps is better than no steps.  The more I thought about it, the more I thought the Democratic Leader’s words could apply to a lot of things on the political landscape.

• For example, House Speaker Brian Bosma is a step closer to levying some serious fines against the absentee Democrats.

• The Indiana Senate is a step closer to running out of things to do if House Bills don’t start coming over soon.

• The out-of-state based union rallies in perpetuity are a step closer to getting on everyone’s  nerves at the Capitol who actually works for a living.

• The teachers unions are a step closer to getting investigated by the State for allegedly raising money to pay for political contributions to pay for lodging for absentee Democrats.

• Democratic Mayoral candidate Melina Kennedy is a step closer to realizing that there are some things you can’t play politics with, i.e. Rocky Ripple flood walls.

• The City and faith-based community are step closer to developing a more comprehensive strategy to deal with youth violence.

• If this keeps up  I’ll be a step closer to having go find a real job because there won’t be anything to report.