Every bill to date passed out of the House on 3rd, and final, reading this session has had votes from both Republican and Democrat representatives. Less than 10 percent of those bills failed to get at least 80 percent of the legislative body's support and Republicans represent only 60% of the House. Over half the bills to date passed out of the House and to the Senate had unanimous support and received zero votes against them. Where is this radical agenda that House Democrats are claiming Republicans are attempting to push through? The state budget, is that radical? Speaking on behalf of House Democrats last week, Rep. Scott Pelath (D-Mishawaka) said "We've had an awful lot of bills here that they've passed through that we vehemently disagreed with and they passed anyway." That is simply not true. If this is the reason House Democrats have holed themselves up in a hotel in Urbana, Illinois then there is nothing we can do until they arrive to the rational conclusion of return to the Statehouse. There is a process in place to debate and argue for changes in legislation on the House floor; it is the amendment process that has been in place (and worked) for more than a century in our legislative process. If there are concerns surrounding legislation that remains on the House calendar then Democrats have a right debate for changes to the legislation in the form of an amendment. If a representative disagrees with a piece of legislation they have the right to vote no. In many cases this session amendments to bills that have been proposed by House Democrats have been accepted and added to legislation. Including amendments to some of the education reform legislation that Democrats claim are a reason they continue their walkout. I have been in attendance at the Statehouse for session every day since the Democrats fled the state in hopes they would return. Fining those absent in the House Chambers is within the rules in order to compel their return. They were given a job to do when they were elected and sworn in this past November. That job was to represent their district and Indiana. This walkout by House Democrats is a rejection of their responsibilities as representatives and of an agenda set not by Speaker Bosma or Governor Daniels, but by the voters of Indiana. The legislation that is being addressed in the House is supported by a large majority of Hoosiers as proven by last November's elections. There are no jobs in this country where workers get paid to not show up unexcused. The Indiana General Assembly should not be an exception for this, especially when it involves taking the voices away from Hoosiers across the state. While House Democrats have the right to oppose and argue against any legislation on the House floor, they do not have a right to take the voices of Hoosier voters away. They simply do not. -30- |
