More Than 100 Rally For Indiana Democrats Staying in Urbana

A group of Indiana Democrats with no plans to return their state have the backing of unions on both sides of the state line this weekend.

The House members staying in Urbana over a stalemate with Republicans over labor and education bills saw more than 100 supporters line Lincoln Avenue Saturday. They included Bret Voorhies, a coordinator for the United Steel Workers, who said the GOP's efforts are an attack on working people in general.

"We're the ones who go to capitol hill and fight bad trade deals," Voorhies said. "Bad trade deals are hurting every single worker. We're the ones that fight for increases in minimum wage. Obviously, most union people make more than minimum wage. We're the ones who fight for increases in workman's comp. All workers benefit from workman's comp."

A group of University of Illinois law students who were at Friday's rally also visited Madison, Wisconsin in the past week to back worker's rights in the protest there. The Indiana lawmakers have stayed at Urbana's Comfort Suites since Tuesday, where they also picked up the support of Mayor Laurel Prussing. She said the city has a long history of supporting working people.

"I told them that Urbana is in favor of collective barganing," said Prussing. "I think we treat our employees very fair. And that they're engaged in a very important fight for worker's rights that took hundreds of years to accomplish, and we don't want to see it undone."

Gary Democrat Vernon Smith called the support 'exhilarating' after spending their week developing hundreds of amendments in meetings. But he said there has been no indication their Republican colleagues are ready to negotiate.

Saturday's rally included a small contingent, three people, from a Tea Party group involving Illinois and Western Indiana residents. They say regardless of how the Democrats vote, they need to return to the capitol and do their jobs.