With Fines Imposed, Indiana Dems Continue Legislative Boycott

Indiana House Democrats are keeping up their legislative boycott over the right-to-work bill a day after majority Republicans voted to start imposing $1,000-a-day fines.

Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma tried to gavel the House into order Thursday morning, but without the boycotting Democrats there were too few members present to conduct business for the sixth day this month. Only five of the 40 House Democrats were on the floor, with most of the others meeting in a Statehouse conference room.

A few dozen union protesters cheered from a hallway outside the House chamber as Bosma announced the House didn't have a quorum present.

Democrats say their lawyers need time to draft a proposal for a statewide referendum on the bill banning union contracts with mandatory representation fees from nonmembers.