Fines Pending for Ind. House Dems in Labor Battle

[dbt]

Source: AP (Tom LoBianco) via ABC

Indiana's House Democrats are bracing for major financial pain as they begin a third day blocking a bill that would make Indiana the first state in more than a decade to enact right-to-work legislation.

Fines of $1,000 daily for each Democrat could hit Friday, depending on what Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma decides to do with lawmakers who deny him the numbers needed to push through the Republican priority. <snip>

Democrats stalled business Wednesday, the first day of the 2012 session, when they did not report to the House floor. They continued Thursday to block action on a right-to-work measure that would bar private unions from collecting mandatory fees. <snip>

Inside the 40-member caucus, lawmakers are split over how much they can afford to keep stalling in order to block the bill. Some strode out of Thursday's caucus meeting saying that if they suffered through last year's five-week stay in Urbana, Ill., they can stand on principle now.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fines-pending-ind-house-dems-labor-battle-15303123#.TwbRtIHYCSo

[Zorra]

1. If they are going to stand up for me, I'd like to back them up.

The new law levies a fine of $1,000 per day against each lawmaker who sits out more than three days in a row. Republicans established the new penalties after Democrats left the state last year to block the right-to-work measure.

The House Democratic caucus meanwhile opened an account on the Democratic fundraising website ActBlue and sent out an appeal Wednesday on Facebook seeking donations of between $5 and $250. "The Indiana House Democrats NEED YOUR HELP! Please support our caucus as we fight another battle against the Republicans as they try to push RTW legislation through without listening to working Hoosiers," the Democrats wrote in their appeal.

Indiana Democratic Party spokeswoman Jennifer Wagner said her group did not pay for any of the penalties accrued last year and did not plan to pay any fines this year.

A lawsuit challenging fines from last year's session filed by Rep. Bill Crawford, D-Indianapolis, is still being weighed by a Marion County Superior Court judge.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fines-pending-ind-house-dems-labor-battle-15303123?page=2#.TwcZBHr8mSo

[myrna minx]

2. Thanks for the link - what a wonderful idea. K&R n/t

[No Elephants]

4. Do you have a link to the Act Blue page for these donations? I could not find it.

There are 194 pages of different fundraising causes and I could not find a search feature either. And, while the listings on the fundraising pages seem to be alphabetical, I could not even seem to find a place to click that would get me to the "i" pages.

That brings me to a larger question: who, if anyone, vets the causes listed on ActBlue and follows how the money is actually spent?

Seems to me the Indiana State Democratic Party and/or the DNC should have a separate fund set up for the legal fees to fight the fines. Until the legal issue is resolved, I would not contribute to pay the fines themselves.

I looked on the website of the Indiana State Democratic Party and this issue is not listed on the first page. I do not wish to donate to a general fund in either the Indiana State Democratic Party or the DNC. It being after 5 on Friday, I suggest sending an email to the Party and asking if they have set up a special fund for fighting the fines.

[e-mail]

[Zorra]

5. No, I just sent it to the Indiana Dem party.

I get what you are saying though. I'll check it out more thoroughly before I donate again.

https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/indems
:hi:

[No Elephants]

3. Truth in Legislating: Bill should be called Right to Work Under Awful Conditions