Indiana House Democrats have returned to work at the Statehouse for the first time since they fled to Illinois on Feb. 22 in protest of a Republican reform plan they called an assault on labor and public education.
Legislators from both parties threw cold water Thursday on optimism about a breakthrough ending the month-long boycott by Indiana House Democrats.
Liquor stores didn’t do as well, undercutting their argument against allowing other retailers to sell cold beer.
The leader of the boycotting Indiana House Democrats returned to the Statehouse on Wednesday for what he called a "very positive" meeting with Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma.
A bill signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels will create a type of auction among rural communities for young entrepreneurs graduating from some universities in the state.
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the amendment on a 7-3 party line vote Wednesday, with Republican senators rejecting arguments that language prohibiting civil unions could threaten the ability of employers to offer domestic partner benefits.
A legislative stalemate in Indiana reached a political milestone on Tuesday as House Democrats stayed away from their jobs for a 30th consecutive day in what now ranks among the longest Statehouse boycotts in recent U.S. history.
House Speaker Brian Bosma directed Republican committee chairmen to hold meetings starting this week to discuss Senate bills, even though no official action or votes can be taken until Democrats return and provide the quorum required by the state constitution.
Both Democrats and Republicans claim the walkout by Indiana House Democrats is rallying support for their side, spurring new donations and rousing the party faithful.
Indiana House Democrats, whose walkout nearly a month ago halted the legislative process, remain in no hurry to return considering they face the prospect of losing on almost every vote.
Republican Brian Bosma says the House will consider a formal censure motion Monday for absent Democrats who have boycotted the chamber for four weeks.
The Republican speaker of the Indiana House said Wednesday that the ongoing walkout by Democratic legislators has stirred up interest in one day making such actions illegal or allowing voters to remove boycotters from office.
The Republican leader of the Indiana House said his patience was wearing thin with Democratic lawmakers who have shut down the legislative process in Indiana for three weeks by walking out on their jobs.
Cities and towns would lose the power to annex land against the owners’ will, under a bill that easily cleared the Indiana Senate.
The Senate Education Committee heard hours of testimony about the bill and details of a new study that found Indiana students who transferred to charter schools showed greater learning gains than their peers who stayed in traditional public schools.
More than two weeks after Democratic lawmakers fled Indiana to block GOP-backed legislation, both sides gave optimistic signals Wednesday about resolving the stalemate.
Industry feared original bill would have put mortgage lenders at added risk.
Frustrated Republicans say they won't be bullied into changing their agenda, and Democrats showed no signs of backing down — with one lawmaker vowing to stay in Urbana, Ill., "until hell freezes over.”
An Indiana House Democrat threatened Monday to continue the caucus's ongoing boycott "as long as it takes" to get changes made to Republican-backed proposals, even if their absence shuts down state government.
An Arizona-style proposal to crack down on illegal immigration has sparked protests from convention groups who say they'll avoid Indianapolis if the measure becomes law.
