Support Indiana lawmakers fighting attacks on Hoosier working families

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and his Republican colleagues in the Indiana House and Senate, along with their deep-pocketed corporate allies from out of state, are pushing the biggest attack on Hoosier working families in decades.

They want to pass a so-called right-to-work bill. The Republican backers of this bill claim that it would bring new jobs into Indiana. The reality is that in states that have passed right-to-work laws there has actually been a loss in the number of jobs as well as cuts in wages, reduced benefits, and an increase in unsafe working conditions. In short, right-to-work laws have taken away workers’ rights and weakened their collective voice by destroying unions and inhibiting workers’ rights to organize, leaving them virtually defenseless.

Fortunately, Democratic members in both houses of the Indiana Legislature are standing up to this attempted political power grab. To stop right-wing legislators from ramming this bill through, Democrats in the House have filibustered sessions over the past week even in the face of $1,000 a day fines from Republicans. Ironically, in 2001 the Republicans staged a boycott over a pending issue and the Democrats didn’t fine them for doing what they (the Republicans) believed was the right thing to do.

House and Senate Democrats are also pushing hard for an amendment for a referendum allowing Hoosiers to vote whether or not they want Indiana to become a right-to-work state. Initially, the Republicans said they would go along with this amendment; however, once the Democrats returned to the sessions, the Republicans went back on their word. The Democrats then returned to filibustering the sessions, in spite of the fine. Where I grew up, going back on one’s word is called lying.

The question here is why the Republicans are so opposed to a referendum when their party leader, Governor Daniels, has stated: “I do not share the fear of some that Hoosiers cannot be trusted to weigh the pros and cons of big investments for which they will pay the costs. I say, trust the people; give them the facts, and let them vote.”

The answer is that 71% of working Hoosiers are opposed to right-to-work laws and if they are given the opportunity to vote on this issue, they would vote against it. The powers that be would not get their way, even though it disagrees with the voters who elected them, whom they are supposed to represent.

Please sign the petition to thank Democratic lawmakers and urge them to continue to stand strong.