Ind. House Democrats caucusing in the Statehouse Rotunda are cheered on by union members and other supporters. (Photo: Gabe González, AFL-CIO)

Indiana State House Speaker Brian Bosma is flying in the face of public opinion—and bucking the NFL Players Association—by threatening to unilaterally push ahead with unpopular right-to-work-for-less legislation. A poll conducted by Hart Research Associates, found that 71 percent of Hoosiers want the voters, not the Legislature, to decide if right-to-work-for-less is right for Indiana. Bosma has thrown out the Democrats’ amendment that would put right-to-work-for-less up for a statewide vote.

In response to the denial of the amendment, House Democrats held their caucus meeting in the Statehouse Rotunda, denying a House quorum and blocking an official vote on right-to-work-for-less. Bosma threatened the Democrats, who were cheered on by labor members and working-class activists during their meeting, with a $1,000 fine for every day they deny a House quorum. Tomorrow, the Democratic caucus may begin meeting in a church across the street from the statehouse.

Bosma is ignoring the public and members of his own party, including state Sen. Brent Waltz and members of the new Lunchpail Republicans PAC. So far, 20,000 letters and postcards from concerned Hoosiers have been delivered to House Republicans, while incoming phone calls have jammed their office lines every day. The Lunchpail Republicans, who are looking for pro-labor Republicans as primary challengers in 2012, recently aired a commercial that said “Right to Work doesn’t Work.”

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