5 days ago
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana Democrats' 2011 walkout backfired, led to GOP gains
'Surreal' is the only way to describe a gaggle of Hoosier reporters gathering around a speakerphone to record a gruff voice beaming in from Illinois. But that's what happened in 2011, when Indiana House Democrats staged a walkout to block a variety of bills.
The memories of those peculiar media availabilities with Rep. Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, came flooding back when I heard Texas Democrats had also fled the state — this time to block a mid-cycle redistricting.
The nearly six-week Hoosier walkout likely led to a GOP supermajority and has had lasting negative impacts to this day.
House Democrats left Indiana on Feb. 22, 2011, for a Comfort Suites in Urbana, Illinois. The caucus was fighting several anti-union bills, though a host of other issues also played a role, including state-funded vouchers for private schools.
Their absence meant the House couldn't put together a quorum to conduct business. Dozens of bills died on the calendar during the walkout.
The absent members were fined tens of thousands of dollars, but they held off right-to-work legislation for a year and got other, smaller concessions.
Was it worth it? Definitely not.
The Texas fiasco is happening on a much bigger stage and centers on one issue that is relatively simple to explain to voters: should Texas Republicans redraw congressional districts early — instead of after the 2030 census — to create more GOP seats and help the party hold a narrow U.S. House margin?
Given the higher profile and tighter focus, the impact of the Texas Democrats' walkout could be more effective.
Indiana lawmakers might face a similar situation soon as pressure mounts from President Donald Trump's administration for other red states to redistrict early. But Democrats won't have the option of a walkout this time.
That's because the GOP controls the House 70-30 and the Senate 40-10. It takes a quorum of 67 and 33 to conduct business, respectively, which means Republicans don't need Democrats for a quorum or to pass a bill.
Indiana Republicans have a big decision to make.
They have to weigh public transparency and fiscal prudence in deciding whether to redistrict in a special session. Gov. Mike Braun, in particular, has spent months preaching financial discipline — resulting in state layoffs as well as cuts to benefits and services for Hoosiers.
The decision to call a special session is ultimately up to Braun, but legislative leaders would have to be on board to avoid embarrassment.
The GOP would need to find a cogent message on why the move is necessary. After all, Indiana's population has increased minimally, about 1.5%, since 2021, so there simply aren't large migration and demographic changes to adjust for.
What's left is purely partisan politics. And it's hard for me to to believe that the GOP leaders here would move forward with a special, superfluous session that could cost upwards of $200,000 just for that.
