The Star has an interesting sidebar summarizing the Democrats 5-week, self-imposed exile in Urbana, Illinois. Here's what it shows by the numbers:
$3,150 The amount of fines most Democratic lawmakers will be assessed for the walkout
40 The number of Democratic members in the House
39 The number of Democrats who participated in the walkout (Rep. Stemler was the lone holdout)
35 The number of days the walkout lasted
$85,000 Estimated cost of the Democrats' hotel bill in Urbana, Illinois' Comfort Inn Suites
House Speaker Brian Bosma maintains the fines will be collected from the House Democratic caucus members by deducting the fines from their per diem pay going forward. I suspect the Indiana Democratic Party, which raised money from the special interest groups that stood to benefit from the walkout, is covering the cost for them. The question remains whether Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller or Marion Co. Prosecutor Terry Curry will uphold the laws of the state that prohibit lawmakers from having their out-of-state travel paid by lobbyists and from soliciting campaign contributions while the legislature is in session. The Democrats clearly used their state party organization to break both of those laws, violations of which is a Class D felony. Taxpayers should further press governmental entities and public education institutions employing Democratic lawmakers to explain why the double dippers were not fired from their government jobs for failing to show up for work for more than a month without an excused absence for conducting their business with the House of Representatives.
