A record no one should want

By Tuesday, it will be 29 days since the majority of the Indiana House Democrats joined their fellow Republicans in session.

Several House Democrats halted legislation Feb. 22 after heading to Urbana, Ill.

The goal? Stop the process of bills they believe attack workers' collective bargaining rights and public education.

Hearings began Monday for the state budget, one of the many bills caught in the storm, as Republicans elected to move forward without the boycotting Democrats.

The sadness about 29 days is this means Democrats are only a handful of days away from setting a record.

In 2003, Democratic state senators from Texas fled the state for a grand total of 46 days.

Only 17 days to go.

This tactic has been used before. By both sides. But nothing, apparently, was learned.

Each representative is being fined $350 per day currently but that doesn't appear to move them to come back to continue the legislative process.

With no votes, pending legislation will be squashed on April 29, the session adjournment date. However, Gov. Mitch Daniels has said he will call the Legislature into special session.

The process is being tampered with.

Ultimately, voters decide. And that's the way it should be.