Southern Indiana Perspective on Dem Walkout

The Courier-Journal's Lesley Stedman interviews southern Indiana freshman legislator Rhonda Rhoads about the progress of the current legislative session (and the Democrat walkout last week):

Newly elected state Rep. Rhonda Rhoads, R-Corydon, is in the midst of her first legislative session and now her first big standoff between Republicans and Democrats.

She’s not amused.

She said she wants lawmakers to act courteously, try to “be adults” and work together.

“As a kindergarten teacher, I think that’s commendable when adults can act like adults,” she said. “I’m just disappointed. That’s all.”

Boycotting Democrats are staying in a hotel in Illinois to protest labor and education bills they say will hurt workers and public education.

But Rhoads, a former Harrison County Council member, said the bills are actually meant to give Hoosiers more choices at work and school.

She said Democrats are just sore they lost control of the House and it’s time for them to return to the Statehouse and get to work.

Here’s what else Rhoads had to say about the boycott and some of the bills involved in the debate.

Question: This week, Democratic lawmakers fled the state in an attempt to try to kill some education and labor bills. What was your reaction to that move?

Answer: I think when you are elected to do a job, you do the job in the state where you were elected to do it in.

All the discussion and debate on these issues should be going on in committee and on the House floor.

Q: Were you surprised by the Democrats’ move?

A: I was surprised they went out of state.

Q: Are you surprised they’ve stayed away so long?

A: That doesn’t surprise me.

Q: When do you think they might come back?

A: You’ll have to ask them. I’m not a prognosticator.

Q: One of the bills they said prompted them to leave was the right-to-work legislation, which would have freed employees from paying dues or fees to unions they choose not to join, even if those groups represent them. The Democrats killed that bill. Did you support it?

A: I would have voted for it.

As a teacher, there was a time that the union wanted to do a closed shop. They wanted me to join a union and pay the dues, whether I wanted to be a member or not.

I don’t like my money being given to candidates that I don’t support, being given to ideas and philosophies I don’t support.

At this point, I think that people who need jobs should be able to work. They shouldn’t be told they have to sign up for a union contract so they can have their job. I just don’t think in a world of choices in America that’s the right thing to do.

Q: Another issue for Democrats is Gov. Mitch Daniels’ plan to create vouchers to send moderate- and low-income students to private schools. Do you support that idea?

A: I support children having lots of different options in their education, choice in where they go to school.

If that’s one way for some children to have a different educational opportunity that suits their needs, then I see nothing wrong with giving parents options — and that’s one of the options.

Q: Already this year, you voted for a bill that would expanded chart schools in Indiana. Why do you support that legislation?

A: Because it gives parents options for their children and their children’s education.

Choice is always important to parents. And parents pay tax money. The money would follow that child.

I’m hearing from parents that they would like to have choices and there’s nothing wrong with giving parents several options and letting them choose.

Q: The House also passed a bill that would ban smoking in most workplaces, including restaurants, although it exempts bars, private clubs and some other locations. How did you vote and why?

A: I voted against banning smoking.

I don’t go to places that have smoke. I don’t like to be around smoke. But any business that wants to can put a non-smoking sign up. I don’t like as a legislator to tell people that you as a business have to do what I tell you to do. Let them decide.

I’m one of these people who believes that Americans should have more freedom to do things, especially with their own businesses.

I will go to those places that don’t have smoke and eat. And I make that choice myself.

Q: This is your first year at the General Assembly, how is it different than what you were expecting?

A: I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t have any high expectations or low expectations.

It’s a very busy place. There’s a lot of information that comes quickly to you. Sometimes there’s an information overload and that’s why I like coming home on the weekend and having a chance for it to all settle in. It gives me a chance to read without distraction, gives me an opportunity to understand the process.

I’m enjoying learning the process. I want to make sure that when I go up (to Indianapolis), I am doing the work the people sent me up there to do. That means being in my seat when the roll is called every day.