Despite promises from Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels to not call state troopers to round up legislators, Win Moses, state representative from Fort Wayne, said the Democrats fled as a safety precaution. Wednesday’s exodus marks the second time in a week neighboring legislators have fled to Illinois to avoid the passage of union-busting legislation brought forth by Republican controlled legislatures.

“We felt certain that we would be chased down by state police if we stayed there. So we just decided on Tuesday morning we needed to declare this time out,” Moses said. “The closest place is your town, Urbana and Champaign, hundred some miles down the highway.”

Scott Reske, state representative from Madison County, said the only way to stop the “radical legislation” was to ensure quorum could not be reached, since there is a majority of Republicans in the Senate and House.

“What was happening is a lot of legislation affecting a lot of people was being run through the House so fast that a lot of Hoosiers didn’t understand the very negative impacts that some would describe as a radical agenda dealing with education, with labor,” Reske said.

Part of the legislation that the Democrats oppose is the “right to work” bill, which, according to Reske, would allow somebody in a union shop to get the benefits of being in the union and have the union negotiate for them, but not pay the union dues.

“It should be called ‘right to work’ for less,” Reske said. “It’s a tool that tries to get rid of unions.”

Moses said the legislative showdown has been building up.

“We had an accumulation of bills by the Republicans that appear to be radical to us and limit the opportunity of employment in the state of Indiana and drives down wages,” he said. “As this accumulated over the last six weeks, we finally said enough is enough, we have to draw the line in the sand.”

Moses added that states with right to work laws have a yearly average of about $5,000 less per household income.

“I think that’s what would happen in Indiana and that’s what we’re resisting,” he said.

Moses said he was not sure when they will leave Urbana. Even though top Republicans in the state have promised to drop the bill from their agenda, the Democrats have vowed to stay in Urbana until all legislative issues that effect workers are resolved.

“We will stay until the negotiations are complete,” Moses said.

Moses said that 36 Democratic representatives out of 40 fled to Urbana.

“We have to keep two people there because otherwise the 60 can come in and conduct business,” Moses said. “But if someone stands up and says there’s not a quorum, they have to have 67 there. And somebody has to second that motion.”

Moses said it was business as usual within the Comfort Inn.

“Last night we produced a 105 amendments to the budget bill for the state of Indiana. We sent about 60 plus amendments over (to Indiana) today,” he said. “We’re trying not to lose any speed at all and yet still make our point that what’s been going on is bad for Indiana.”