Bauer’s tactics unite, divide his own party

INDIANAPOLIS — Football fans in Indianapolis for the Super Bowl who found themselves inexplicably pondering labor law and political brinksmanship have a Democratic state lawmaker representing South Bend to thank for the bizarre confluence.

Indiana House Minority Leader B. Patrick Bauer led outnumbered House Democrats on an extended effort to stall action on the Republican measure that made Indiana the 23rd state to bar unions from collecting mandatory fees for representation of workers.

Facing a 60-40 Republican majority in the House this session, Bauer and 34 other Democrats dragged the debate right up to Super Bowl week through periodic boycotts of the House floor.

But the effort, which followed a five-week Democratic walkout over right to work last year, has splintered a caucus already fractured by the loss of the House in 2010 and looking at tough new battles in districts redrawn by Republicans last year. Even the Democrats’ candidate for governor, former House Speaker John Gregg, has said it’s time to move on.

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