Democrats Return to Indiana

Indiana's House Democrats are back after one of the longest legislature walkouts in American history. The lawmakers—who fled to Illinois last month to deny the GOP a quorum on a controversial vote—returned from an absence of nearly six weeks after Republicans agreed to shelve some anti-union measures, the Indianapolis Star reports. Hundreds of union members cheered as the lawmakers gathered at party headquarters before returning to the statehouse.

Now there's just five weeks left for the legislature to consider a new budget, along with hundreds of other bills that have been in limbo. House Republican Speaker Brian Bosma—who called the concessions made to Democrats "relatively minor"—warned that long work weeks lie ahead for the legislators. He said Republicans have no plans to waive the fines levied against the lawmakers in their absence, which come to some $3,150 per person for the 39 Democrats who walked out. (More Indiana stories.)