*** UPDATE 2 *** The walkout concept spreads to Illinois…

Dolton officials have slashed a contract proposed for a firm headed by the mayor’s daughter from more than $1 million to just $2 after questions from the Tribune.

And taking a nod from Wisconsin protesters, two Dolton trustees said they plan to boycott tonight’s village board meeting, where trustees are set to vote on the proposed contract — and every meeting until the proposal is taken off the table.

Without the two trustees, the village board won’t have a quorum and therefore can’t vote.

“We’ve got the same players with just different titles and more money,” said Trustee Deborah Green, who along with Trustee Willie Lowe plans to boycott meetings.

*** UPDATE 1 *** Or not…

Senate Dems late [last night] sought to downplay Minority Leader Mark Miller’s comments that they plan to return to the Capitol soon for a vote on the budget repair bill to put their GOP colleagues on record in the face of polls that show the legislation is not sitting well with the public. […]

But a Miller spokesman and two of his Dem colleagues insisted nothing has really changed for the caucus and Dems continue to seek alterations to the repair bill.

Sen. Bob Jauch, who along with Sen. Tim Cullen has been part of the negotiations with the governor’s staff, said Dems have known all along they would have to return to Wisconsin at some point. That position hasn’t changed in the past two weeks, and he said Dems want to force their Republican colleagues to show the public whether they stand with the governor or with workers when it comes to the proposed changes.

“I think he’s speaking the truth that at some point – and I don’t know when soon is – at some point we have to say we’ve done all we can,” Jauch said. […]

Miller spokesman Mike Browne insisted there was nothing really new in Miller’s comments and that Dems continue trying to keep the lines of communication open in what has been a fluid situation.

[ *** End Of Updates *** ]

* We don’t know when the cheeseheads are leaving, but the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the decision has been made to go back North…

Playing a game of political chicken, Democratic senators who fled Wisconsin to stymie restrictions on public-employee unions said Sunday they planned to come back from exile soon, betting that even though their return will allow the bill to pass, the curbs are so unpopular they’ll taint the state’s Republican governor and legislators. […]

Sen. Mark Miller said he and his fellow Democrats intend to let the full Senate vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s “budget-repair” bill, which includes the proposed limits on public unions’ collective-bargaining rights. The bill, which had been blocked because the missing Democrats were needed for the Senate to have enough members present to vote on it, is expected to pass the Republican-controlled chamber.

He said he thinks recent polls showing voter discontent with Mr. Walker over limits on bargaining rights have been “disastrous” for the governor and Republicans and give Democrats more leverage to seek changes in a broader two-year budget bill Mr. Walker proposed Tuesday. […]

Mr. Miller declined to say how soon the Democratic senators, who left for Illinois on Feb. 17, would return. He said the group needed to address several issues first—including the resolution Senate Republicans passed last week that holds the Democrats in contempt and orders police to detain them when they return to Wisconsin.

One of the Democrats is seven months pregnant, which weighed on the decision.

* But the Indiana Democrats appear to be sticking around Illinois for a while, despite the threat of a daily fine…

The decision by House Democrats to stay away from the Statehouse will start affecting their bank accounts this week. House Speaker Brian Bosma announced last week that absent lawmakers will be subject to fines of $250 per day beginning Monday. There has been no sign from Democrats that they will be back in the chamber when it is called to session Monday afternoon.

Bosma says the decision to issue the monetary penalties wasn’t taken “lightly or flippantly,” but Republicans have “done everything we can do to try to encourage the minority members to return to perform the duties they’ve sworn to perform.”

Democrat Kreg Battles tells our partners at Network Indiana/WIBC what is really needed “language that will bring people together” and the fines will only serve to “continue the divide.”

Once the Wisconsin Dems go home, the pressure will really ramp up on the Hoosiers to follow suit.

* Related…

* Poll: Most Want Gov. Walker To Reach Compromise: When they were asked if Gov. Walker should strike a compromise with Democrats and unions over this repair bill, 65 percent of respondents said he should, while 33 percent said that Gov. Walker should stand strong no matter how long the protests last.

* Democratic legislators embracing tactic to gain leverage: Fleeing

* Indiana Democrats try to explain boycott in Web meetings, calls: “The longer it goes on, the more heat there is, not just for Democrats to come back, but for the Republicans to negotiate,” said Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington. “The public temperament for these kinds of things … there is a finite end to it.”

* Indiana House sets $250 daily fines for boycotters: “The atmosphere is suddenly as hostile as when we left,” he said in a telephone conference with reporters. “We thought there was improvement, but obviously not.”