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GOV. DANIELS HEADING ‘OVERSEAS’: Reports that Gov. Mitch Daniels is visiting Hoosier troops in Iraq could not be confirmed with his office, but spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said that he is "overseas" (Howey Politics Indiana). Jankowski said that Daniels will be visiting troops. He will be talking to the media sometime Tuesday.
NAPPANEE SOLDIER DIES OF IRAQ INJURIES: A soldier from Nappannee has died of injuries suffered in a January roadside bomb explosion in Baghdad (Associated Press). The soldier’s family and a funeral home say that 48-year-old Staff Sgt. James P. Snyder died May 10 at Fort Benning, Ga., where he was recovering from his injuries. His mother, Donna Snyder, says her son was on his third tour of duty in Iraq. He also served in the first Gulf War and had 21 months left before his retirement. She said her son had six surgeries in three weeks after his injuries and had metal rods inserted in his legs. Snyder is survived by a wife and three teenage children. A graveside service is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at Syracuse Cemetery.
WATERMAN PONDERS INDEPENDENT GUBERNATORIAL RUN: Republican State Sen. John Waterman of Shelburn is exploring whether to enter the Indiana gubernatorial race as an independent candidate. "There’s a lot of disgruntled people," said Waterman in an exclusive Howey Politics Indiana interview Friday morning. Waterman, who was elected to the Senate in 1994 after two terms as Sullivan County Sheriff, added, "I know in this area, people are living paycheck to paycheck. There’s no communication with the governor’s office. He’s got this open door policy that doesn’t work. .jpg)
Nobody will call you back. There’s a lack of interest in education. The schools are in bad shape and nobody wants to talk about it. Economic development in Southwestern Indiana is zilch." Waterman said that "right now, things are exploratory." But he added that he’s been in contact with a number of taxpayer groups around the state and said he is even weighing a choice for lieutenant governor. Waterman also said that a number of people in local government have expressed interest in a possible campaign. Many of them are upset by the elimination of most township assessors and coming Kernan-Shepard reforms. Waterman added that the recent increase in the sales tax is cutting into business that came into Indiana from Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. "People would come in to Terre Haute, Vincennes and Kentland to buy beer and liquor. When we raised the sales tax, we’re going to be losing a lot of revenue. Legislators on the east side of the state are seeing the same thing." Waterman also complained about the caps on local government, but not state government. "The state keeps spending," Waterman said. "What’s good for the locals is good for the state." A Republican county chairman from Southwestern Indiana told HPI Thursday night that after attending Lincoln Day dinners throughout the 8th CD, he fears that Daniels will lose some counties 2 to 1 and even 3 to 1 in the fall to Democrat Jill Long Thompson. The chairman, who spoke off the record, said that there have been attempts to "talk Waterman out of it." Waterman would need to get 33,000 valid signatures by June 30 to qualify for the ballot. Eric Holcomb, Gov. Daniels’ campaign manager, reacted by saying, "You have to scratch your head and wonder about this one. It’s a free country and anyone can run." Holcomb took on Waterman’s claim that economic development in Southwestern Indiana has been "zilch." He noted that the Daniels-Skillman administration saved 5,000 jobs at Crane, there are two $2 billion power plants coming and that the I-69 extension is about to become a reality. "We’re extremely excited about Southwestern Indiana’s role in the comeback. There’s a lot going on," Holcomb said.
INDIANA JOBLESS RATE DROPS: Although the lingering strike at American Axle facilities continues to take a toll on Indiana jobs, the unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent in April, the state has announced (Indianapolis Star). Indiana’s rate was 5.1 percent in March. “Even though we’re still feeling the effects of the American Axle strike in Indiana, our unemployment rate went down in April, as we expected, with the start of more construction work. Once the strike is settled, our rate should stabilize even more,” said Teresa Voors, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development, in a statement. The jobs numbers were released late Friday. Indiana remains below all its neighboring states. For the month of April, Indiana’s Midwest neighbors reported the following unemployment rates: Kentucky, 5.6 percent; Illinois, 5.4 percent; Ohio, 5.6 percent; and Michigan, 6.9 percent. Indiana’s rate is three-tenths of a percentage point below the national rate, which is at 5 percent, according to the monthly employment report released by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. The number of people estimated to be employed in Indiana is now 3,065,638, and the number estimated to be unemployed is 152,852, the state said. The state’s labor force in April was 3,218,490 and is up nearly 6,000 from one year ago.
DEMS CITE 3,100 LOST JOBS IN APRIL: Indiana lost 3,100 jobs in April, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Howey Politics Indiana). Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker noted that as more and more Hoosiers struggle to make ends meet, Gov. Mitch Daniels continues to run his misleading campaign advertisements that paint a rose-colored picture of the state’s economic growth. "These numbers confirm once more just how detached Mitch Daniels has become from reality as he tries to buy his way toward re-election," Parker said. "The Indiana you see in these campaign advertisements is not the same one that Hoosiers see when they look out their window or into their wallet. Perhaps Mitch Daniels believes his own campaign spin, but the rest of us are wondering how much longer we must put up with a governor who won’t be honest with us about the problems facing our state," Parker added.
Indiana Governor
DANIELS ORDERS LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPAYMENT: Gov. Mitch Daniels ordered that the remaining $212 million long owed to local governments be repaid by the end of May, a year ahead of schedule (Howey Politics Indiana). “As the only state in the Midwest that is in the black fiscally, we’re being extremely careful about every dollar. But the very strong March and April revenues strengthen our confidence that we will register a fourth straight surplus this year, and that we can accelerate this final repayment of the debts the state once owed to schools and towns,” said Daniels. “With this year’s property tax cuts, we’ve entered a new era of taxpayer protection. We know there will be an adjustment period for local taxing units and want to do all we can to help.” During an extended period of deficit spending, starting in 2002, state government delayed payments totaling $761 million to K-12 schools, higher education and local governments. Beginning in January 2006, the governor ordered repayments to begin. Since then, $518 million has been repaid:
DANIELS PONDERS PRIMARY: With all the hoopla over Indiana’s Democratic presidential primary over, Gov. Mitch Daniels held his first media availability in two months Friday (Indianapolis Star). The primary may be over, but he still fielded plenty of questions on the subject. First off, the governor was asked whether he found it ironic that so many voters were demanding change in a presidential candidate, but also have complained of all the change he’s brought to the governor’s office? "It had crossed my mind, yes," he said with a chuckle. "But that’s OK. America ought to be about change, and we ought to debate what kind of change, but it was very interesting to hear the word so often when we are living in an era of lots of new approaches and action in this state." At another point, he was asked whether, given all the excitement and national media attention, Indiana should consider moving up its primary? After all, the governor did float the idea in January. "I hope there’d be more (momentum toward moving the primary) now that we’ve actually seen how much fun it is," Daniels said. "I hadn’t imagined, and no one did, that we’d actually have such a competitive, meaningful contest here. Now we’ve seen what it’s like. Hoosiers enjoyed it. I wish it were an every-time affair, so I think it’s an idea we should still talk about."
GOVERNOR ORDERS $10M IN LAKE COUNTY REBATES: Gov. Mitch Daniels ordered Lake County on Friday to pay nearly $10 million in property tax rebates to thousands of area homeowners who previously had been denied the refunds. The governor said the homeowners — most in Gary, Hammond, Whiting and East Chicago — should receive the full benefit of state property tax rebate checks even though they already got property tax cuts because of a county property tax cap (Post-Tribune). "29,000 of some of the poorest neighborhoods and property tax payers in Lake County were denied money that was clearly intended for them and I don’t think it was anyone’s fault, but it is important that these tax rebates get to the people for whom they were intended …" Daniels said. Lake County Auditor Peggy Katona said her office now is preparing new checks for 22,000 homeowners who received nothing during the first round of rebates, and another 7,000 checks for people who received partial rebates. "I’m happy to be able to do it," Katona said.
Republican Convention
CARTER STUMPING FOR ZOELLER: Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter came to Clarksville yesterday to promote the effort of Southern Indiana native Greg Zoeller, his chief deputy, to become the Republican nominee to succeed him in the office (Louisville Courier-Journal). Carter, who has decided not to run again, joined Zoeller at the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center in advance of the party’s June 3 state convention, where the candidate will be nominated. Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels has endorsed Zoeller’s opponent, Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas. Zoeller said yesterday that he wasn’t worried about the governor’s endorsement because the party’s 2,086 convention delegates will make the choice. "I will argue my case to that jury," Zoeller said. "And I’m a pretty good lawyer." Jay Kenworthy, communications director for the Indiana Republican Party, said it’s not unusual to have contested nominations for attorney general at party conventions. It is rare to have one candidate endorsed by the governor and another by the incumbent attorney general, Kenworthy said, but that’s because it’s unusual to have a Republican attorney general who isn’t running again at the same time a Republican governor is in office. Party leaders don’t believe the battle for the nomination will divide the party in November, Kenworthy said.
SKILLMAN, ROKITA ENDORSE COSTAS: Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas today received the endorsement of Lt. Governor Becky Skillman (R-Bedford), Secretary of State Todd Rokita (R-Munster), State Auditor Tim Berry (R-Ft. Wayne) and State Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R-Evansville) (Howey Politics Indiana). “Jon Costas is the candidate we support to serve as a partner in state government,” Lt. Governor Skillman said. “The combination of his successful executive experience as Mayor of Valparaiso, his nineteen years of private legal practice, and his track record of proven results are just what we need to keep Indiana moving forward. We enthusiastically endorse Mayor Costas and urge his nomination at the State Convention.” Also endorsing Costas today are former Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Kyle Hupfer, Indiana Election Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler and Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman Charlie White. All three men had considered running for Attorney General before choosing to endorse Mayor Costas.
Presidential
OBAMA DRAWS CROWD OF 65K: It was Barack Obama’s wow moment. The Democratic presidential hopeful spoke to the biggest crowd of his campaign - an estimated 65,000 people packed into a riverside park for an afternoon rally at a sun-splashed scene on the banks of the Willamette River in Portland, (Associated Press). Another 15,000 were left outside, fire officials estimated. "Wow, wow, wow," Obama said as he surveyed the audience. "We have had a lot of rallies. This is the most spectacular setting, the most spectacular crowd we have had this entire campaign."
AIR COMING OUT OF CLINTON CAMPAIGN: On the day Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was endorsed by the governor of North Carolina, a supporter gave her a three-foot-long balloon replica of herself, complete with blond hair, black pantsuit and wide pink smile, which Mrs. Clinton promptly took on her plane and laughingly showed off to reporters (New York Times). On Thursday, little more than two weeks later, the doll lay on the sofa by her seat on the plane, shriveled and deflated. With her candidacy running out of time — and perhaps air — the Clinton campaign has taken on a distinctly subdued mood. Mrs. Clinton found herself largely ignored on Friday while a battle raged between Senator Barack Obama on one hand and Senator John McCain and President Bush on the other. And despite coming off a large victory in West Virginia, and anticipating success in Kentucky on Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton’s campaign in recent days has encountered a series of disappointments, not the least of which was the endorsement of Mr. Obama by the influential women’s group Naral Pro-Choice America. Famous for her 16-hour days, her unflagging energy and her willingness to shout into a microphone until her voice gives out, Mrs. Clinton finds herself encountering long odds and a dwindling bank account. (David Letterman recently joked that with her campaign $21 million in debt, she is at “the world’s most expensive fantasy camp.”) And the new tone is palpable.
2008 Election
TURNOUT DOUBLED IN PORTER COUNTY: The May 6 primary brought out the blue in Porter County (Post-Tribune). An overwhelming 82 percent of the total turnout went to the Democratic ticket, "which is really odd for this county," said J.J. Stankiewicz, president of the Porter County Election Board. The overall 42 percent voter turnout more than doubled the turnout from the last primary race. County Election Board officials met with the voter registration office to count the remaining provisional ballots at noon Friday, the deadline for those provisional voters to present required documents for their ballot to count. Due to the record-breaking turnout, the primary’s most significant hitch was the shortage of Democratic ballots, which caused delays in vote casting and frustration. From noon to 6 p.m. on the day of the primary, the voter registration office sent out 6,000 additional ballots to polls that were running short.
Indiana General Assembly
MILLER VOWS TO RESTART GAY MARRIAGE BAN: Advance America’s Eric Miller reacted to the same sex marriage issue in Calling is wrong, detrimental to the families of California, and creates a dangerous precedent for the rest of the nation" (Howey Politics Indiana). ""Marriage between one man and one woman is at risk in Indiana too. Indiana’s Constitution must be amended to protect marriage,” Miller stated. “Unfortunately, Hoosiers will not be able to vote November 4, 2008 to protect marriage between one man and one woman because a single legislator, Speaker of the House Pat Bauer kept Senate Joint Resolution 7, the Marriage Protection Amendment, from being voted on by the House of Representatives in 2007 and 2008.” In view of the California decision, it is essential that the process to amend Indiana’s Constitution with the Marriage Protection Amendment start again in 2009.
Congress
ROEMER APPOINTED TO WMD COMMISSION: Former Representative from Indiana and 9/11 Commissioner Tim Roemer, president of the Center for National Policy, issued the following statement today after being appointed by Speaker Pelosi and Congress to serve on the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism: “I am honored to be asked by Speaker Pelosi and the Congress to serve on such an important national commission. The possibility of weapons of mass destruction falling into terrorist hands represents a grave threat to our nation, and one that we must address with the utmost seriousness and diligence. Far too many WMD components remain unsecured around the world, at a time when the threat from terrorists and extremist groups continues to grow, as evidenced from the latest State Department reports. The 9/11 Commission was characterized by bipartisanship, thoughtfulness, and dedication. It is my hope that this commission will follow in that same tradition. At the Center for National Policy, our Nuclear Security Studies Group has been working effectively with members of Congress, experts and the public to address issues of nuclear security. I look forward to applying the lessons learned to this commission’s work. This Commission, with Senator Graham and Senator Talent, is comprised of some of our country’s most respected policy experts. I look forward to working with all of them to enhance our nation’s security.” (Howey Politics Indiana)
State
COURT TO HEAR TRUSTEE LIABILITY CASE: The Indiana Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday in a case that could determine whether a township trustee should be liable for an employee’s sex crimes committed in conjunction with his job (Louisville Courier-Journal). A Steuben Circuit Court judge had ruled that Camille Clark, who was trustee of Pleasant Township in northeast Indiana, could not be held responsible for crimes committed by her husband, who was deputy trustee. Judge Allen Wheate said the crimes and the job were not closely enough related. A lawsuit that the victim filed in March 2005 was decided by summary judgment for Clark but was overturned late last year by the Indiana Court of Appeals. It was returned to the Steuben County courts to be scheduled for a jury trial, and the case was transferred to the state’s top court. If the justices side with the victim, a jury trial must be scheduled in Steuben Circuit Court. The victim’s attorney, Chris Wheeler of Angola, alleges in a court document that Donald Clark used his job as deputy trustee to create an opportunity to be alone with his victim, who originally went to the trustees’ office for poor-relief funds. The victim went to police in the fall of 2003, alleging Donald Clark forced her to have sex with him in a back room of the office in return for aid. He also allegedly went to her home to deliver papers and kissed her and touched her in several areas. Donald Clark pleaded guilty to sexual battery. He completed a two-year sentence after the February 2005 conviction. "These are organizations that are very interested in the state of the law as it affects them," Camille Clark’s attorney, Robert Keen Jr. of Carson Boxberger in Fort Wayne, said in a story published in the Herald-Republican. Keen said that if the case is tried, the outcome could affect other sectors dealing with public employees.
Cities
RESIGNATIONS ROIL PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY: The resignation of the director and half the board from the Public Safety Academy of Northeast Indiana has sparked concerns whether an idea with so much promise might be doomed (Lanka, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette). The people resigning accused Mayor Tom Henry of trying to turn the facility into a city department when it had been promoted as an autonomous regional center. The mayor, however, said the city simply needed to take a closer look at the academy’s financial outlook – which he claims has projected deficits of $800,000 and $1 million over the next two years. Underlying it all was a contract negotiation over control of the academy between the board and the mayor that languished for months with each side blaming the other for its delay. But a recent meeting between the remaining powers at the academy has Henry confident the original mission of the facility will be preserved. Former academy director Brent Johnson and board members Pete Eshelman and Joe Ruffolo resigned from their positions in late April. Since then, Johnson and Eshelman said they left because they felt Henry was trying to make the academy part of the city. “It has become apparent that the strategic direction of the Public Safety Academy has greatly diverged from the regional, best practices, homeland security vision that is best suited to my abilities,” Johnson wrote in his resignation letter.
MUNCIE, DELAWARE COUNTY TO MERGE ANIMAL CONTROL: A joint animal shelter between Muncie and Delaware County won’t spell financial disaster for the New Castle-Henry County Animal Shelter, but the deal could require more money from Delaware County taxpayers (Muncie Star Press). "We’re certainly not going to go bankrupt. We’ve lived without Delaware County before," said Linda Bir-Conn, executive director of the shelter in New Castle. Since the fall of 2004 the New Castle facility has accepted more than 1,300 stray animals from the unincorporated areas of Delaware County. At the end of April, John Brooke, president of the Delaware County Board of Commissioners, announced that the county and city of Muncie were nearing an agreement to share an animal shelter. Such a deal would end what was supposed to be a short-term contract in New Castle.
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