Indiana

In & Out

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

You have to admit that as  far as politics go, last week was a giant roller coaster here in Indiana.  Let’s recap.

Mike Pence is out as a possible to challenger to Democrat Evan Bayh for the U.S. Senate.  Secretary of State Todd Rokita might get in the race or he might get in the race for the 6th Congressional District now that Steve Buyer is getting out.  

Buyer told reporters Friday he was getting out because of his wife’s health, but there’s speculation the federal government might be getting in to investigating his Frontier Foundation charity and that was the real reason he was getting out.

Meanwhile the four candidates for the U.S. Senate are staying in for now, but a couple may be getting out next month because they failed to gather enough signatures to get on the ballot.

We’ll also have a better idea this week of who’s staying in the 5th Congressional District race; campaign finance reports are due in tonight.

Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi is out of sorts because of a news story that insinuated that he petitioned the court for an early release of a woman accused of murder because of campaign contributions by her father.  The money is back in the hands of the original donor.

Former Democratic State Representative David Orentlicher is out of the race for Marion County Prosecutor, and Mark Massa, former prosecutor and Governor Mitch Daniels chief counsel may be getting in.  He would replace Helen Marchal who got out this week.

Legislation that would change Indiana’s alcohol laws and require reimbursement for wholesalers who lose their supplier contracts to another company isn’t getting out of the House and although it’s still pending in the Senate, it’s odds don’t look to great getting out of there either.

An Indiana House panel wants to make sure sure kids in failing school districts can’t get out by forcing charter schools to petition parents and get 51% of the vote before they can set up shop in a school district.

And speaking of schools, IPS Superintendent Dr. Eugene White demonstrated he is out of his mind by accepting a pay raise while the parents of the school children in his district are just barely getting by.

Did you get all that?  I’m out.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on January 31, 2010 (boomark / email).