Indiana

Get Bi(partisan) With a Little Help From Your Friends

Posted on April 21, 2009
There must be something about a deadline that brings people together because there was a lot of bi-partisanship around the statehouse and city hall Monday. Lawmakers unveiled a starting plan to shore up Indiana’s unemployment insurance shortfall...

The Contenders

Posted on April 21, 2009
The word on the street is that State Senator Theresa Lubbers will step down if she is appointed the State’s new Higher Education Commissioner. Should she step down the two front runners for her job, based on my numerous conversations at a legislative cookout at the State Fairgrounds tonight, are Ann Shane and City-County Councilor Ryan [...

10 Days of the Legislature

Posted on April 20, 2009
We are now in the last full week of the Indiana General Assembly.    This is where life gets interesting.  This is where lawmakers (Senate Republicans and House Democrats) get together in a room and try to negotiate differences in legislation that has passed out of both chambers...

The Notorious C.I.B.

Posted on April 19, 2009
I’ve been waiting all weekend to use that one.   Once again, things are never as simple as they appear.  Although there are numerous plans at the Statehouse to solve the Capitol Improvement Board operational shortfall, and whatever comes out of session will likely be a hybrid of them all, the news out of the Indianapolis [...

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Pick Your Protest

Posted on April 18, 2009
Ross Douthat of The Atlantic penned this really interesting article about this past week’s tea parties and how they resemble the Iraq War protests of a few years ago.  It’s amazing how the more things change, the more they stay the same.  Give it a read...

Pence 4 Prosecutor?

Posted on April 17, 2009
Now this is interesting.  The rumor mill in Marion County Democratic circles is that former Attorney General candidate Linda Pence is planning a run for Marion County Prosecutor next year. The story, which has apparently been circulating for weeks, is that Pence won’t be getting appointed to U...

Bauer: Colts and Pacers Need to Step Up

Posted on April 16, 2009
House Speaker Pat Bauer says the Indianapolis Colts and Pacers need to contribute to reducing the operational shortfall at the Capital Improvement Board.  He didn’t say there would be consequences if they didn’t, but he also did not totally rule it out altogether...

What Do You Do When The Tea Party Ends?

Posted on April 15, 2009
You’ll be seeing and reading a lot about “tea parties” today across the country.  Citizens who are mad about the stimulus package and everything else will show up and protest.  Organizers says thousands of people will meet at the Capitol this afternoon, even though only about 660 have signed up on their website...

Marion County Fire Consolidation Passes, Then It Doesn?t

Posted on April 15, 2009
There are always those moments in the Indiana General Assembly that make you wonder what the (fill in the blank)  was that?  Monday night was one of those moments. An amendment was offered to SB 173`which would have consolidated the Marion County Township Fire Departments with IFD...

Afternoon Statehouse Update

Posted on April 15, 2009
The Indiana Senate approved the amended CIB funding plan, 33-17.  The bill now goes to the conference committee to work out differences with the House version. Marion City-Council County Democrats unveiled their CIB funding proposal today, it included expanding the professional sports district and a casino...

Bennett: State Takeover of Failing Schools Possible

Posted on April 15, 2009
Citing new data that shows half of Indiana’s students are in failing schools, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett said all options are on the table in order to fix the problem, including a state take over of some schools as prescribed by law...

Say You Want a Revolution

Posted on April 15, 2009
Here is some audio from today’s rally.  It speaks for itself. Rally Audio  

In Their Own Words

Posted on April 14, 2009
Here is audio from Monday’s news conference where the Mayor outlined his proposal to address the CIB shortfall.  There is also react from the Council as well as industry spokespeople.   This way you can hear first-hand what was said and draw your own conclusions about the best course of action...

Statehouse Update

Posted on April 14, 2009
The Indiana State Senate, by a voice vote, amended the current CIB funding plan to adopt the Mayor’s finance proposal.  A final vote could come later this week.  Meanwhile, City-County Council Democratic Leader Joanne Sanders will have a news conference tomorrow to share her ideas on how to fung the CIB shortfall...

Is a Budget Veto Around the Corner?

Posted on April 14, 2009
I’m at the Statehouse today and ran into a key lawmaker who says he would not be surprised if Governor Mitch Daniels vetoed whatever budget comes out of the General Assembly.  The Governor has expressed concerns that the budget spends too much money and relies to heavily on federal stimulus dollars...

Monday Morning Musings

Posted on April 13, 2009
Here are some things to munch on this morning… Will Ballard C.I.B.? Expect a plan to be unveiled today from Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard on eliminating the Capital Improvement Board’s $47 million shortfall.  Details are unclear at this time but expect the Mayor to offer up a menu of options that gets him to that $47 million [...

Ballard Unveils C.I.B. Funding Proposal

Posted on April 13, 2009
THIS IS THE FULL VERSION UPDATED AT 3:50 P.M. With a little more than two weeks to go in the Indiana General Assembly, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard unveiled his plan to shore up the $47 million operational shortfall. The plan includes the following… Increasing the local alcohol tax and expanding the professional sports district ($20 million) Contributions from the [...

Time For Some Tough Love

Posted on April 12, 2009
It?s no big secret that I like Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. I knew him before he ran for Mayor and I think he is what this city needs at this moment in time. Instead of spelling out lofty visions full of empty platitudes, Indianapolis needs someone who gets down to brass tacks and deal with [...

White Fight

Posted on April 11, 2009
The controversy continues in Indianapolis Public Schools.   Indiana Barrister has obtained a copy of a recorded conversation between former IPS Principal Jeffrey White and his District supervisor Prudence Bridgewaters. In the conversation Bridgewaters tells White that he is not allowed to suspend students because of the school district will get sued, however the district’s public position that [...

Bet on the C.I.B.?

Posted on April 10, 2009
What’s old is new again.  The Indianapolis Star is reporting this morning that State Representative Bill Crawford is proposing a casino for downtown Indianapolis in order to help close the Capital Improvement Board’s $47 million operational deficit...

Bauer, Bosma, Budget, Bailout

Posted on April 10, 2009
I spoke to House Speaker Pat Bauer and Republican Minority Leader Brian BosmThursday regarding the budget and the Capital Improvement Board.  Both had interesting things to say.  Here they are… House Speaker Pat Bauer Republican Leader Brian Bosma

Back to the Capital Improvement Drawing Board?

Posted on April 09, 2009
A plan to use of combination of user fees and taxes to close the Capital Improvement Board’s $47 million operational deficit may have come to a halt even before it had a chance to really get out of the gate. Republican State Senator Luke Kenley tells me reaction to the plan unveiled last week has been [...

The ?Fix? Is In

Posted on April 09, 2009
Allow me to be the last one to the party on this, but Indiana Barrister (IB) got some serious love from Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post. IB has been named one of the Best State Blogs in all 50 states.  Also sharing that title were Frugal Hoosiers and Advance Indiana...

Subpoena This

Posted on April 09, 2009
Indiana House Democrats are threatening to subpoena Daniels administration officials if they don’t the documents they say they need to pass a budget. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Crawford this morning said he’s frustrated that he’s gotten very little data he’s requested from various state agencies in order to craft a budget...

For Whom Conseco Tolls

Posted on April 08, 2009
As lawmakers try to figure out a way to address the Capital Improvement Board funding shortfall, I have a suggestion to help them out, privatize Conseco Fieldhouse. We already know that it costs $15 million a year to run the Fieldhouse, at least that’s what the Pacers and the Capital Improvement Board are telling us...

Tuesday Tidbits

Posted on April 07, 2009
It’s nice to be back after a few days of lawyer school.  Here are my thoughts on few events that have, are happening or will happen soon… Legislative Meltdown? Don’t be surprised if there is a total meltdown at the Indiana General Assembly over the unemployment insurance fund and the fact that the budget forecast revenues are [...

Your Man Mitch

Posted on April 07, 2009
If anyone thought a sagging economy and high unemployment might be hurting Indiana Governor Mitch Daniel’s approval ratings they might want to think again. According to a poll conducted last week by the Indiana Association of Realtors,  Daniels has an approval rating of 69 percent...

If You Want Transparency, Open Your Eyes!

Posted on April 06, 2009
I’m in Chicago today for a legal seminar and a couple other things, but I’ve noticed a repeated call for transparency for the Capitol Improvement Board. As much as some people would like to think that it is a mysterious cabal that operates in darkness with robes and a pentagram, it really isn’t...

If You Were Mayor?

Posted on April 05, 2009
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has come under fire lately because of the way he has handled the Capital Improvement Board issue regarding Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse.   Some criticism I think is well-place, some is just over the top and ridiculous...

$100 Million ?Contribution? My A$$

Posted on April 04, 2009
I finally had some time to work on the Indianapolis Colts’ $100,000,000 “contribution” to Lucas Oil Stadium. The Indianapolis Colts say they contributed $100 million to building Lucas Oil Stadium.  It all depends on how you define “contribute”...

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