V26, N32 Thursday, April 15, 2021 Deep into the ‘Super Majority’ era Record fifth cycle of GOP dominance stresses the Statehouse process By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – In the state’s 205th year, we are now in the “Super Majority Era” of governance. While there have been 20 Democratic House and Senate super majorities, and 49 for Republicans over the past two centuries, never have these decks been stacked like they are today with both chambers a deep House Speaker Todd Huston (left) and Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray crimson red for the past four cycles. have had to lead super majority GOP caucuses since taking their helms. According to former speakers Brian 21 sine die, Huston and Bray are attempting to shepherd Bosma and John Gregg, current Speaker Todd Huston and their super majority caucuses (39 in the Senate, 71 in the Senate President Pro Tempore Rod Bray are working with House) on an array of issues that could alter the state’s fu- caucuses that are too big. As the General Assembly heads toward an April Continued on page 3 The book of Pence By JACK COLWELL SOUTH BEND – We know some things about the autobiography former Vice President Mike Pence is writing. We know the title won’t be one of those suggested by the late-night TV hosts or on Twitter. “There just seems to be no Some of those suggestions: “I Did It His Way.” “Lord of the Flies.” “Thank you, balance anymore in this build- Sir. Can I Have Another?” Nor will ing.” there be, as Jimmy Fallon sug- gests, a chapter on “how his boss - State Sen. Ron Alting, after a tried to murder him.” debate on a wind/solar bill, We know the book, first of two Pence will write in a multi- which resulted in the bill’s death. million-dollar publishing deal, is for Sen. Mark Messmer described release in 2023, as the contest for the 2024 Republican presidential himself as a “hostage negotiator” nomination gets serious. Pence, of course, already is deadly serious working with a “schizophrenic.” Page 2 about seeking that nomination. The Pence write only glowing praise of autobiography timing is part of his Trump, seeking to get back in good quest. graces with Trump and Trumpster We know the book will be voters? fiction. Wait, you say, aren’t autobiog- Pence, if interested in facts raphies classified as nonfiction? Yes. and history, could have some impor- Howey Politics Indiana And Pence’s book will compete for tant revelations in his book, includ- WWWHowey Media, LLC high ranking on the list of nonfiction ing: c/o Business Office bestsellers. n Never told facts about PO Box 6553 However, autobiography au- behind-the-scenes battling as the thors don’t always stick with the truth. White House Coronavirus Task Force, Kokomo, IN, 46904 Many include a lot of self-promoting which Pence headed, sought to get www.howeypolitics.com fiction. So, would Pence, seeking the Trump to take the pandemic seriously Republican presidential nomination, and stop promoting strange “cures.” Brian A. Howey, Publisher really tell the truth Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington about the Jan. 6 insur- rection, when support- Mary Lou Howey, Editor ers of Donald Trump Susan E. Howey, Editor stormed the Capitol, forcing Pence and his Subscriptions family to flee from the Senate chamber and HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 hide? HPI Weekly, $350 Polls show Lisa Hounchell, Account Manager Trump still is highly (765) 452-3936 telephone popular with Repub- (765) 452-3973 fax lican voters. Could [email protected] Pence tell what he really thought when Contact HPI Trump denounced [email protected] him as the crowd Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 grew angrier at the vice president for not Washington: 202.256.5822 halting certification of Business Office: 765.452.3936 presidential results? “Hang Mike © 2021, Howey Politics Pence!” they chanted. Indiana. All rights reserved. Could Pence tell of the danger of the violent mob? Or, so as n Whether Trump, in ask- Photocopying, Internet forward- not to upset the Trump base, would ing Pence to throw out results from ing, faxing or reproducing in any he say the chants were for hanging a key states he lost, acted delusional, form, whole or part, is a violation portrait of Pence? actually thinking he won, or was in- of federal law without permission Others in hiding with him said stead clearly arguing to change what from the publisher. Pence was furious that Trump didn’t he knew was a losing score. quickly call for the insurgents to stop n Times when Pence was and didn’t check on the safety of the able to tone down or sidetrack dras- Jack E. Howey Pence family. Could he write about tic, dangerous actions that Trump editor emeritus that now, when any criticism of Trump threatened to take. 1926-2019 could end his presidential dreams? n What he knows of As it is, despite all of the Trump’s dealings with Vladimir Putin, loyalty to Trump that Pence showed Kim Jong Un, Turkey, Saudi Arabia as an obedient vice president, Trump and Ukraine. didn’t even mention him when listing But Pence isn’t interested future Republican leaders. And he told in bombshells to send his book to big GOP donors that Pence failed him the top of the bestseller lists. He’s in declining to join in the plot to over- interested in winning support to send turn presidential election results. Will his poll numbers to the top among Page 3 contenders for the Republican nomination. famous fly of the vice presidential debate won’t write the Pence says his book will tell the story of his foreword for the book. Equally unlikely is that the foreword life, “from serving in Congress, to the Indiana’s governor’s will be written by an ungrateful former president. v office, and as vice president of the United States” and that he looks forward to taking readers “on a journey from a Colwell has covered Indiana politics over the past small town in Indiana to Washington, D.C.” five decades for the South Bend Tribune. We know, despite Twitter suggestions, that the super majorities in the Senate and eight in the House. Super majorities, from page 1 Senate Republicans have held 20 super majorities, occurring during the run-up to World War I, during the ture pandemic responses, how it deals with municipalities Ku Klux Klan era of the 1920s, two more in the late Great and manages its natural resources ranging from wetlands, Depression era, three more during the end of World War II to CAFOs, to 5G cell tower siting, abortion, as well as local and beyond, and now five consecutive. ordinances. House Republicans have had 19, including the four CapitolandWashington blog publisher Trevor current cycles beginning in 2014, three during the end of Foughty charted the history of General Assembly power, World War II, two during the Eisenhower administration, with the dark reds and blues denoting super majorities on and two during the era of Gov. Doc Bowen. his charts. “It immediately becomes obvious that we are The current super majority era coincides with the now in the longest stretch of super majority control in ei- historic decline of the Indiana ther chamber in history, and Democratic Party, which began certainly for both chambers with Mitch Daniels’ defeat of at the same time,” Foughty Gov. Joe Kernan in 2004. said. “There have been super While House Democrats majorities a lot more often held simple majorities after than you would think.” the 2006 and 2008 elections, Super majorities Daniels and Bosma recruited historically occur under a heavily in 2010, running Sharon governor of the same party. Negele, Mike Karickhoff, Kevin They tend to happen due Mahan, Rhonda Rhoades, Jim to nationalized elections, as Baird, Cindy Kirchhofer, Sue Hoosier Democrats domi- Ellspermann, Wendy McNamara, nated following the New Deal Ron Bacon, and Tim Wesco, election of President Franklin who all won, along with current D. Roosevelt in 1932, and Republican State Chairman Kyle the 1964 landslide victory by Hupfer, who lost a challenge to President Lyndon B. Johnson, Rep. Scott Reske. or after President Eisenhow- The skid exacerbated er’s final mid-term in 1958. in 2010 when U.S. Sen. Evan Democrats have held 12 Page 4 Bayh abruptly pulled the plug on his tained. I fully appreciate the reelection bid, setting off what HPI balance of power required termed the “Bayh dominoes” that amongst the three branches led to the loss of several southern of government, but this Indiana congressional and legislative proposal is a misguided step seats. Bayh’s pullout also coincided too far. Because some Re- with the rise of the Tea Party move- publican lawmakers did not ment that cascaded into a number agree with Gov. Holcomb, of southern river counties, changing they are seeking revenge county courthouses from Democrat by attempting to weaken to Republican. the office of governor for The House GOP won a all future occupants. It is 60-40 majority in 2010, giving them irresponsible at best and control of the 2011 reapportionment, dangerous at worst.” which led to the 69-seat super ma- Asked by Howey jority in 2012, 71 seats in 2014, 70 Politics Indiana about the seats in 2016, 67 seats in 2018, and difference between majori- 71 seats in 2020. ties and super majorities, The pandemic now has GOP Gregg explained there are super majorities poised to alter the “Three types of majority balance of power with several bills caucus: Narrow, standard now sitting on Gov.