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V22, N20 Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017

Holcomb stakes out his own policy the comeback kid. New taking Gov. is, perhaps, different route on taxes, the least known new governor of the modern era, elevated to lieutenant education, opioids governor last March, and then into the gubernatorial nomination on July 26. In By BRIAN A. HOWEY the final November WTHR/Howey Poli- and THOMAS CURRY tics Poll, Holcomb’s fav/unfavs – One would had risen to 31/26%, up from 17/14% be hard-pressed to recall an Indiana in the September survey where he was governor who didn’t get off to a good start. first tested. He had 80% name ID, compared to 98% for are elected on a virtual personal basis with voters. Frank Gov. Pence, and 23% had no opinion of him, compared O’Bannon was grandfatherly, the boy next door, to just 4% for Pence, whose own fav/unfavs stood at Doc Bowen was the family physician, Bob Orr the friendly giant, the sunny favorite son come home, and Continued on page 5 Pence departs on mute By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – He was supposed to be the great communicator. But when Mike Pence was finished with Indiana this past week, his galloping ambition fulfilled after a three and a half year run over Hoo- “It was disgraceful that the sier stepping stones, it was a one-way conversation. It was intelligence agencies allowed any a wrap. No exit interviews as information that turned out to be his term came to an end, unlike with exiting Govs. Evan Bayh, so false and fake out. I think it’s and Mitch Daniels. In December 2012, Gov. a disgrace ... and that’s some- Daniels conducted a series of thing that Nazi Germany would exit interviews in his Statehouse office. Seated around him were have done and did do.” myself, Eric Bradner, Tom LoBi- - President-elect anco, Susan Guyett and Leslie Page 2 Weidenbener. LoBianco asked the last Health Indiana Plan 2.0, or about question: What’s your proudest ac- record employment and investment. complishment? He would ignore the East Chicago lead Gov. Daniels would answer crisis that impacted 1,000 , any question and on this one he or the wave of carfentanyl and heroin responded, “This is the ‘Who’s your that was killing dozens of Hoosiers favorite daughter’ question. I think and sending hundreds into emergency the best way I can answer this is to rooms. say there are several. Opening doors The great Indiana communi- to building a better business . cator had transformed himself into a Howey Politics Indiana Because that was always the central mute. It was as if he was saying that WWHowey Media, LLC 405 goal. If it does have staying power, it once he ascended to the Trump ticket, Massachusetts Ave., Suite will lead to all the other good things. the 6.5 million of us had served his 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204 It will lead to jobs, therefore to rev- purpose. Or as an old Boston politi- enues to do the things governments cal operative bluntly put it in a book www.howeypolitics.com should do. It will underpin the success about Tip O’Neill, when the campaign of the state. If it lasts, Brian A. Howey, Publisher establishing Indiana as Mark Schoeff Jr., more of a leadership Maureen Hayden, Statehouse state at least in cer- tain areas, I hope I’ve Jack E. Howey, Editor changed the culture Mary Lou Howey, Editor inside state government Mark Curry, photography to excellence, efficiency and good service, and outside, change the Subscriptions culture and expecta- HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 tions of higher expecta- HPI Weekly, $350 tions. An expectation of Ray Volpe, Account Manager innovation.” 317.602.3620 For a politician Four of the five living governors at the inaugural: Eric Hol- who was supposed to comb, Mike Pence, Mitch Daniels and Evan Bayh. email: [email protected] be the great Indiana Contact HPI communicator, Vice President-elect volunteer showed up at the HQ the [email protected] Pence left us on his own words and day after the election, he was told, Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 terms. What he lacked was the cour- “Thanks a lot kid, now get lost.” age to engage in a dialogue over what During the Indiana Re- Washington: 202.256.5822 had occurred here over the past four publican Convention in June when he Business Office: 317.602.3620 years. Gov. Pence left us with a video was renominated, Pence would not on his final weekend (see page 4), a speak to the press. He took a couple © 2017, Howey Politics brief appearance before the Indiana of questions over the Fourth of July Indiana. All rights reserved. Republican Central Committee, and a weekend in Noblesville when specu- few state bicentennial events. lation grew that he was on Trump’s Photocopying, Internet forward- Even though Pence drew short list. He took a couple of ques- ing, faxing or reproducing in a paycheck from Indiana taxpayers tions from WTHR-TV’s Kevin Rader at any form, whole or part, is a since Donald Trump selected him for the Republican National Convention violation of federal law without the ticket, as of last May, when his and one subsequent campaign imbed permission from the publisher. ambition kindled into flame as scores flight that cost his station thousands of Republicans shunned a chance to of dollars. Gov. Pence decided not to run with the Manhattan billionaire, the mingle with the Indiana Republican governor simply moved on from the delegation at the Hilton Gardens in Indiana press and subsequently, his Cleveland, perhaps because there own people. were about of dozen journalists in There were no room for ques- tow. He opted for a 15-minute appear- tions about his policies and impacts. ance at a country club breakfast the He would refuse to talk about the day after his acceptance speech. legacy of his prized program, the His media team, headed by Page 3

Marc Lotter who abruptly left the Ballard administration miscalculation, then find his career salvaged by Donald months before, refused to return phone calls, emails and Trump, who presented a dark, brooding vision for a na- texts from Indiana media. Pence’s cell phone number, used tion while earning votes from a disaffected strata of the sparingly by this writer, went dark. Even Pence’s home- electorate who see their communities and lives undergoing town newspaper, the Columbus Republic, was ignored. The change they don’t like or understand. phrase: “The Pence campaign did not respond to requests In President Reagan’s farewell address in January for comment” became the norm this past year. 1989, he observed the tradition of farewell warnings, but Why would the great Hoosier communicator noted a “resurgence of national pride that I call the new fear the press? Perhaps it was that April 2015 day at the patriotism. This national feeling is good, but it won’t count Indiana State Library when the RFRA legislation and the for much and it won’t last unless it’s grounded in thought- clumsy way he signed the act left a bad taste in his mouth fulness and knowledge. An informed patriotism is what we or scared his inner circle. Pence had seriously bungled not want.” only that press conference, but his interview with ABC’s Reagan also noted his persistent reference to that George Stephanopolous that following weekend. Pence’s “shining city upon .” ascension on the Trump ticket brought him new political It’s instructive to hear Reagan’s lasting vision: vitality, a lifeline away from a gubernatorial rematch with “I’ve spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I John Gregg many believed he would lose. don’t know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when Reliable sources within the Trump/Pence transition I said it. But in my mind, it was a tall proud city built on tell HPI that there was a blunt political calculation made rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God blessed, and that he had nothing to gain by talking teeming with people of all kinds to Indiana reporters. living in harmony and peace – a Such a calculation only under- city with free ports that hummed scored the widespread notion that with commerce and creativity, and virtually everything he did as Indi- if there had to be city walls, the ana governor was conducted in the walls had doors, and the doors context of a future national campaign. were open to anyone with the will For three and a half years, Pence and the heart to get here.” became the most tightly scripted Mike Pence had an politician to come and pass the scene. opportunity to lend perspective His answers were so predictable that and create a dialogue about his reporters would mouth his responses tenure at the Hoosier helm. His as he said them. own paranoia and that of his staff In covering Gov. Pence, reveal a lost confidence that he the challenge was always to find an could communicate his perspec- original thought beyond his talking tive. points. Traveling with him to Aurora, In his campaign with Madison and Salem in October 2014, Trump, the Pence we knew in the journalistic yield was a series of Congress who created the media fabulous photos and excellent interac- shield, gave way to a politician tions with regular folks and mayors. who went to war against the me- There wasn’t a single curve ball or embarrassing question dia. The irony is that in the homestretch of the campaign, or moment. When the day concluded, I asked Republican Pence’s ample communication skills salvaged the Trump Chairman Jeff Cardwell, “Why do they hide the governor? candidacy, in addition to his very own nomination. He You should let Mike Pence be Mike Pence.” exhorted Republicans to “come home” and they did. As we passed his alma mater, But his ascendency comes with a president-elect in his Chevy Tahoe, I approached the 2016 presidential whose popularity are at historic lows for someone poised speculation swirling around him by asking what he wanted to take office. They defeated a candidate whose own to see in the next nominee. Pence responded, “I’m look- negatives were at historic highs, and that losing candidate ing for someone who says, ‘Send me to Washington and received almost three million more votes. Throw in the I’ll make it possible for the next man or woman running Russian interference in the election and that Wisconsin, my state to have more freedom, more flexibility.’ And the and Pennsylvania were won by less than 100,000 second thing, the country is looking for someone who votes combined creates an illusion of illegitimacy that isn’t expresses optimism and confidence.” completely understood. I noted at the time that Pence could look into the They are claiming a “mandate,” but things will not rearview mirror and see himself. get easier for Donald Trump and Mike Pence. His lack of The historical curveball is that Gov. Pence would confidence to finish a dialogue in his home state is ominous, sideline his own presidential ambitions with his own RFRA given the trying times that lie ahead. v Page 4

out raising taxes. We also secured the first ongoing, new Gov. Pence’s investments for local infrastructure projects in more than a decade and cut the ribbon on new bridges on the River, made improvements on U.S. 31 and made critical farewell video progress completing I-69 from Evansville to Indianapolis. By MIKE PENCE Our innovative Healthy Indiana Plan is a national INDIANAPOLIS – As my time serving as your model of how to provide affordable health care coverage governor comes to a close, I would like to share a few to our most vulnerable citizens. Hoosiers are proving we thoughts about the last four years and what we as Hoo- can improve healthcare and drive down costs with con- siers have accomplished together. I am so proud of the sumer choices and preventive care without the federal people of Indiana. Hoosiers are known around America mandates, taxes and fees. for being good and kind-hearted people, always willing With HIP 2.0, we have also made great strides to help each other in times expanding treatment for those who struggle in the grip of of need, but as I learned drug addiction. This year, we also broke ground on Indi- traveling across this country, ana’s first mental health hospital in more than a genera- our state has also become tion and brought together experts from across the state to synonymous with fiscal re- craft solutions to combat the scourge of substance abuse sponsibility, innovation and in our communities. a growing economy. In education, while investing record amounts in Together we made great K-12 public education, we set aside millions of dollars to Click the photo to watch Gov. strides since that January, increase pay for good teachers. I’m especially proud that Mike Pence’s farewell video. 2013, day when I took the we made historic strides to ensure that our schools work oath of office. We lived up for all our kids, regardless of where they start in life and to our reputation and worked hard to create a state that regardless of where they want to start. We became the attracts investment and jobs. With the Indiana General first state in America to make career and vocational educa- Assembly, we cut taxes in each of the last four years. We tion a priority again in every high school. held the line on spending and with balanced budgets and I am especially proud to have signed legislation record reserves, Indiana became the fiscal envy of the that, for the first time ever, provides public funding for country. We rolled back burdensome red tape and made quality pre-K education for disadvantaged Hoosier children. historic investments in education, infrastructure, innova- Our pilot program is opening doors for vulnerable children tion and reform. across Indiana and creating a framework for future invest- We set a record for private sector employment. ment in early childhood education. Our focus on education Today, we have more Hoosiers working than ever before is affecting student performance in the classroom. Thanks in the 200-year history of this state. Indiana’s economy to the hard work of our kids, parents and teachers, gradu- added more than 165,000 new private sector jobs, and our ation rates and test scores improved over the past four state’s unemployment rate has been cut in half. Indiana’s years all across the state. labor force participation rate outpaced the national aver- The success our state has enjoyed is a product age for more than two years running. of the work ethic and ingenuity of businesses large and Because of hardworking Hoosiers and our state’s small, in the city and on the farm but credit must also go competitive business environment, we secured commit- to the men and women who serve our state at every level ments from companies that represent more than $15 bil- of our government. lion in capital investment creating more than 90,000 jobs The greatest blessing of my life is my wife, Karen in the future. Pence, and in her service as our First Lady, Hoosiers have And, because our fiscalfoundation is strong, seen her love and devotion to Indiana throughout the past the state has been able to partner with local communities four years. As First Lady, Karen has impacted the lives of through the Regional Cities Initiative to support quality of children and families in a lasting way. Her travels across life improvements, attracting even more talent and invest- our state as our bicentennial ambassador and her charita- ment in our cities. The state investment of $126 million ble efforts supporting organizations in all 92 counties have will yield more than $2 billion in total investments – a touched hearts and inspired Hoosiers, and I will always be great value for taxpayers – and will span more than 100 proud of her service. projects that include the redevelopment of downtown ar- I was fortunate to have at my side two dedi- eas and waterways while enhancing cultural and economic cated lieutenant governors, and Gov. Eric opportunities. Holcomb, who were full partners in every success of our As the Crossroads of America, Indiana made administration. Credit is also due to the dedicated men robust infrastructure investments to meet the needs of our and women of my governor’s staff, the members of my economy. In the last four years, we committed more than cabinet and the thousands of state employees whom I $2.5 billion in new funding for roads and bridges, with- have had the privilege of working alongside the last four Page 5 years. With their integrity and you for supporting our efforts to work ethic, these state employ- build an even better Indiana over ees personify the best of public the last four years. Because of your service, and it has been my support and faith, our state is more honor to serve the people of prosperous today, our economy Indiana with them. is more dynamic, our children are I am also grateful for better-prepared, and the quality of the stewardship of the men and life for Hoosiers is improving every women of the Indiana General day. Assembly, especially Speaker As we prepare to as- and Senate sume new responsibilities in our na- President Pro Tem David Long. tion’s capital, we leave with grateful These legislators enabled our hearts knowing that everything we state to become the fiscal envy will ever do is owing entirely to the of the country as we advanced grace of God, my wonderful family, innovative policies to improve the economy and well-being and you, the good people of Indiana. Wherever our ser- of Hoosiers. vice takes us in the promising days ahead, our hearts will But most of all, credit belongs to you, the people always be here, where the moon shines bright upon the of Indiana, who demanded a government as good as our Wabash and until we come back home again, we pray that people. We worked each day to fulfill the trust you placed God will continue to bless this great state and all who go in us and while the work of the people will continue, I be- by the name of Hoosier. Thank you for the opportunity to lieve every Hoosier can be proud of the progress our state serve as your governor. I know the best days for Indiana has made at the outset of our third century. and America are yet to come. v As my time as your governor comes to an end, I want to say thank you.Thank you for giving me and my Pence served as Indiana governor from 2013 to family the opportunity to serve the state we love. Thank 2017.

the State address to a statewide TV audience. He observes Gov. Holcomb, from page 1 that he is Indiana’s first governor of its third century, and 50/44%. he issued his challenges: “Despite our standing, despite These middle weeks of January give Holcomb new our ongoing momentum, we can’t afford to get compla- exposure and a forum to burnish his era of first impres- cent or take our eyes off the ball. Too many Hoosiers and sions. The emerging image is of Tall Hickory Holcomb, his their families feel they’ve been left out or are in danger of own man. being left behind. Too many are not participating in today’s He is constantly economy or getting a quality education, or are struggling compared to Gov. Daniels, with the strangling grip of drugs. who brought him to the Too many Hoosier grads explore Statehouse 12 years ago, opportunities outside our state and Gov. Pence, who made line. And too many Hoosier busi- him lieutenant governor. nesses are having trouble finding But Speaker Brian Bosma, the skilled workers they need echoing the new governor’s to grow. While Indiana remains own campaign trail rhetoric, an agricultural powerhouse, our said as Holcomb’s agenda average farmer is 58.” was unveiled, “He’s not Mitch And then he touched on Daniels, he’s not Mike Pence. an issue that could very well He is going to be Eric Hol- settle Indiana as a 21st Cen- comb.” tury stanchion of progress and The first con- employment, or bring fomenting spicuous step was Holcomb’s people the middle class left be- inaugural address on Monday, when he conjured images hind due to industrial automation and artificial intelligence of Indiana’s pioneer past and connected them to the first into the streets. and second century innovators – business titans Eli Lilly, “In the next 10 years, we’ll need to find one Madam C.J. Walker and astronaut Gus Grissom. million new skilled workers to replace the 700,000 Baby Next Tuesday, Holcomb will give his first State of Boomers who will retire, plus the 300,000 new jobs we will Page 6 need to create,” Holcomb said. “Rather than ease up, we administration.” must hammer down and maintain that pioneer spirit. This While Gov. Pence was averse to any phrase that is where I will focus every day on ways to take our state included the words “tax increase,” fearing it would ham- to the next level: To make Indiana a place where people per his presidential aspirations, Holcomb is embracing the thrive. Where they can get a good, fulfilling, well-paid job FIRSST recommendations for a 10-cent gasoline tax hike and a world-class education. Where our kids are well taken to pay for a long-term road and infrastructure program. care of.” “It is important we keep our funding options open,” Holcomb’s first hoursin office found him issu- Holcomb explained, adding that talks will continue. “It’s ing an executive order creating a drug czar position. “Since certainly a good start, but we have a lot of talking to do.” 1999, Indiana has seen a 500% increase in drug overdose In contrast, Holcomb was openly against using increased deaths. This is an epidemic tragically affecting Hoosiers tolling to fund the infrastructure plan. from every walk of life in every Statehouse Democrats part of our state,” Holcomb said have proclaimed this session after the long lines of wel- to be “the most tax heavy coming constituents funneled ever,” and after Holcomb’s through and out of his office. plan was revealed, House “This new position will provide Minority Leader Scott Pelath the urgent and concerted at- said it “looks like a tough sell.” tention required to effectively But Holcomb dismissed those reduce the impact drug ad- claims, saying, “You get what diction is having on families, you pay for and we want to individuals and children.” get the most out of it. This is The executive order, something that needs to be one of 11 signed, creates the done, so we are looking at executive director for drug every option.” prevention, treatment and enforcement. Holcomb named Holcomb added that he expects something to get Jim McClelland, who retired in 2015 as CEO of Goodwill done this session on the issue, and that “the only option Industries of Central Indiana to serve as the chairman of we aren’t looking at is doing nothing at all.” Indiana’s Commission to Combat Drug Abuse, coordinate The governor embraced a Pence era initiative and direct the drug-related activities of nine Indiana state for investing $1 billion into shaping Indiana into a “in- agencies, and measure results and outcomes of state pro- novation hub.” Holcomb’s plan would call for increasing grams to reduce addiction. McClelland will report directly investment in the already created 21st Century Fund in to Holcomb. order to encourage new businesses to move to Indiana. This is a fulfillment of a campaign pledge to “We have to let the world know that Indiana is a place to elevate the state response to the triangulating threats of grow and invest,” said Holcomb. “We are competing with heroin, opioids and methamphetamine that are harassing other states, and the world, in attracting businesses.” cities and towns and sending scores of addicts into emer- On education and supporting Indiana’s workforce gency rooms. The elephant on this table is that everyone to be ready for the 21st century, Holcomb promised to from the new governor, Speaker Bosma and Senate Presi- double the state’s current investment in the pre-K pro- dent David Long knows the state lacks capacity and fund- gram, but keep it within the current five counties. He ing for addiction and mental health services, while they called for an increase of $280 million in the coming bien- acknowledge the crisis. The policy dilemma is to create nial budget, a 3% increase, with $70 million coming in meaningful funding mechanisms to appropriately confront 2018 and $210 million in 2019. the siege. This will take extraordinary political will. And Holcomb embraced the notion that voters Almost immediately, Holcomb moved to allow should elect policymakers, not bureaucratic functionaries, local officials to make needle exchange decisions, a depar- when he proposed eliminating the superintendent of pub- ture from Gov. Pence, characterizing it as a “prudent step.” lic instruction position and replacing it with a governor- Some 25 counties have sought needle exchange programs, appointed secretary of education. The plan would take needing time-consuming approval from the state. Only place beginning in 2021, and Holcomb explained, “This three have active programs. “When we open the newspa- is something we have been looking at” and that he will per and you see the obituaries it’s heartbreaking, and we “certainly take input on the issue.” know that this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Holcomb said As party chairmen in 2012, both Holcomb and when he outlined his agenda. “We know it goes much, Democrat Dan Parker called for the position to be ap- much deeper below the surface affecting our families.” pointed and it was backed in both Republican and Demo- “This is terrific news,” said Beth Meyerson, co- cratic party platforms that year. Gov. Pence wouldn’t director of the Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention at touch the issue, particularly after he repeatedly sparred . “Now it’s a different day and a different with Democrat Supt. during his first two years Page 7 in office. With McCormick’s defeat of Ritz last November, beginning with my wife, Janet.” He then listed Daniels the notion of a partisan power grab recedes. So Holcomb and Pence. “Twelve years ago, I sat side by side as Mitch is signaling a willingness to revisit the long-time contours Daniels became governor and, through his focus, vision of state government and bring change. and fearless leadership, Hoosiers came to not only accept Legislative leaders are embracing the Holcomb change, but to expect it,” Holcomb said. “The results of agenda and changes. “We look forward to working with those early reforms fueled our current greatness.” Gov. Holcomb this session as we focus on our shared pri- He then cited Vice President-elect Pence, who will orities, including fiscal integrity, passing a long-term road be sworn into office with Trump on Jan. 20. Pence was funding plan, responsibly expanding our pre-K program warmly received by the crowd of about 2,000 people on and growing Indiana’s economy through continued work- several occasions prior and during the ceremony. force training,” Bosma said. “I am also pleased to work “Mike Pence took that momentum and kept it with him on legislation to make the Indiana superintendent going with more Hoosiers employed in the private sec- of public instruction an appointed position, with the goal of tor today than at any time in our history,” Holcomb said. taking politics out of the process and ensuring consistency “Our state’s loss is our country’s gain; it says a lot about in education policy. Democrats and Republicans have sup- Indiana leadership that Mike is the sixth Hoosier to go on ported this reform in the past, and I’ve personally advo- to serve as vice president of our great nation. You are two cated this change for many years.” tough acts to follow. The best way I know how to show Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane is critical of my appreciation for the faith you both placed in me is to the proposed gas tax hike, calling it regressive and unfair uphold the same courage, conviction and commitment you to middle- and lower-class consumers. But he told the An- each showed in your own ways every day in this office.” derson Herald-Bulletin, “Taxes are going to be raised. We The difference between Holcomb and his two have to find a more permanent way to fund infrastructure immediate predecessors is that this governor, at least maintenance and improvements.” at this time, doesn’t have presidential aspirations. He is Lanane wouldn’t rule out backing the appointed showing independence in putting money where his mouth superintendent position. is, four years ahead of the time when voters will make a During his inaugural address, Holcomb paid tribute second judgment. v to “three people without whom I wouldn’t be here today, Page 8

the new test, should the plan move forward and become Macer consent bill law, might not look that different to students and teachers (Cavazos, ). Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, filed House Bill 1003 in the aimed at trafficking Wednesday setting out details for a new state testing sys- By MAUREEN HAYDEN tem, whose name stands for “Indiana’s Learning Evalua- CNHI Statehouse Bureau tion Assessment Readiness Network.” Behning championed INDIANAPOLIS – A lawmaker who has advocated the so-called “kill ISTEP” bill last spring, which came out of for sex-crime victims wants to raise the age of consent to complaints about the test’s history of scoring glitches and give prosecutors and police another tool to combat sexual delays. Behning’s bill is the first to outline a plan to replace predators. But she’s struggling to convince colleagues that the test, and it still faces a number of legislative hurdles. doing so won’t criminalize what they call “young love.” But as House Education Committee chairman, Behning Rep. Karlee Macer, D-Indi- has considerable influence. “ILEARN” would be similar to anapolis, is working on legislation recommendations released late last year by a committee raising the age of sexual consent of lawmakers and educators charged with helping create a from 16 to 18, the minimum age new test. That committee called for mostly tweaks to the to buy cigarettes or cast a vote. ISTEP testing system, not an overhaul as some educators In addition, her proposal increases had favored. penalties for the crime of child seduction, allowing prosecutors to go after adults at least Needle exchanges a success 23 years old who have sex with someone younger than 18. Indiana’s health commissioner told lawmakers The measure comes at the request of law en- needle exchanges were effective in combating the state’s forcement including former Attorney General , worst-ever HIV outbreak (). Scott County who’ve supported recent laws aimed at cracking down on in southern Indiana saw about 22 new cases a week at the human trafficking and commercial sex crimes. Her bill aims height of the 2015 outbreak. Health Commissioner Jerome to protect older teens from being coerced into commercial Adams told the Senate health committee Wednesday that’s sex work as prostitutes, or from being exploited by much dropped to between one and three new cases a week. older adults, she said. Indiana prohibited needle exchanges when the outbreak “Pimps and predators are preying on young people began primarily among intravenous drug users. But law- who are 16 and 17, because they know the law,” Macer makers passed a law in 2015 allowing the exchange pro- said. “They’re luring our children into the sex trade and grams with state approval. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb abusing them.” Another example Macer cites is based on wants to roll back that law. He says local officials should stories she’s heard from Indianapolis sex-crime detectives be able to approve the exchanges. Needle exchanges pro- who’ve had to tell parents that it’s not a crime for their vide intravenous drug users with clean syringes and collect 16-year-old daughter to have sex with a 56-year-old. “Most used ones to reduce needle-sharing and the spread of HIV, people think that’s statutory rape,” he said, “but in this and other diseases. state, it’s not.” A similar bill filed two years ago got nowhere. Coaltion delivers petions That’s because some legislators were convinced that it A new activist group is fighting legislation that would undermine Indiana’s so-called “Romeo and Juliet” would make illegal in Indiana (Lange, IndyStar). law. That allows teens as young as 14 to engage in con- The Indiana Coalition took 3,000 peti- sensual sex as part of an ongoing relationship with some- tions to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s office Wednesday, asking him one less than four years older, and not be charged with a to stop the Protection of Life bill if it gets to his desk. How- sex crime. ever, it’s unclear the bill would even get that far. House Larry Landis, head of the Indiana Public Defender Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, has expressed Council, has expressed concerns with the proposal, saying reservations about the measure, though he said he hadn’t lawmakers need to be wary of over legislating sexual be- formed a final opinion. “I don’t think we should buy a havior in a way that could cause unintended consequenc- lawsuit, personally,” Bosma said recently. House Bill 1134, es. Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon, chairman of the House authored by Republican Rep. Curt Nisly of Goshen, would Committee on Courts and Criminal Code, said he hasn’t change Indiana code to define life as beginning as soon as seen the language so doesn’t yet know whether it will get a human egg is fertilized. Under the proposal, an abortion a hearing. would be a crime. If passed into law, the Protection of Life bill likely would be found unconstitutional, under standards Behning bill would create ILEARN set by Roe v. Wade, legal experts have said. Nisly said he A key Republican lawmaker is calling for Indiana’s hasn’t received any negative feedback from GOP leaders next state test to be known as “ILEARN,” finally abolishing about the measure and largely has the support of his dis- the hated ISTEP in time for the 2018-19 school year. But Page 9 trict. He isn’t worried about the possibility of the proposal Since large trucks can have trouble staying in one lane being considered unconstitutional. “We’re claiming state going through a roundabout, the bill would require cars to sovereignty and saying that the federal government has no yield to the trucks. The issue was brought to Torr by the jurisdiction in this,” he said. mayor of Carmel, Jim Brainard. Brainard said he received an email from an out-of-state truck driver who felt he was Moseley seeks to legalize cannabis oil breaking the law by spilling over into the other lane in the State Rep. Chuck Moseley (D-Portage) is seeking roundabout. Brainard also added that the state of Wiscon- to make cannabis oil - also known as CBD - legal in Indi- sin had already made this change. ana for a person diagnosed with epilepsy (Howey Politics Indiana). According to a news release, House Bill 1148 Bill would require Lake consolidation mirrors legislation adopted in that allows using CBD Lake County election officials could be forced for the treatment of epilepsy, also known as Dravet syn- to consolidate up to a quarter of the county’s 523 vot- drome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. This legislation will ing precincts under legislation debated Wednesday by an require the State Board of Health to oversee the regulation Indiana House committee (Carden, NWI Times). House Bill and distribution of the CBD. The cannabis oil must also be 1147, sponsored by state Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, approved by the state’s Family and Social Services Admin- would require leaders of the county election and registra- istration (FSSA). To receive the treatment, a patient would tion board to determine how many “small precincts” are in need to show a written diagnosis from a physician stating Lake County, whether they could be combined with adja- that the person has epilepsy. cent precincts and how much money the precinct mergers might save. The proposed statute defines a small precinct Randolf proposes $5M for schools as having fewer than 600 active voters. Lake County has A state lawmaker from East Chicago has proposed an estimated 140 small precincts - significantly more than legislation that would provide $5 million to help East any other county in the state. Chicago schools deal the financial fallout from the city’s lead crisis (Colias, Post-Tribune). Sen. Lonnie Randolph, McCormick defends DOE layoffs D-East Chicago, has sponsored legislation that would The new Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jen- provide about $2.2 million for payments on the former nifer McCormick, is responding to concerns about layoffs Carrie Gosch Elementary School and just over $2.8 million and resignations at the Indiana Department of Education to cover an emergency state loan for the district that was (Kenney, WRTV). “This is the part of transitioning that approved in August. nobody enjoys,” said McCormick. “Obviously they’re good people that are in just a situation where we want to make Melton seeks Gary school fund solution some changes.” McCormick denied politics were at play State Sen. Eddie Melton (D-Gary) issued a state- when it came to layoffs. “It wasn’t a political activity,” said ment, excerpted below, after the failure of a public refer- McCormick. “We looked at job performance and where we endum regarding funding for the Gary Community School want to go with programming.” v Corporation (Howey Politics Indiana): “For the past several weeks, I have been meeting with leaders in the Indiana General Assembly to discuss immediate and long-term solutions that will address the district’s financial state. During our meetings, we’ve discussed multiple cost saving measures that would help the district gain control over its financial crisis. I’ve also expressed the urgent and immediate need for action on behalf of the State to provide some type of debt relief.”

Torr bill gives trucks roundabout right of way A new bill is looking to give the right-of-way to large trucks in roundabouts throughout Indiana (Sullivan, Statehouse File). State Rep. Jerry Torr, R-Carmel, has authored a bill that would give the right- of-way to large trucks in order to reduce accidents and sideswipes in a roundabout. Page 10

such a concerted effort by some in the mainstream media Trump compares U.S. to delegitimize this election and to demean our incom- ing administration,” Pence said. “You know, I have long been a supporter of a free and independent press and I intel to Nazi Germany always will be. But with freedom comes a responsibility. By BRIAN A. HOWEY And the irresponsible decision of a few news organizations INDIANAPOLIS – At their first press conference to run with a false and unsubstantiated report when most since last summer, Donald Trump and Mike Pence assailed news organizations resisted the temptation to propagate the media and the U.S. intelligence community, at one this fake news can only be attributed to media bias and point Trump comparing them to Nazi Germany, appeared attempt to demean the president-elect and our incoming to evolve on the notion of Russian interference in the U.S. administration and the American people are sick and tired presidential election, and vowed to simultaneously repeal of it.” and replace Obamacare this month. Trump also assailed CNN and BuzzFeed, while The 90-minute event at Trump Tower was the first praising other news organizations and backhanding U.S. presser since July 27, when Trump intelligence agencies once again. “I must invited the Russians to hack Hillary say that I want to thank a lot of the news Clinton’s campaign. And it came hours organizations here today because they after BuzzFeed and CNN reported looked at that nonsense that was released that U.S. intelligence leaders supplied by maybe the intelligence agencies – who Trump with a two-page “salacious” ad- knows? – but maybe the intelligence agen- dendum provided to President Obama cies, which would be a tremendous blot and Trump last Friday that the Russian on their record if they in fact did that – a government has damaging personal President-elect Donald Trump and Vice tremendous blot – because a thing like that and financial information on the President-elect Mike Pence at their should have never been written, it should president-elect. The Times Trump Tower press conference on never have been had and it should certainly and NBC News reported on Wednes- Wednesday. never have been released.” day that none of material has been When CNN’s Jim Acosta attempted independently verified. to ask a question, Trump shot back, “You are fake news.” It prompted Trump to say at one point Wednes- He called CNN’s reporting “a failing pile of garbage.” day, “I think it was disgraceful -- disgraceful that the Trump was asked whether anyone on his intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned campaign had contact with the Russian government during out to be so false and fake out. I think it’s a disgrace, and 2016, and the president-elect did not answer. I say that -- and I say that, and that’s something that Nazi As for the hacking of the Democratic Germany would have done and did do. I think it’s a dis- National Committee and the Clinton campaign, Trump grace that information that was false and fake and never evolved, saying, “As far as hacking, I think it was Rus- happened got released to the public.” sia. But I think we also get hacked by other countries and The CNN and BuzzFeed reports had sent Trump other people.” Trump blamed the DNC for not protecting into another tizzy Wednesday morning. “Intelli- its cyber systems, incorrectly saying that the Republican gence agencies should never have allowed this fake news National Committee did so. Multiple media sources say to “leak” into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living that the Russians also hacked the RNC, but did not release in Nazi Germany?” Trump tweeted. “I win an election eas- internal information during the campaign. ily, a great ‘movement’ is verified, and crooked opponents Trump vowed Obamacare will be repealed and try to belittle our victory with FAKE NEWS. A sorry state!” replaced. He added, “It will be essentially simultaneously. is reporting today that the It will be various segments, you understand, but will most intel chiefs faced an “excruciatingly delicate question: likely be on the same day or the same week but probably Should they mention the salacious allegations in Washing- the same day. Could be the same hour.” ton for months that Moscow had compromising informa- Five Senate moderates and U.S. Sen. tion on the incoming president? Ultimately, they concluded have urged Congress to take its time to find a suitable they had no choice.” It noted that every major news replacement. NBC News reported that U.S. Sen. John organization seemed to have a copy. Thune of , a member of Senate leadership, CBS News reported that Director of National is concerned that Trump doesn’t understand Congres- Intelligence James Clapper said later Wednesday that he sional procedures. “From a messaging standpoint, yes I had spoken with Trump about the dossier and told him the worry,” Thune said about Trump’s comments. However, intelligence community “has not made any judgment that House Speaker said, “It is our goal to bring it all the information in this document is reliable.” together concurrently.” Vice President-elect Pence introduced Trump and And Trump reiterated that Mexico will eventually quickly took aim at BuzzFeed and CNN. “There has been pay for the wall he wants to build on the southern border. Page 11 “We’re going to build a wall. I could wait about a year and of the company,” with sons Donald Jr. and Eric taking over. a half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which “President-elect Trump should not be expected to destroy we’ll start immediately after we get to office, but I don’t the company he built,” Dillon said, adding that Trump want to wait,” he said. “I don’t feel like waiting a year would not divest or form a blind trust, as previous presi- or year and a half. We’re gonna start building. Mexico in dents had done. She promised that Trump would not “ex- some form … will reimburse us, and they will reimburse us ploit the office of the presidency for his personal benefit.” for the cost of the wall. That will happen.” “No new foreign deals will be made whatsoever And responding to potential conflict of inter- during the duration of President Trump’s presidency,” Dillon est allegations, Trump attorney Sheri Dillon said that the said, adding that domestic deals will “go through a vigor- president-elect will be “fully isolated from the management ous vetting process.” v

as children, marched, were hosed, bitten by police dogs, Sessions and jailed, kept marching and through it all, stayed put. They held steadfast to the and to the U.S. Constitution as both were seen as sacred. voting rights As a graduate student at Auburn University, I By TERRI JETT found my way to the Black Belt of Alabama, specifically INDIANAPOLIS – “?” Wilcox County, where Gees Bend is located. Gees Bend As a child growing up in the Bay was a campaign stop for Sen. John McCain when he ran Area I was aware of the civil rights and voting rights for U.S. president, and is known for the Gees Bend Quilt- movements as they were taking place right at that time ing Bee and the Gees Bend Ferry. The Black Belt is named in what was called the Deep South, but I did not person- for the richness of the soil, but also for the fact that most ally know of anyone participating in those activities. I did of its 10 counties have Black populations of at least 75%. understand from the stories told Those are also some of the poorest counties in the coun- to me by the elders of my family, try. especially on my mother’s side, And so, in 2015 when the Alabama Law Enforce- that they had migrated to Califor- ment Agency announced they were closing 31 driver’s nia from Louisiana because of the license offices because of economic reasons, I knew the racism and oppressive economic Black Belt would be hit hard and that is exactly what hap- conditions that kept so many pened. Eight of the 10 Black Belt counties had their offices Black families stagnant and sys- closed, which reportedly saved little money. The NAACP tematically prevented them from sued and ultimately the U.S. Department of Transportation progressing. concluded that Black residents in the state were dispro- So even though they were portionately hurt by a slate of closures and reductions in landowners, my great-grand- 2015. mother, her 15 young adult chil- This is the state where Sen. is dren, and their families headed west. After all, my grand- from, the current nominee for U.S. attorney general. He father Rafe Taylor told me, in Louisiana if he was walking is actually from Selma, that recently celebrated the 50th down a street and a white person was on the same side anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights of the road, especially a white woman, he would have to March. In 2006 when Congress was holding hearings cross the road or risk getting lynched. Those day-to-day regarding the extension of the Voting Rights Act, Sessions experiences, among others, were just too much to bear. stated “I am worried because…. (the extension) does little America wasn’t so great at that time. to acknowledge the tremendous progress made in the past And while they thought that there was also 40 years in Alabama and other covered jurisdictions.” greater economic opportunity beyond farming, they really Once Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was set just wanted a sense of true freedom and belonging, espe- aside, Alabama went back to its usual manipulations of cially for the children, so the Taylors headed west, while voter suppression so they could go back to a time where many other Black families from the South headed north – America wasn’t so great. And this is where our next U.S. this is known historically as “the Great Migration.” attorney general is supposed to come from? What time pe- The stories of my grandparents, which I heard riod exactly are we talking about when referencing, “Make well into my adult life as all but one lived to be at least 90 America Great Again?” v years old, stuck with me as I decided to pursue a gradu- ate education in Alabama. I wanted to see first hand what Dr. Terri Jett is an associate professor of political they talked about – the ugly and the beautiful, learn that science at Butler University and is special assistant history firsthand, touch red clay, meet the adults who, to the Provost for Diversity and Inclusivity. Page 12

ran for president. Because early voting sites were very Obama’s address limited in Lake County, there were massive lines of voters snaking out of the county government center. Wait times were measured in hours, not minutes. and Indiana voting The uproar over the long waits prompted the By RICH JAMES county election board to greatly expand early voting sites MERRILLVILLE – Perhaps it was only fitting that and their hours. While that was a help to Lake County vot- President gave his last national address ers, Republicans are attempting to make it more difficult within a stone’s throw of Indiana. He never referred to to vote on another level. The General Assembly, at the the state by name, but some of his references about the behest of Lake County Republicans, approved legislation future could well have been attempting to force Lake County Democrats to reduce the promoted by Hoosier history. number of precincts, and thus the number of polling sites. Obama’s talk was essentially a That would make it more difficult for voters in civics lesson as he encouraged people to revisit the same politi- cal roots that got him elected. “Democracy is threatened when taken for granted,” the president said. Obama talked about the U.S. Constitution being a wonderful document but is little more than a piece of paper. “We the people give it power,” Obama said. And then his hour-long civics lesson hit home in Indiana. “We should be making it easier, not harder, to vote,” the president said. Almost a decade ago, Indiana made it more difficult to vote when it passed the voter ID law that requires a voter to show a government photo ID before being allowed to vote. urban areas who don’t have transportation to get to the That law was sponsored by former Indiana polls. That would reduce the number of Democratic votes. Secretary of State , a native of Munster, who is And, Obama urged middle America to continue the now a member of Congress. Indiana hasn’t passed addi- fight for voting rights as the means to right what’s wrong tional laws to make it more difficult for people to vote. But in the country. He cautioned, “Far too many of us feel the Republican-controlled legislature wouldn’t think of al- safer to retreat into our own bubble.” v lowing people to register and cast a vote on Election Day. That is a practice that more states are moving toward. Rich James has been writing about state and local One very positive thing has happened in Indiana government and politics for more than 30 years. He as a result of what occurred in 2008, the first time Obama is a columnist for The Times of Northwest Indiana.

its travels and travails through the sausage machine of Funding Hoosier state government. The guiding factors in a road finance bill, where new construction is not the cenpiece, should be road use roads the right way and safety, plus changes in the costs of maintenance By MORTON MARCUS and reconstruction. HB 1002 allows a 10-cent increase in INDIANAPOLIS – This is a note of the 18-cent tax per gallon of gasoline. This is double the hope to the General Assembly’s Fund- increase in consumer prices since the last change in 2003. ing Indiana’s Roads for a Stronger, Was 10 cents an estimate of what a gullible public would Safer Tomorrow Task Force, known by accept? its friends and family as the FIRSST Or is it because the bill creates an index for task force. The hope is FIRSST will future increases based on the changes (does that include continue the work done on House decreases?) in consumer prices and personal income? [We Bill 1002 modernizing Indiana’s road cannot believe legislators know how personal income is financing policies. That bill has begun determined, and how it overstates income as any ordinary Page 13 citizen would define it.] the conference room is taxing trucks. Trucking companies The gas tax was a good idea for the past 100 don’t want to pay for the highway damage trucks do. years. It was a good proxy for distance traveled. Inciden- Manufacturers and merchants don’t want to pay higher tally, it was also a moderate measure of vehicle weight, ef- trucking fees and consumers don’t want to pay higher ficiency, pollution, and speed of travel. In recent decades, prices. Drones are not ready to take the big loads, yet. improvements in vehicular efficiency have decreased the FIRSST has its work cut out for the next two revenue potency of the gas tax. To raise the tax further years. Let’s hope they are courageous enough for the task. encourages drivers to choose vehicles and usage patterns v that reduce gas consumption. The tax is no longer a road Mr. Marcus is an economist, writer, and speaker use tax as much as an environmental statement that many who may be reached at mortonjmarcus@yahoo. legislators would not like to consider. com. If we want to tax road use, let’s get serious. The proposed annual $150 tax on electric vehicles sim- ply punishes car owners who decided not to support the petroleum cartel here and abroad. [Full disclosure: I own a Prius, a hybrid not found in the legislation I‘ve read.] Likewise, the proposed annual $15 increase per vehicle produces revenue, but abandons the concept of a use tax. Instead, institute odometer readings. It’s easy with the EZ Pass we’ll all have when we start tolling se- lected roadways. Toll roads make sense. You want to drive a premium road, you pay a premium price. With EZ Pass in your car, police can monitor your speed, which they rarely do now. Information about a vehicle, its weight, footprint, horsepower, etc., is available from the manufacturer and has a bearing on safety and congestion. The elephant in Page 14

for remedies to the nation’s challenges, then our current Our system comes dysfunctional inability to get things done would be less of a hallmark of these times. Yet too many politicians seem fine with dys- with no guarantees function. They appear more interested in holding power By LEE than in using it to solve problems. They reject the norms BLOOMINGTON – The problem is not just the of behavior in a civil society — for example, the New York politicians. It’s us, too. politician who wished President Obama dead of mad cow There are a lot of dire predictions about our rep- disease. They sidestep accountability and transparency: resentative democracy out there. We’re just past a presi- tweeting their stances rather than facing hard questions, dential election campaign in which candidates complained avoiding press conferences that would give reporters a about a rigged political system. Now, commentators worry chance to hold them to account, preferring public rallies about the imminent failure of the American experiment. to the give and take that allows the public to examine and I don’t agree with these predictions of calamity. scrutinize their stances. Our representative democracy is All of this poses real challenges to the system. So not on the verge of collapse. But what might be done to restore public faith in its fairness, I do see stresses and tensions justness and decency? that should concern anyone who Paul Light, a professor of public service at New cares about our system of self- York University, recently came out with a paper, “What government. Our representative Americans Want from Government Reform,” that reinforces democracy has been remarkably the proposals many reformers have been pushing in recent stable and successful for over years. His list of fixes that would enjoy support among two hundred years, but that is ordinary Americans in both parties includes reducing the no guarantee it will survive and role of money in elections, boosting ethical constraints on prosper. elected officials, reducing waste and inefficiency, finding The mere fact that this ways to increase the voices of ordinary citizens, and ensur- nation is filled with so many ing that civil servants and political appointees are qualified citizens who have lost confidence and competent. in key institutions is worrisome. The Gallup organization’s Americans don’t expect miracles. They just ongoing polling has found declines in public confidence want the basic features of government to work. But here’s over the past few decades in everything from the Supreme the thing: Making this happen is up to us. Politicians may Court and Congress to the police and even the military. It be directly responsible for the problems above, but you shows a pervasive drop in public regard for the institutions and I as voters allow them to get away with it. We voted that undergird American life. them into office, kept them there, and paid little attention The reasons stem in part from a declining willing- to their shenanigans. ness among the people who inhabit those institutions to The problem is not just the politicians. It’s us, too. observe the norms of behavior that evoke public confi- The first words of the Constitution read, “We the People,” dence. This is notable especially on Capitol Hill and in po- not, “We the Government.” It’s up to us to strive for a litical life, where the parties seem to have abandoned fair more perfect union, and to be vigilant about these adverse play and taken to using institutions to maximize partisan tendencies that threaten to undermine our representative advantage. In the Senate, the recent refusal even to hold democracy. v hearings on the president’s nominee to the Supreme Court brought the lack of comity between branches to a new Lee Hamilton is a Senior Advisor for the Indiana low. University Center on Representative Government; Politicians engage in a degree of partisanship a Distinguished Scholar, IU School of Global and that a few decades ago would have disqualified them International Studies; and a Professor of Practice, in the eyes of the voting public. They attack opposing IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He politicians’ patriotism, impugn their loyalty, accuse them was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives of criminal activity, question the fairness of the election for 34 years. process itself — with virtually no evidence — and seek to undermine their effectiveness in office. Small wonder that elected officials’ legitimacy is increasingly called into ques- tion among the public at large. If we had a media that prized both the vigilance and impartiality it displayed during its heyday, these tendencies might not run so rampant. Similarly, if politi- cians were willing to negotiate, compromise, and search Page 15

b. Joe Kernan. It’s 2017 c. Frank O’Bannon. d. Mitch Daniels. quiz time 8. Mike Pence will be the first vice president from By JACK COLWELL Indiana since: SOUTH BEND – Quiz time. You’ll need some a. . knowledge of local, state and national affairs and maybe a b. . sense of humor. c. . d. Bobby Knight. 1. What will be the new 9. Which president from Indiana gave the longest after Inauguration for Donald inaugural speech ever, in bitter cold without top- Trump? coat or hat, and died of pneumonia 31 days later? a. Rogue One. a. . b. Bigly One. b. . c. Hair One. c. Oliver Morton. d. It’s a secret. d. Bobby Knight.

2. When Mike Pence travels, 10. Chief Justice , who grew up in his plane will be designated: Indiana, had to administer the presidential oath a a. . second time to Barack Obama because: b. Trump Force Two. a. Obama had his hand on the Quran the first time. c. Indy 500. b. Obama hadn’t produced a birth certificate before the d. None of the above. first ceremony. c. Roberts messed up the oath wording. 3. Who is expected to have over $10 million spent d. interrupted the first oath. to criticize his record, attack his character and por- tray him as a total incompetent? 11. Which journalist profited the most from the a. Brian Kelly. Trump candidacy? b. Tom Crean. a. Megyn Kelly. c. . b. Margaret Fosmoe. d. Alexander Hamilton. c. Maureen McFadden. d. Bobby Knight. 4. shows interest in: a. Being mayor for life. 12. Which colorful Indiana political figure once b. Running for Congress. defended bragging about his accomplishments by c. Being Democratic national chairman. saying that in politics: “He who does not toot his d. Joining the Trump administration. own horn has his horn untooted”? a. Sen. . 5. Since she won so big, Indiana’s new b. U.S. Rep. . superintendent must be well known. She is: c. Gov. Roger Branigin. a. Glenda Ritz. d. Mayor Lloyd Allen. b. Jennifer McCormick. c. . 13. Thousands of Notre Dame students and alums d. . asked that President Trump not be invited as com- mencement speaker because: 6. Presidential candidate Cherunda Fox got how a. They want Bobby Knight. many votes in Indiana? b. They fear Trump would just tweet his remarks. a. 1,867. c. They find his views counter to Notre Dame ideals. b. 861. d. They’re losers. Pitiful. c, 86. d. 1. ANSWERS: 1-d; 2-a; 3-c; 4-c; 5-b; 6-d; 7-b; 8-a; 9-a; 10- c; 11-a; 12-a; 13-b 7. The last Democrat to serve as governor of Indi- ana was: a. Evan Bayh. Page 16

Dave Bangert, Lafayette Journal & Courier: waiting to see him speak Tuesday night in Chicago are tes- So, Eric Holcomb’s first bite to eat as timony to that. But Americans have an obligation to assess came from the counter of McDonald’s? In a city with some the past, before the historians rewrite it all. And if you of the best, locally owned, rising cuisine, the camera – as look back, you might remember that he was an unknown, documented on his own Twitter account – found our new presented to America as a transformational figure from governor checking out the McPick 2 menu options at lunch Chicago who was somehow unsullied by Chicago politics. time. (All Day Breakfast, anyone?) Expectations on Inau- His mouthpieces from Chicago politics — straight from City guration Day are never particularly high when Indiana in- Hall and the Daley machine — promised that his election stalls a governor – the 51st version included. Grab Indiana would transcend the broken politics of the past. And they Supreme Court Chief Justice , a Bible, a few offered him up as a messiah, though later his raise-your-right-hands for Holcomb and Lt. Gov. Suzanne helped keep the Democratic machine in power in Chicago Crouch, and there you go. It’s your new administration, and Illinois, to run the failing city in the failed machine Indiana. All in under an hour. All before noon. state. And now, eight years later, consider: Chi- Maybe the only thing more conspicuously cago’s president of so much hope leaves a Demo- Hoosier on Monday morning might have been cratic Party in absolute tatters. Democrats have to announce a request to form two lines at a lost not only the White House and Congress, but potluck downstairs. Absent that, McDonald’s a horde of state legislatures and governorships. will have to do. By way of introduction to And Trump will be the next president, having won his new job, Holcomb played the deferential a remarkable election in state after state by run- Hoosier, giving a decent account of what that meant in the ning an anti-establishment campaign of referendum, first process. It wasn’t profound for a guy who wore a Hickory against the Bush Republicans and later against Obama and jersey from the movie “Hoosiers” and shot hoops with his proxy, . But there is a part of his legacy folks on Sunday at Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse. that is just beginning: Trump. Donald Trump is Obama’s In those dozen minutes or so that focused on “Hoosier true legacy. v pioneers” Eli Lilly, businesswoman C.J. Walker and Purdue astronaut Gus Grissom – “who made the heavens our new Thomas Friedman, New York Times: And so horizons” – what Holcomb described wasn’t anything you it came to pass that in the winter of 2016 the world hit a haven’t heard before. But it was on point. “What all of tipping point that was revealed by the most unlikely col- these pioneers have in common are the same traits that lection of actors: , Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump, have been part of our DNA for 200 years: Self-reliance, Mark Zuckerberg and the Macy’s department store. Who’d grit, a can-do attitude, a sense of fairness and a spirit of have thunk it? And what was this tipping point? It was the generosity,” Holcomb said in his inaugural address. “Now, moment when we realized that a critical mass of our lives I know that sharing our strengths doesn’t always come and work had shifted away from the terrestrial world to naturally to us Hoosiers because of another trait we share, a realm known as “cyberspace.” That is to say, a criti- humility. Ironically, Hollywood does it for us.” He rattled off cal mass of our interactions had moved to a realm where familiar titles. “Rudy.” “Breaking Away.” “Hoosiers,” natu- we’re all connected but no one’s in charge. After all, there rally. “They’re all stories of perseverance, of David not just are no stoplights in cyberspace, no police officers walking taking on but slaying Goliath, of the underdog punching the beat, no courts, no judges, no God who smites evil above its weight class through hard work, utilizing their and rewards good, and certainly no “1-800-Call-If-Putin- strengths, playing by the rules, getting the basics right,” Hacks-Your-Election.” If someone slimes you on Twitter Holcomb said. “That’s become our story – the Indiana or Facebook, well, unless it is a death threat, good luck story – and what Indiana has globally grown to be known getting it removed, especially if it is done anonymously, for.” Like I said, it’s not breaking a ton of new ground. But which in cyberspace is quite common. And yet this realm is it struck a chord Monday morning. v where we now spend increasing hours of our day. Cyber- space is now where we do more of our shopping, more of John Kass, : For all the gooey talk our dating, more of our friendship-making and sustaining, about President Barack Obama’s legacy, it can probably more of our learning, more of our commerce, more of our best be described in four blunt words: Disappointment. teaching, more of our communicating, more of our news- And Donald Trump. What we can’t measure, not com- broadcasting and news-seeking and more of our selling of pletely, not yet, is the inspiration he’s given to millions of goods, services and ideas. It’s where both our president- people — particularly to African-Americans — who years elect and the leader of ISIS can communicate with equal ago couldn’t dare dream that a black man would ever be ease with tens of millions of their respective followers elected president. And we can’t measure what his presi- through Twitter — without editors, fact-checkers, libel dency has in the minds and imaginations of lawyers or other filters. And, I would argue, 2016 will be the young. It’s all part of his charm that offered hope for remembered as the year when we fully grasped just how future generations, and the long lines of proud families scary that can be. v Page 17

our country, in electing our own lead- he was “deeply impressed” following a Daniels warns ers, and that is about as serious as it meeting in on Wednes- can possibly get.” day with President-elect Donald Pence, Coats Trump’s transition team (Colombo, McCormick to Indianapolis Business Journal). Robert LOUISVILLE — Indiana’s Vane, the former two-term Republi- 49th Governor, Republican Mitch chair SBOE can mayor’s spokesman, said Ballard Daniels served as Budget Director was invited to come out to New York under President George W. Bush and INDIANAPOLIS — New state to have a discussion about joining worked in the Reagan administration, schools chief Jennifer McCormick the administration in some capacity. so his advice for his fellow Hoosiers will chair the Indiana State Board of “We had a wide-ranging discussion, may be as good as any Education, a political turnabout and I was deeply impressed by the they might receive as after Republicans had sought knowledge and professionalism of the they prepare to work in to remove her Democratic pre- people in the room,” Ballard said in a the Trump Administra- decessor from the leadership statement. tion (Williams, WHAS- role (Schneider, IndyStar). The TV). Daniel’s successor GOP-controlled state board Young predicts in Indiana was Vice followed a new state law for President-elect Mike Pence. the first time Wednesday in installing Tillerson will pass retired from the US Senate in 2016 McCormick, a Republican, as its chair. but has been nominated as Director of The law allowed the state board to WASHINGTON — Both Sens. National Intelligence by the President- choose its own leader beginning this (R-Ind.) and elect. During the inaugural celebration year, instead of the superintendent of (D-N.J.) predicted will be for Governor Eric Holcomb, Mitch Dan- public instruction automatically serv- confirmed as the nation’s top diplo- iels offered this advice for Pence and ing as chair. The motive behind the mat (Everett & Restuccia, Washington Coats, “I just say, do what you can to law was widely viewed as a way to ef- Post). Top panel Democrat Ben Cardin bring a fractured nation together. It fectively remove former state schools of Maryland said most people in his won’t be easy, it may not be doable, chief Glenda Ritz as chair if she had party hadn’t made up their mind, but but I hope they’ll try and I think that’s won re-election. Tillerson may struggle to win any Vice President-elect Pence’s natural Democratic votes so the potential for mode.” Daniels added, “I would also It’s official: We’re opposition from Rubio raises the pos- tell them, you know, watch your six. sibility of a nail-biting committee vote Your six o’clock, because it’s a very, ‘Hoosiers’ sometime ahead of Inauguration Day. very tough environment they’re going Asked by Young about how he would WASHINGTON — It’s official. avoid being undermined as chief in to. A lot of people committed to We’re Hoosiers. Not “Indianians” or their failure or undoing and so I just diplomat by the president’s “quickly even “Indianans.” So says the federal drafted, not vetted” tweets on world hope they approach it with optimism government — on page 95 of the but also a lot of care and caution.” affairs, Tillerson replied, “I have his updated U.S. Government Publishing cellphone number.” Donnelly calls Russ Office’s style manual released Thurs- day. The change came at the request Rep. Banks eyes hack ‘act of war’ of Sen. Joe Donnelly and former Sen. Dan Coats who argued Indiana resi- WASHINGTON — Hoosiers will dents have proudly called themselves play a key role in the new administra- Hoosiers for more than 180 years, WASHINGTON — The Free- tion, specifically on matters of the even if no one is sure of the term’s dom Fund ran TV ads for Indiana’s nation’s intelligence and high-level origin. It’s only non-Hoosiers who use , then a state senator, in a secrets as lawmakers on Capitol Hill the term “Indianian.” “In fact,” Don- competitive open primary to replace are working to unravel the new re- nelly and Coats wrote in a letter last former Rep. , a mem- ports and overall assertions of Russian year, “we find it a little jarring to be ber of the Freedom Caucus who ran hacking on the U.S. election (Smith, referred to in this way.” unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination FOX59). “This is an act of war against for Senate (Pathe, Roll Call). Banks our country and we intend to meet it Ballard visits said he hasn’t received an invitation appropriately,” U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly yet. But he’s remained noncommittal (D-Ind.) said Wednesday afternoon in Trump Tower on joining the caucus if he does get one. “We’ll cross that bridge when we an interview with FOX59. “They have WASHINGTON — Former interfered in the electoral system of come to it,” a spokeswoman for Banks Indianapolis Mayor said said this week.