Hoosiers and the Trump Milestone
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V22, N34 Thursday, May 4, 2017 Hoosiers and the Trump milestone function of their loyalty Republicans and journalists to Vice President Mike feel Trump’s power with Hoosiers, Pence. When they appear with President but risks and opportunity abound Trump, they have star- struck looks on their By BRIAN A. HOWEY faces. They tell me NASHVILLE, Ind. – There is agreement with they feel that support President Donald Trump in these quarters that his “100- in the 4th and 6th CDs. day” milepost is the arbitrary product of network TV pro- In 2016, driving these ducers and newspaper assignment editors. So why not a prairies was to find 105-day assessment? them punctuated with From the Hoosier perspective, Republicans like President Trump with Vice President Pence Trump/Pence signs, many U.S. Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita continue to and U.S. Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Roki- rally around their president, though it might be more a ta last week, and Trump at carrier last fall. Continued on page 3 Home rule encroachment By JOSHUA CLAYBOURN EVANSVILLE – Each year the Indiana legislature prides itself on reducing the size and scope of government, yet each session, including this one, that same legislature grabs more power from the hands of local municipalities. “(George) Stang stated he wanted The message from Indianapolis is clear: The Statehouse knows to mobilize a movement after best and mayors and town being disappointed in and fearful councils can’t be trusted to do what’s in their communities’ of the national election.” best interests. It is time we fundamentally change our ap- - Brown County Prosecutor proach. Ted Adams on the arrest of Indiana’s Home Rule Act first passed in 1980 and gener- church organist George Stang ally grants municipalities the for defiling St. David’s church power to govern themselves as they see fit. The idea, modeled in Beanblossom Page 2 off the national principle of federalism, to be seen as business friendly. But gives more choice, options, flexibility, instead of working with local govern- and freedom to local leaders. Now ments to craft a sensible approach, those ideals are under greater attack legislators passed a one-size-fits-all than at any time since Hoosier home bill that removes most local input. rule began. A provision in the bill permit- In recent years the Indiana ted cities to keep regulatory powers legislature handcuffed municipalities over the towers if, within eight days from setting a local minimum wage of SB213’s passage, they designated or from regulating housing, agricul- areas off-limit where there are un- Howey Politics Indiana tural operations, worker schedules, or derground utilities. The result was a WWHowey Media, LLC 405 plastic bags. A move to preempt local chaotic few days with over 50 cities Massachusetts Ave., Suite rules for services like Airbnb failed and towns rushing to pass sweeping 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204 to get out of the Indiana House, but ordinances declaring entire communi- it was a rare setback for the never- ties as underground zones. The whole www.howeypolitics.com ending march to scale back home affair provided a model of poor gover- rule. This year legislators successfully nance. Brian A. Howey, Publisher banned local zoning rules for certain This debate isn’t really about Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington utility poles and undermined so-called small cell towers or good neighbor Jack E. Howey, Editor “good neighbor ordinances.” ordinances. It’s much bigger than Good neighbor ordinances that. This is about better governance, Mary Lou Howey, Editor hold tenants accountable when they greater policy choices, and more Mark Curry, photography repeatedly inflict crimes and nuisances flexibility. This is about reining in big, on their neighbors. The police can inefficient, unresponsive government Subscriptions issue an eviction filing order after and returning power to the people. several violations, depending on the The state legislature HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 crime or nuisance, and the landlord singled out Bloomington’s annexation HPI Weekly, $350 must then initiate eviction proceed- process by inserting language into the Ray Volpe, Account Manager ings. It’s one of the few tools com- biennial budget bill that terminated 317.602.3620 munities have to address recurring the city’s proposed annexation and email: [email protected] crimes at rental properties by looping prohibited any related annexations for landlords into the process. five years. The state could have let Senate Bill 558 does away the process play out, or at least kept Contact HPI with all of that by effectively banning the decision making process in Mon- [email protected] this approach. Locals can no longer roe County. Instead the Statehouse fine landlords and must generally pushed through a heavy-handed Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 absolve them of any responsibility. provision stripping locals of input. Washington: 202.256.5822 Once again, the Statehouse deemed Home rule should be Indiana’s Business Office: 317.602.3620 its wisdom better than the cities and fundamental vision for government. If towns dealing first hand with chronic we hope to keep Indiana a place for © 2017, Howey Politics criminals at the same rental units. dynamic innovative government, home A more high profileattack rule needs to be the framework that Indiana. All rights reserved. on home rule came in the form of undergirds all our proposals. Photocopying, Internet forward- Senate Bill 213 banning municipalities Home rule need not be a ing, faxing or reproducing in from regulating antennas and utility partisan issue either. Liberals need any form, whole or part, is a poles. Telecom giants want to convert to understand that a smaller state violation of federal law without from 4G technology to a 5G wireless government doesn’t necessarily mean network, which is 10 times faster. To less government overall, it just means permission from the publisher. help achieve that, SB213 gives them a government closer to the people. It free reign to place “small cell tower” means less concentration of power, antennas on existing, or even new, and the right of local governments to utility poles in virtually any right-of- grow or shrink according to the de- way. sires of the people who reside in the Telecom giants understand- area. Meanwhile, conservatives need ably want to bring this technology to to understand that there are people in customers more cheaply, and legisla- this state who do want robust regula- tors understandably want the state tory checks, and that in regions where Page 3 this desire is common, home rule will create one. Hoosiers want a legislature that trusts them and The Statehouse will not give up power volun- their local communities, not paternalistic laws under the tarily. The incentives, bureaucracy, power structures, and guise of leadership. But the latter is largely what they’ve institutions in Indianapolis have all evolved to help state gotten. State leaders need to offer Hoosiers real choice government acquire more power and influence over locals, and a real vision for a better government. Dispersing not less. Citizens, and their mayors, councilors, and com- government functions is the best way that Hoosiers, both missioners, will have to take this power. They will need conservatives and liberals, can achieve their policy goals.v to elect leaders who are willing to leave Indianapolis less powerful than it was when they arrived. Claybourn is an Evansville attorney. next 14 months. He is not your typical president, I will President Trump, from page 1 acknowledge, and I think ultimately that is going to be to homemade. This writer, reaching some 300,000 Hoosiers his credit. with the weekly newspaper column, feels the same thing. “Every day I hear constituents say, ‘Nobody is A poll (which isn’t in the works) along with our gut would polling me and I’m for this man,’” Rokita continued. “These probably find Trump’s support in Indiana above 60%. Col- are small business owners, rank and file Republicans. umns that assail Trump often bring a batch of critical reader emails. Voters who supported President Trump have few regrets. A new University of Virginia Center for Politics poll of Trump voters shows his approval rating at 93% with these voters, though just 42% “strongly approve” while 51% “somewhat approve.” Messer explained, “Back home people are excited by Trump’s leadership, they’re will- ing to give him the benefit of the doubt and they are waiting to see the results from his promises. They are excited by many of the Candidate Trump enters the rally last July in Westfield, executive orders that have al- while Sullivan County Republican Chairman Bill Springer ready come. They almost like the (left) and former state chairman Rex Early were the only way he’s sparring with the media. pro-Trump delegates when the Republican National When you talk to the media, when Convention slate was named. The rest of the party came you talk to the most establish- around with Mike Pence on the ticket. (HPI Photos by ment folks back home, there is, of Brian A. Howey and Randy Gentry) course, a lot of consternation and concern because Trump conducts These are just regular people. A man last fall put himself in very untraditional ways.” Trump signs up all over Putnam County along with Rokita, who will likely face my signs. He hadn’t voted in 20 years. He’s back a 2018 U.S. Senate race show- engaged now. That’s what Trump brings. That’s down with Messer, adds, “I am one of the big reasons I’m behind him.” all in for President Trump. He has connected to the forgotten man. Parting with Trump is risky today The Republicans are the party of the working man.