V20, N32 Thursday, April 30, 2015 Education session roars back at sine die Pence priorities addressed in final hours of compromise By MATTHEW BUTLER INDIANAPOLIS – With Religious Free- dom Restoration Act and the Common Wage repeal settled, the “education session” came roaring back for the final days of the 2015 119th Indiana General Assembly. The House passed the budget 69- 30 literally minutes to midnight Wednesday evening. Only a short period before the Senate passed the biennial spending measure 40-9. The two super majorities passed legisla- Speaker Brian Bosma makes a point with House Minority Leader Scott Pelath in tion that addressed priorities Republican leader- the final hours of the Indiana General Assembly on Wednesday. (HPI Photo by ship and Gov. Mike Pence highlighted back in Mark Curry) January, such as increased funding for K-12 edu- terms of powers and responsibilities. Oversight of ISTEP, cation, a revised school funding formula, increased school most of the A-through-F grading system, and the state’s choice funding, and significant reforms to the State Board burgeoning school voucher program will be transferred to of Education (SBOE). the SBOE’s control and, starting in 2017, the superinten- Between SB1 and the budget, the superintendent of public instruction as an elected office is diminished in Continued on page 3 Pence in wonderland By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – On the Indiana Republican Party website under the “events” tab, the Marion County Rea- gan Dinner had been scheduled for tonight with Gov. Mike Pence on the bill as keynoter. It made perfect sense: The governor fresh off of his second “Gov. Pence, we are hurt and biennial budget session and with much of his legislative agenda disappointed. You failed. In intact, would be expected to doing so you betrayed the trust take a victory lap in the state’s capital city before the largest of millions of Hoosiers who pool of Republicans in Indiana. Except that the dinner elected you to protect the liber- has been postponed until June ties we hold dear.” 25, with an email from the party going out two weeks ago. And - Rev. Ron Johnson, writing for when it finally happens, it will the Indiana Pastors Alliance be Indianapolis Mayor Greg Bal- Page 2 lard on the bill, and not the embattled discriminatory.” governor. With just hours remaining in HPI asked Robert Vane of the the General Assembly session, the Pence reelection campaign why the final week’s first exploding cigar was a dinner was postponed and Pence re- public rebuke by the Indiana Pastors placed as speaker in June. “Honestly, I Alliance, where Rev. Ron Johnson Jr. have no idea,” Vane responded. “I just of Crown Point stood with 19 other got an email blast saying it was being clergymen who accused Pence of a postponed ... I’ve not talked to any- betrayal. The language was stunning. one about the reason or when it will Pence, Bosma and Long were guilty of is a non-partisan newslet- be held. Marion County GOP would be a “cowardly capitulation.” ter based in Indianapolis and best suited to give details.” “You failed us,” Johnson Nashville, Ind. It was founded Marion County Republican said. “And in doing so, you betrayed in 1994 in Fort Wayne. Chairman Kyle Walker said the post- the trust of millions of Hoosiers who ponement was due to “several of our elected you to protect the liberties It is published by large donors had a conflict with that we hold so dear.” Rev. Carl Kelley, WWWHowey Media, LLC date, so we decided to move it.” an associate pastor at Phillips Temple 405 Massachusetts Ave., This comes after an Alice in CME Church, denounced Pence, who Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN Wonderland month for Indiana Repub- he described as “folding like a cheap 46204 licans. Just to recount, it began with suit” and suggested a 2016 primary the Religious Freedom Restoration Act challenge while invoking the “ouster” passage on March 25, the closed bill of Sen. Dick Lugar in the Republican Brian A. Howey, Publisher signing a day later, the “last supper” primary four years ago. Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington optics that emerged, Advance Ameri- Pence supporter and Tea Jack E. Howey, Editor ca’s Eric Miller defining the legislation Party activist Monica Boyer, posting Mary Lou Howey, Editor as allowing denial of business ser- on “Not on My Watch,” blog wrote of vices to homosexuals, the corporate Monday’s pastor alliance demonstra- Maureen Hayden, Statehouse rebellion, the proposed “fix” pushed tion, “Yesterday was a powerful day Matthew Butler, Daily Wire by Speaker Brian Bosma and Senate for people of faith and freedom-loving Mark Curry, photography President Long and business leaders, patriots. It was a day pastors united, which then quickly passed by the Gen- some for the very first time, to hold Subscriptions eral Assembly. This was followed by a our lawmakers accountable for their second clandestine Pence signing and cowardly cave on religious freedom. HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 a quick escape to, presumably, Europe Over 200 people came out to support HPI Weekly, $350 just as the NCAA’s Final Four was nearly 30 pastors who had chosen to Ray Volpe, Account Manager beginning. The Howey Politics Indiana take a stand.” 317.602.3620 Poll (HPI, April 16) revealed a historic What this portends is the email: [email protected] drop-off of Pence favorables and job Indiana Republican Party is now more approval, including sharp declines fractured than it has been since the with women, independents and white Linley Pearson era. The RFRA episode Contact HPI evangelical Christians. has exposed the fissures between the www.howeypolitics.com The Republican rebel- competing interests of the social and [email protected] lion isn’t confined to Indianapolis. economic conservatives that make Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 Allen County Republican Chairman up the GOP, as well as between local Steve Shine said on April 5, “I find the officials and Statehouse leaders. The Washington: 202.256.5822 (RFRA) situation repugnant, and con- language used by pastors to rebuke Business Office: 317.602.3620 trary to that which I have tried to ac- Gov. Pence, Speaker Bosma and Presi- complish within the Allen County GOP dent Long was angry and indicting. © 2015, Howey Politics Indiana. for the past 22 years.” Shine added, The governor not only has All rights reserved. Photocopy- “The situation forces me to pause to troubles with female and independent reflect on whether, in the future, I voters revealed by the Howey Politics ing, Internet forwarding, fax- wish to devote my time and leadership Indiana Poll on April 16, but he is ing or reproducing in any form, skills to help promote and support the now in trouble with his base, where whole or part, is a violation of election of lawmakers who advocate the HPI Poll revealed just 59% of federal law without permission any policy that would pass legislation evangelicals approve of Gov. Pence’s from the publisher. that, real or perceived, is deemed job performance. But breaking out Page 3 “white evangelicals” in the cross tabulations, Pence’s job what he had predicted three years ago. “‘Overreach’ is the performance stood at 61% approve and 31% disapprove. precise word,” Gregg said, enunciating a frequent cam- This is troubling data for Pence. In 2012 edit polls, Pence paign trail theme. “And then when his hand was called, drew 70% of white evangelicals (presidential nominee Mitt (he) showed no leadership.” Romney won 80%) while 28% voted for Gregg. In the face of all this, Pence is signaling a reelec- The troubling aspect for Indiana Republicans is tion bid. He brought back Matt Lloyd as deputy chief of that this showdown will almost certainly extend into the staff in charge of communications, a similar portfolio he 2016 legislative session in what looks to be an exception- had in Pence’s congressional office and early gubernatorial ally volatile election cycle. campaign. Lloyd will be moving his family from Washing- ton back to Indiana. The Pence campaign will likely bring How does Pence win in the general? in Nick Ayres, a partner at Target Enterprises, an advertis- The emerging political question is how does Gov. ing firm based in Los Angeles. Previously, Ayers worked Pence win a 2016 general election? The dilemma is stark. with the Republican National Committee, and has worked An expansion of the state’s civil rights code to include with the Republican Governors Association and managed sexual orientation is likely to be the marquee issue in the campaigns of Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Georgia 2016 General Assembly. Its demise could be a precursor to Gov. Sonny Perdue. the out-migration of the NCAA headquarters and some of The key date will be June 18 for the Indiana Re- Indiana’s most coveted high tech industries and a further publican Spring Dinner featuring Gov. Pence and a “special alienation of female and independent voters likely to deter- guest.” This dinner, which is normally strongly supported mine the outcome of the gubernatorial election. Louisiana by corporate Republicans, will be crucial to replenish the Gov. Bobby Jindal signaled his willingness to resist corpo- party’s sagging coffers that, sources tell HPI, have suffered rate pressure on a similar law there. Passage and signing since the RFRA debacle. would provoke an outright rebellion of the governor’s base. Gov. Pence, new Indiana Republican Chairman Former congressman and HPI columnist Mark Jeff Cardwell, Lloyd and Ayres will have an arduous task to Souder observed, “I think Mike is in trouble in the general devise a political (and financial) recovery here and commu- election.