V22, N24 Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017

The ups, downs of Gov. Pence’s legacy Governor’s economic numbers were robust, but social issues tripped him up By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – In politics, first and last impressions are impactful. Through that prism we view the four-year term of Gov. Mike Pence, who arrived on the Hoosier political scene 29 years ago as an aggressive and ambitious partisan. He left in a similar mode, achieving a lifelong dream to serve in the White House. But his departure essentially oc- curred in July. While he accepted a paycheck from Indiana taxpayers through December, his national ambitions left a festering stew in his wake back home. Unlike undefeated Govs. Doc Bowen, Robert Orr, Frank O’Bannon and Mitch Daniels, Gov. Mike Pence during an interview with Howey Politics Indiana in 2014. (HPI Photo his political career began with two congres- by Brian A. Howey) sional losses. He transformed himself from an menced in 2000 in a district tailored for a Republican. economic conservative to a social warrior, augmented by His governorship stands out as the only one to attain of- his statewide radio and TV shows of the 1990s, position- fice with less than 50% of the vote in more than half a ing himself for a 12-year congressional career that com- Continued on page 3

Pence in Daniels’ shadow By JOSHUA CLAYBOURN EVANSVILLE – I remember the moment when Mike Pence’s challenge crystallized for me. In 2012, as he campaigned to succeed Mitch Daniels as governor, Pence traveled the state setting up listening sessions with small business owners, and his “This Russian connection non- campaign team asked me to set one up in Evansville. sense is merely an attempt to He opened the discussion cover-up the many mistakes with an admission that Daniels already addressed most of the made by Hillary Clinton’s cam- low-hanging fruit to improve Indiana’s business environment, paign.” but he asked what he could do - President Trump reacting to to further improve state gov- ernment. As folks around the story his campaign had con- table offered comments, every- stant contact with Russians one had plenty of constructive Page 2 (and harsh) criticism for the national the leadership of both chambers.” government, but they each struggled It was an attitude Pence took to identify concerns with Indiana. In with most of his agenda each year. short, thanks to the preceding eight One could conclude he approached his years of Mitch Daniels’ leadership, tenure with collaboration, modesty, Indiana was working well – really well, and humility. Yet a less charitable as- in fact – and Pence would have to sessment would view it as reactionary work hard to get out from beneath his and timid. shadow. Legislative leaders certainly Pence’s place in history as felt they could push back at Pence. In Howey Politics Indiana governor, literally and figuratively, will 2013, he proposed a dramatic 10% WWHowey Media, LLC 405 forever be viewed Massachusetts Ave., Suite next to Mitch Daniels. 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204 The Daniels tenure was defined by grand, www.howeypolitics.com measurable vision. He knew what he wanted Brian A. Howey, Publisher and pushed and Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington pulled the legislature Jack E. Howey, Editor to get there. Daniels embodied the role of Mary Lou Howey, Editor the executive. Pence, Thomas Curry, Statehouse by contrast, spent Mark Curry, photography his entire political career as a legisla- tor in Washington Subscriptions without much of a HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 splash. During his 12 Gov. MIke Pence poses for a selfie with former Gov. Mitch Dan- HPI Weekly, $350 years in the House, he iels on inauguration day in January 2013. Ray Volpe, Account Manager introduced 90 pieces of 317.602.3620 legislation, an average of about 15 pieces per session, and income tax cut. But Bosma and Long, email: [email protected] none became law. along with Senate Appropriations Contact HPI Unyoked by the forceful drive Chairman Luke Kenley and Ways and [email protected] of Daniels and viewing Pence as one Means Chairman Tim Brown, quickly Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 of their equals, Indiana House Speak- reshaped it to their own liking as a er Brian Bosma and Senate President multi-year phased-in 5% reduction. Washington: 202.256.5822 David Long exerted more indepen- Pence once again submitted it to Business Office: 317.602.3620 dence. As a result, the Indiana legisla- them, telling WISH-TV, “I say without ture often treated Pence’s agenda as hesitation I think the final product was © 2017, Howey Politics no more important than their own. better than what I first proposed.” Indiana. All rights reserved. Pence seemed willing to Occasionally his unwilling- submit to a more assertive state ness or inability to control the legisla- Photocopying, Internet forward- legislature. As he unveiled his 2014 ture brought unwanted controversy. ing, faxing or reproducing in agenda with few details, Pence told Although Pence was certainly a social any form, whole or part, is a Howey Politics, “I want to give leg- conservative who always asserted he violation of federal law without islators the broadest possible range was a “Christian, conservative, and permission from the publisher. to develop how they think this might Republican, in that order,” he actually work best giving consideration to all wanted to focus more on jobs and of the interests involved. Articulate schools. a vision that we think reflects the Daniels kept the legislature priorities of the people of Indiana. focused on his agenda by ensuring Articulate policies that we believe will that controversial, unwanted bills advance their priorities. And suggest never made it out of committee or ways those policies can be formulated, never got introduced in the first place. but to work in a collaborative way with With Pence, however, socially conser- members of the General Assembly and vative legislators felt far more liberty Page 3 to push controversial legislation restricting abortions and, it was due to frequent clashes with Supt. Glenda Ritz and most famously, promoting religious freedom in the form of public school supporters over school oversight and stan- RFRA. Pence never sought out these controversies, nor did dardized testing. he necessarily encourage their passage. But he also did As Indiana’s governor, Mike Pence signed 687 bills little to stop them from brewing or moving forward. into law. Pence no doubt left his mark on Indiana, but he Pence wanted a Hoosier legacy of accomplish- could never quite escape the Daniels shadow. His tenure ments with the economy, budget, and education, and on will likely be remembered more for the bookends on either those fronts he accomplished plenty. He began the process side of it, a long shadow cast by his predecessor Mitch of a balanced budget amendment to the state’s constitu- Daniels and a whirlwind presidential campaign plucking tion, continued to build on the state’s record surplus, and Pence up as vice president before he could run again. saw all of the major economic metrics improve or remain In an odd twist of fate, Mike Pence now has an steady. easier time making an impact on national policy than he On education, Pence supported sizable reforms did on his own Hoosier state. His political aspirations and in funding to pre-schools, voucher programs, and charter focus began in Washington, D.C., and they will now in all schools. In short, he sought and achieved more school likelihood keep him there. v choice, one of his primary goals. Nevertheless, to the extent his reelection as governor was in jeopardy, some of Claybourn is a Republican attorney from Evansville.

homes due to a lead contamination crisis, and the Pence Pence legacy, from page 1 administration mustered $100,000, but no visit or empa- century, for its three-and-a-half-year duration, though the thy. He did, however, visit Republican Greentown, where record books will put it at a full four years, and the fact lead was found in the town’s pipes. The I-69 Section 5 that he withdrew from a second nomination after Donald road project stalled, and Pence was silent. Trump nominated him for the vice presidency. He made a significant miscalculation when he un- The Pence legacy will be bookended by two key derestimated Donald Trump’s powerful rhetoric that held a cornerstones: The economy thrived during his tenure, with major swath of the Republican Party in a persistent trance. the state reaching record employment while the jobless He endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz, only to watch Trump maul rate declined by more than 4%. But his own reelection him in the Republican primary. His endorsement of Cruz prospects were compromised by social issues he didn’t seek; unlike strong governors of the past, he failed to stop some of the most divisive issues before reaching his threshold. On others, such as a constitutional marriage amendment, he floated above the fray, trying to straddle a progressive Hoosier corporate community while not alienating his base. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act would never have seen the light of day in the administration of his predecessor, Gov. Daniels. It would have been stopped short of a commit- tee hearing in the General Assembly, particularly as he weighed a presidential race or a potential- ly tough reelection rematch. Gov. Pence and his team didn’t establish the command and control structure of strong governors like Daniels, Orr and Doc Bowen. Nor did he and his team earn the fear of legislators or the respect of state bureaucracy. was so mealy mouthed that Trump poked fun at him. But And the final impressions of Gov. Pence will enter when dozens of other Republicans passed on the veep- the playbook for future governors. Following the 2016 stakes, Pence anted up. He was locked in a dead heat with General Assembly session, Pence essentially checked out Democrat John Gregg, his favorables in the WTHR/Howey as a full-time governor. There were no media avails follow- Politics Indiana poll were upside down, and the four polls ing sine die. A heroin epidemic raged across the state with we conducted in 2016 revealed Pence as one of the most hundreds of overdoses and Pence was silent. More than polarizing political figures in modern Indiana history. 1,000 East Chicago Hoosiers were uprooted from their In October, his fav/unfavs stood at a tepid Page 4

Gov. Pence talks with Bishop Tobin after he announced his Syrian refugee ban. At right, he enters the Indiana State Library during the RFRA controversy. (HPI Photo by Mark Curry)

47/45%, but his stature increased to 50/44% in November not created to be “a license to discriminate or right to deny as he spent the last few weeks standing up for Trump’s services to gays, lesbians or anyone else in this state,” he character. In the April WTHR/Howey Politics Poll – the last said. “And it certainly wasn’t my intent. But I can appreci- one conducted with Pence poised for the gubernatorial ate that that’s become the perception.” nomination – Pence was upside down with Hoosier voters. While Gov. Pence had aimed his economic devel- His approval standing at 44% with 41% disapproving, ter- opment establishment at luring high tech industries, many rible numbers for an incumbent governor. With female vot- of them recruit gay employees. It exposed the fissures ers, Pence trailed Gregg 52-41%, and independent women in the Indiana Republican Party, between the economic voters 54-40, following a trend from September 2012 strand and Pence’s social conservatives. Under intense when he led Gregg among women by 13% in a Howey pressure from the NCAA, corporate Indiana and Republi- DePauw Poll, before losing the gender in the general elec- can legislative leaders, Pence acquiesed to a “fix,” rolling tion by 5%. This comes after Pence dropped Lt. Gov. Sue back some of the RFRA provisions. “We will fix this and we Ellspermann from the ticket, replacing her with Lt. Gov. will move forward. That’s what Hoosiers do,” he declared. Eric Holcomb. While the corporate community, Democrats and the LGBT community called for an expansion of civil rights A stepping stone dogged by controversy to cover sexual orientation, Pence refused to join the The worst-kept secret was that the Pence gov- discussion and did not push for legislation. “I think that’s a ernorship was designed to burnish his national resume, separate issue,” Pence said. “It’s not my position; I’m not giving him four years of “executive experience.” advocating for it.” But the RFRA issue of March 2015 seemed to When Howey Politics Indiana polled his standing in derail his national late April 2015, Pence’s favorable/unfavo- ambitions. Sign- rables stood at 35/38%, his job approval ing the legislation in fell to 45% approve and 46% disapprove what is now known (down from 60% earlier in the year), and as the “last supper he found himself in close head-to-heads photo,” leaked out with three potential Democratic guber- from a private sign- natorial challengers, polling well below ing ceremony, Gov. 50%. Pence found himself As 2015 closed, Pence was presid- in a national and state ing over an economy with a 4.4% jobless social media firestorm. Pence failed to effectively defend rate while asphalt was pouring into roadbeds at a furious the law. “Some of the media coverage has been shameless pace. But Pence found himself confronted by Catholic and reckless,” Pence said. “This new law in Indiana, the Charities as he attempted to stop the resettlement of a same one that 30 other states have, does not discriminate Syrian refugee family that had been carefully vetted over against anyone.” the previous 18 months. It was Pence’s reaction to the Pence insisted that the RFRA was only a necessary Paris ISIS terror attack, where one of the perpetrators legal response to the Supreme Court Hobby Lobby case held a fake Syrian passport. He joined some 25 Republican from the year before. After the firestorm built, the law was governors in the immediate hours after the attack, calling Page 5 for a Syrian refugee ban. It put based,” Pence said. HIP 2.0 was to Pence on a collision with Bishop be his Exhibit A. “I’m urging Con- Joseph Tobin. gressional leaders and Republican “I listened to the governors to look to our reforms,” governor’s concerns regarding Pence continued. “It will be an security and prayerfully consid- open question. I believe what Con- ered his request that we defer gress should do is give the states from welcoming them until an alternative to the state ex- Congress had approved new changes. Take the tax credits and legislation regarding immigrants create more choices in the market and refugees,” Tobin said in place. It’s a flexibility thing.” a statement. “I informed the Since CMS approved the governor prior to the family’s Pence waiver in 2015, enrollment arrival that I had asked the staff has gone from 193,573 in 2015 to of Catholic Charities to receive Gov. Pence un- 359,612 in 2016 and a projected this husband, wife and their two veils his HIP 2.0 in 457,739 in fiscal year 2020. It low- small children as planned.” the winter of 2015 ered emergency room use by 7%, This was followed by after lobbying prompted 60% of its recipients a perplexing press conference President Obama to receive preventive care, while where Pence defended his on the tarmac of 96% are satisfied with their cover- “ban” that in reality never had the Evansville age and 93% make the $8 to $25 any teeth, no statutory origin Airport in late monthly contributions on time, and or judicial precedent. The facts 2014. (HPI Photo 98% would enroll again. According about this Syrian family and the by Mark Curry) to the U.S. Department of Health one that detoured to Connecti- and Human Services, 1,489,805 cut just after he announced his people in Indiana are covered by “ban” had left Syria well before Medicaid or the Children’s Health ISIS formed and metastisized, Insurance Program, including and had gone through a two-year vetting process. It came 782,960 children and 133,444 seniors and people with as the New York Times reported that of the 780,000 refu- disabilities covered by both Medicaid and Medicare. An gees legally entering the U.S. since Sept. 11, 2001, none estimated 224,000 Hoosiers have health insurance today of them had been caught or even linked to a domestic because Indiana expanded Medicaid under the Affordable terror attack. When reporters pressed him, Pence said his Care Act. administration wouldn’t deny state benefits to resettled Asked in 2015 if HIP 2.0 was his top policy refugees. So the ban amounted to political theater. achievement to date, Pence (who has not responded to When it was struck down by the 7th Circuit Court most interview requests from Howey Politics Indiana and of Appeals, Judge Richard Posner issued a scathing re- most Indiana media outlets in 2016 and 2017) puts it in buke. “The governor of Indiana believes, though without the context of his administration’s 2012 campaign “Road- evidence, that some of these persons were sent to Syria map” which promised two planks on jobs and investment, by ISIS to engage in terrorism and now wish to infiltrate two on education, one on workforce development and the the United States in order to commit terrorist acts here,” final, “improving the health and well-being of Hoosiers.” Posner wrote. “No evidence of this belief has been pre- sented, however; it is nightmare speculation.” When Trump proposed a complete ban on Muslims entering the country, Pence called it “offensive and uncon- stitutional.” It would become another issue where once on the national stage, Pence would morph.

Medicaid and HIP 2.0 As a presidential campaign loomed, Pence had his greatest policy achievement in the winter of 2015 when he convinced the Centers for Medicaid/Medicare Services to grant his version of Medicaid expansion. It was something he had spent more than a year lobbying President Obama and HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell for, including once on the tarmac of the Evansville airport with the president. “We’ve got to be about solutions that are state- Page 6

“When I look at what economy is the envy of the na- we’ve done, I would say it’s a tion. Our unemployment rate significant advancement for the has dropped from 8.4% to 4.2% health and wellbeing of Hoo- and stands at its lowest point in siers,” Pence explained. 15 years. Our state has added 168,000 more Hoosier jobs since Pence and the Gov. Pence took office.” economy According to the IEDC, Since the 1980s when the state wage average in- Gov. Robert Orr made a con- creased from $17.05 an hour certed effort to open up the in 2005 to $20.10 in 2013, and Pacific Rim to investment, one $21.55 in 2016. John Thomp- of the most critical measuring son, chairman and CEO of sticks for an Indiana governor Thompson Distribution Company is job creation, morphing from and member of the IEDC Board an early 20th Century model of Directors, observed that the of education, roads and public average wage of IEDC projects safety. On this front, Pence can was $25.43/hour, which is 20% claim legitimate success. In higher than the state’s average four years, the Indiana Eco- wage of $21.21/hour. “We are nomic Development Corporation seeing growth in new industries counted $15.49 billion worth of like aviation and aerospace, life investments in the state. In July sciences and technology that 2015, Indiana claimed its em- traditionally offer high-skilled, ployment highwater mark with high-wage jobs, while jobs com- 2.61 million Hoosiers in the mitted to the IEDC continue to workforce. Between 2012 and boast wages above the state 2014, according to the IEDC, average,” Thompson said. more than 125 foreign compa- Other economic telltales nies announced plans to grow include the Regional Cities Ini- or locate in Indiana, pledging tiative that spread $120 million to invest $4.6 billion in Indiana worth of projects funded by a and create 13,300 new jobs. tax amnesty program to three Commerce Secretary regions of the state. “Through Victor Smith observed, “Gov. the Regional Cities Initiative, Pence started on day one by Gov. Pence powered Indiana freezing new burdensome communities a financial incen- regulations, which increase tive to collaborate as regions to the cost of doing business invest in quality-of-place proj- and stifle job creation. During ects using public-private part- his first legislative session, he nerships, transforming commu- led the charge for the largest nities into places where people tax cut in Indiana history and are excited to live, work and followed that up in 2014 with play,” Smith said. “In turn, this a new tax cut giving Indiana will attract and retain the talent one of the lowest corporate tax companies need to continue to rates in the country. grow. Today, the Regional Cities “In 2015, Gov. Pence Initiative is wildly popular and a directed Indiana’s early payout of our federal unemploy- major success.” ment insurance loan, saving Hoosier businesses an ad- Even with the success of that program, Pence ditional $327 million in taxes. Plus, throughout his time in found himself sideways with legislative GOP leaders when office, Gov. Pence worked to invest more than $800 million he expanded it from two to three $40 million regions. As in new money for Indiana roads and bridges, securing we’ve often witnessed during the Pence governorship, Indiana’s status as the Crossroads of America.” decisions were made through a strictly political prism. That Smith added, “More Hoosiers are working now would be $40 million of potential 2016 ribbon cuttings dur- than ever before in Indiana’s 200-year history and our ing a tough reelection battle. On the cusp of his vice presidential nomination in Page 7

June 2016, Pence unveiled a $1 Pence and education billion investment proposal for Another hallmark of Pence’s term the next decade to advance in- was his stance on education. He novation and entrepreneurship would claim record investment for in Indiana. “As a state, we have education in his two biennial budgets. worked diligently to establish But he sparred constantly with Demo- a pro-growth business climate crat Supt. Glenda Ritz, formed and in Indiana and our efforts are then scrapped a year later a parallel being recognized across the agency (Center for Education and nation,” Pence said at the 2016 Career Innovation) to the Indiana De- Innovation Showcase in India- partment of Education. The result, as napolis at Dallaria in Speedway. described in the press was a process “We cut costs, lowered taxes “so convoluted it seems impossible to and reduced regulations to know who’s responsible for what and allow job creators to invest in what matters most, in their whom to hold accountable for student outcomes.” businesses and in their employees. Indiana is ranked first After the demise of CECI, he pushed for the State in the Midwest for business and first in the nation for small Board of Education to appoint a chair, instead of the business regulations.” elected superintendent. “It’s time to take politics out of “With years of forward-thinking leadership in education in Indiana, or at least out of the State Board of entrepreneurship and startup creation, Indiana is already Education and allow that body to get back to the business recognized as a startup-friendly state,” said Dan Hasler, of focusing on implementing the policies that the people president and chief entrepreneurial officer for the Purdue of Indiana have embraced and enacted, and seeing them Research Foundation. faithfully through to their completion,” he said in a state- “These welcomed new initiatives will propel ment that many saw as overtly political. Indiana to the next level of economic development and The fighting became so intense that Speaker Brian job creation. Indiana has the potential for so much more,” Bosma and Senate President David Long threatened to Hasler said. intervene. While his successor, Gov. Eric Holcomb, has Page 8 moved to make the we have now,” David Harris, the founder of the Mind Trust, superintendent an ap- told the New York Times. pointed position, Pence Pence also signed legislation that scrapped the refused to take that ISTEP testing program, but left office with no credible step. replacement, leaving the Indiana General Assembly to In 2014, Pence grapple fitfully with what comes next. became the first gov- ernor in the nation to Pence and abortion rescind Common Core, Throughout his political career, Pence has been a replacing it with what tireless advocate for right-to-life issues. After signing a half his education opponents dozen or so anti-abortion bills, Pence can take credit for and Chamber President helping to lower the state’s abortion rate. It was already Kevin Brinegar would in sharp decline during the Daniels administration, where call “Common Core abortions declined from 10,686 in 2005 to 8,808 in 2012. Lite.” Pence explained, During the Pence era, abortions declined further, from “I believe when we 8,179 in 2013, to 8,118 in 2014 and 7,957 in 2015. reach the end of this Pence stoked controversy in 2016 when he signed process there are going House Enrolled Act 1337, which precludes abortions for to be many other states Gov. Pence chats with Supt. Glenda the reason of fetal abnormalities. “Throughout my public around the country that Ritz the day before he blindsided her career, I have stood for the sanctity of life. HEA1337 is will take a hard look at with the CECI announcement. a comprehensive pro-life measure that affirms the value the way Indiana has of all human life, which is why I signed it into law today,” taken a step back, de- Pence said. “I believe that a society can be judged by how signed our own standards, and done it in a way where we it deals with its most vulnerable – the aged, the infirm, the drew on educators, we drew on citizens and parents, and disabled and the unborn. HEA1337 will ensure the digni- developed standards that meet the needs of our people.” fied final treatment of the unborn and prohibits abortions The state had spent more than $120 million on the Com- that are based only on the unborn child’s sex, race, color, mon Core standards, and no one could put a price tag national origin, ancestry, or disability, including Down syn- on the amount of money the state has spent on student drome.” assessment programs since 2011, though some believe it Betty Cockrum, who heads Planned Parenthood of could be as high as $250 million. Indiana and Kentucky, condemned the bill. “It is clear the The Common Core rescinding became one of his governor is more comfortable practicing medicine without key talking points as he prepared for a 2016 presidential a license than behaving as a responsible lawyer, as he run. picks and chooses which constitutional rights are appropri- Pence’s other key policy legacy was the expansion ate.” of vouchers and charter schools. By the time he left office, more than 30,000 students where using state vouchers. Epilogue Pence also pushed the legislature to remove a $4,800-per- From Pence’s career perspective, his governorship year cap on tuition benefits was a political success. He’s vice president of the United for children in elementary States. Both he and President Trump heralded his Indiana and middle school. record numerous times over the past nine months. With Beyond his sparring the Trump presidency commencing in chaotic fashion, with Supt. Ritz, the other there is widespread speculation that Pence might have a big controversy was Pence’s good chance of becoming the 46th president within the rejection of $80 million in next four years. federal pre-K funds in 2015, During his governorship, it seemed that most a move that confounded ev- major initiatives were developed and executed through eryone from Ritz to legislative Republican leaders. Pence’s the prism of a future presidential bid. In 2013, it was an rationale was that the state didn’t want to be rushed into income tax cut that Bosma and Long pared back, fear- a program and the federal funds would have too many ing they would be left holding the bag. In 2014, it was “strings attached.” rescinding Common Core, which became a staple in his na- But Gov. Pence in 2014 pushed a $15 million pro- tional speeches. In 2015, RFRA was to be his calling card gram that gave scholarships of up to $6,800 for children in for social conservatives looking for someone to back in the low-income families in five urban counties to attend pre- 2016 presidential primaries. That one blew up in his face. school programs. It initially included about 2,500 pupils. From a Hoosier perspective, the economy grew “It’s safe to say that had it not been for his strong leader- under Pence, but so did widespread frustration that vast ship, we wouldn’t have had the pilot preschool program Page 9 segments of the population and the eration didn’t allow more such cover- Republican constituency were being age. “Let Pence be Pence,” I said. left behind inthe American dream. There was no good answer to Donald Trump exploited that issue, that, other than an inherent paranoia even if it collided with the legacy within the tight Pence inner circle Pence sought to portray. that the media was out to get him, Pence’s missteps on social with it all wrapped in a veneer where issues and poor staff work placed he claimed to revere press freedoms him in a more tenuous political posi- (including a bill he vetoed in the Indi- tion than he should have been. ana General Assembly last spring that Pence always seemed tor- was overridden this week). Pence was mented about his social advocacy reluctant to allow himself to be held and the political realities. He evaded accountable for his actions. interview requests from Howey This is a political figure that tightly Politics Indiana during his 2012 grasped a small set of talking points Gov. Mike Pence greets diners in Madison in gubernatorial campaign, then during and was reluctant to expose himself to October 2014. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Howey) a visit to our office three days before any effort to pierce that facade. When his inauguration in January 2013, an interview was granted, the answers pled for a “do over.” By 2016, he was in the same mode, were long, windy and repetitive. There would be fewer refusing to reconcile his rhetoric and legacy with topical questions. questioning. Thus, Gov. Pence stands in a unique corner of Yet, travel with Gov. Pence several times over the Hoosier political history. He survived his governorship, past four years found him easily mixing and bantering when it could have been a profound source of momentum. with his constituents. I remember asking Indiana Repub- He abandoned a reelection bid by taking one of the great- lican Chairman Jeff Cardwell after an October 2014 swing est political risks in modern American history. through Southern Indiana why the governor’s media op- And here he is, a heartbeat away. v Page 10

margins. Grateful Pence Then, to top it off, Mike Pence became the liberal Satan’s vice president. This has led to some confusion in media coverage: Is Pence the only thing that stands be- was governor tween America and destruction, or is he part of the effort By MARK SOUDER to ruin us? Or maybe just useful window dressing for the FORT WAYNE – Earlier this week, I went to the real president, Steve Bannon? license bureau. Back when mastodons roamed our state, Mike Pence actually has a consistent ideological, (before Mitch Daniels became governor) it was a miserable legislative, and executive record. But, like the president, experience. Generally, now I do it on-line and even on a our vice president is also a salesman. On radio and other crowded Tuesday morning it is about like a grocery store forms of messaging before he became a congressman, he on a Saturday. sold conservative ideas. In Congress, he was the top (in When Mitch took over the state government with position and in skill) Republican messenger in the House. radical plans to run it like a This led to a common false statement that business, he quickly became is treated as a “fact” when it was not: Everything Mike “Ditch Mitch.” His popularity does is part of his goal to become president someday. dropped to incredibly low lev- When he’d say that he was open to the opportunities that els. The Democrats perceived God gave him, it has been treated as if it was a deliber- a bright political future that ate deception. The fact is that Mike believes it as a core could recapture Indiana, going foundational fact. Obviously, based upon one’s talents and back to making it great again. experiences, you can be better prepared when such an Gov. Daniels brought in people opportunity comes or not be prepared, but you enjoy and not trained to go slow. They accept where you are as the possible end position. thought “tactful” meant taking I, for example, approached Mike about running for people who resisted change president in 2008. His reasoning as to why he was not go- and using tacks to pin them on ing to was sound. In other words, he obviously was think- the wall. ing about it but not obsessed. Sound reasoning seldom After suffering through nasty publicity which slows down the over-ambitious who convince themselves impacted his strategy somewhere between zero and zero that they have a chance. Mike saw being governor of Indi- percent, he emerged after eight years as “Saint Mitch.” ana as one of the highest honors a Hoosier could possibly When Mike Pence became governor, achieve. If he could become president, or vice president, he was in a difficult position. so be it. The obsession didn’t Because Daniels transformed drive him. Indiana government did not mean Even more difficult is to that the unionized teachers and labor separate when a person’s desire movement didn’t have the long knives to win a position is the primary out looking for any sign of Republi- motivator versus the desire to can weakness. In fact, analysis of serve or advocate for a particu- Gov. Pence’s term inevitably men- lar point of view. Any politician tions his war on public education. who denies this tension is, quite It’s as though Dr. Tony Bennett was frankly, lying. his creation, and the backlash that In politics, it is fairly elected an accidental superintendent easy to identify those who seek of education was a Pence-caused event. fame versus those who have a cause. Do they make hard Regardless of how you view the choice issue, it is decisions that could put their careers at risk? A second irresponsible to imply that it was solely something con- major way is this: Do they explain their positions within ceived by Pence. Both men deserve credit. They felt, I the framework of a consistent belief system or does the believe justly, that our education system needed to be system alter to fit political opportunities? challenged. I knew Vice President Pence before he was a And then there’s the “Jesus thing.” Gov. successful politician. His views have not varied much. He Mike Pence may never receive a fair review of his time as never trimmed his sails to adjust to winds from different Indiana governor. So many in the media were obsessed directions. He didn’t bail out on his views on moral issues, over the religious liberty debate that it has colored all on how a government should work, the importance of bal- coverage of him. It was a media-generated blip in our anced budgets, or issues of safety. state’s history. The manufactured crisis was presented as As an executive – whether you agree with him or a catastrophic event, which it was not. The voters of Indi- not – he took years of advocating more purist conservative ana obviously sent Republicans to victory last fall by wide ideas and his legislative history of general conservative Page 11 principle advocacy and then applied his ideas to divisive governed. issues including education and health care. His education It has also resulted in the mixed blessing of be- views certainly represent a conservative approach. His ad- ing the current vice president of the United States. If he aptation of health care within a flawed Obamacare system becomes president, Mike Pence will be grateful. And if is likely to become a national model. the vice presidency is the highest level of government he I expect that commentators who opposed achieves, Mike Pence will be grateful for the opportunities him for election in the first place will continue to remain that he has had to both advocate his views and to be an opposed to him. I expect that others who hoped he’d actu- example, however imperfect, for his faith in Jesus Christ. ally become an ambitious politician seeking higher office And he will also be thankful that he was governor by trimming his sails to the prevailing winds will find his of Indiana, and so am I. v term as governor lacking. However, like the majority of Hoosier voters, I Souder is a former Republican congressman from found that Mike Pence, like Mitch Daniels, took risks in Indiana. order to advance his vision of how our state should be

Religious Freedom Restoration Act. I’ve written at length Pence was a true elsewhere about the RFRA fight, the so-called “fix,” and why the Indiana Family Institute filed a legal challenge to the fix (a suit which has prevailed in its first two rounds, champion for life including one before the Indiana Court of Appeals). So By CURT SMITH I’ll forgo detailed treatment here, but I believe Pence did INDIANAPOLIS – One of the fun things about con- what he honestly and sincerely thought was best for Indi- sidering Mike Pence’s Indiana legacy is that the story is still ana. He did so at personal and political cost, I hasten to unfolding. His elevation to the national stage after Chapter add. One in the U.S. House and Chapter Two as Indiana gover- Which brings me back to my primary point. nor merely foreshadows more as Chapter Three emerges. Pence championed these matters among others as a That qualifier influences my view of Pence’s great- happy warrior in the Hubert Humphrey model. That led to est contribution to the social conser- many victories, some setbacks, and the elevation of Indi- vative agenda in the Hoosier State: ana’s favorite son to the second Namely, he showed one can champion most powerful position in the free such issues – life, traditional marriage, world. During the national cam- religious liberty among others – and paign, he did not flinch or dilute achieve political success. his prior positions. At his inaugu- Pence certainly has a host ral press conference with now- of concrete accomplishments social President Donald Trump, Pence conservatives relish, even as a single- repeated his frequent mantra that term governor. He signed groundbreak- he is a “Christian, a conservative ing, pro-life legislation (HEA 1337), and a Republican, in that order.” he championed adoption (including In his sole debate against signing HEA 1222 creating the state’s Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Pence first adoption tax credit) and signed an expungement law also detailed his pro-life positions and described the hor- allowing certain felony convictions to be erased from one’s rors of the partial-birth abortion procedure like no national public history. He fought hard for additional tax cuts when candidate I can recall. Not even Ronald Reagan tops that legislators were skeptical, winning the accelerated phasing feat. out of all inheritance taxes and other reductions. That, to me, is Pence’s enduring contribution to He also articulated a very important standard Indiana and increasingly the nation’s public discourse. He for legislators to heed when the Indiana General Assembly speaks eloquently, passionately and yet compassionately considered a sexual-orientation, gender-identity (SOGI) for a child-centered culture, where the next generation is rights law last year. Pence said he would not sign a bill un- better off than the prior generation, because, as he would less it provided solid protections for the faithful “at work, say, that’s just the Hoosier way. v worship and service.” That phrase did more to derail the SOGI train run- Curt Smith is president of the Indiana Family Insti- ning through the Statehouse than any other development, tute and author of “Deicide: How Eliminating the and was a nice recovery from the setback we call the Deity Is Destroying America.” Page 12

of necktie, the right colored suit, and an enhanced level of Vice President Pence’s loyalty. If you can’t pass that muster, you’re fired. Pence could try to roll back federal LGBT protections, but daugh- ter Ivanka crimped that. long, long game Trump probably can’t fire a vice president, but By BRIAN A. HOWEY then again we hadn’t fathomed Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann INDIANAPOLIS – Vice President Mike Pence has resigning a year ago after her own fallout with Gov. Pence. always taken the so-called “long view” when it comes At this writing, Vice President Pence is en- to his career. After losing two congressional races in the sconced in the Trump Twilight Zone. The brutal realities of late 1980s, he settled into a think tank and broadcasting being in this warren became apparent over the weekend career, then went to Congress in when the press pried out an unruly fact, that the national 2012. security adviser had lied to Pence. He had been talking In 2011, he mulled a to the Russian ambassador about rolling back Obama era presidential bid for the following sanctions. The vice president went on Face the Nation year, then focused on becoming and perpetrated a lie about Flynn’s discussions with the Indiana’s 50th governor. There Russian ambassador. Pence was out of the loop for 15 was the potential for a 2016 days. His press guy, Marc Lotter, acknowledged Pence had White House campaign. Some “incomplete information.” In the era of alternative facts, believe that his signing of the most of us that call it a “lie.” Religious Freedom Restoration Top Pence aides tell the national media he felt Act knocked him out, but others “blindsided” and “frustrated.” say he knew the crowded field Since then, it’s gotten even more peculiar. There’s left him only a slender path to that 2015 photo of Flynn dining with President Putin, a the nomination. The clearer year before the Kremlin intervened in the U.S. presidential path was to get on the presidential ticket, and from May race. There are now CNN and New York Times reports through July 2016, he executed a savvy strategy, wooing that the Trump campaign was in consistent contact with Donald Trump when dozens of other Republicans took a the Kremlin. It puts a whole new light on Trump’s Octo- pass. When the veep nomination flickered on July 14, he boarded a charter jet and retrieved the prize. When mainstream Re- publicans questioned the Trump credentials, Pence exhorted them to come home in the campaign homestretch, playing a significant role in notching one of the biggest upsets in U.S. presidential history. On Jan. 20, he became Vice President Pence. We have been care- Ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn fully monitoring Vice Presi- dining with Russian President Putin in 2015, a year dent Mike Pence’s standing in before the Kremlin sought to tip the 2016 U.S. presi- the Trump White House over dential election. At left, Vice President Pence with the past 26 days. It’s been Flynn before Pence realized Flynn had lied to him a fascinating exercise, since about Russian contacts. President Trump has a long history of playing top aides and associates off against each ber 2016 tweet: “Boy, I love reading those other. Trump Inc. is a clan WikiLeaks.” enterprise, not a Fortune 500 Bill Kristol, the Weekly Standard editor and company. The sons, daughters former aide to Vice President Quayle, played and in-laws wield the clout, the new parlor game. Is Pence already toast not a board of directors. Those in Trump World? A nice middle class guy with outside the family need that a handsome family, who really isn’t prepared extra savvy, the correct width to wheel and deal with the big boys? “Does Page 13 this episode strengthen Pence like the Roosevelts view vice or weaken Pence?” Kristol presidents as either collateral said, posing that question to assets or political flotsam. the Washington Post. “That’s A White House source de- what everybody is trying to scribed Pence in the wake of the figure out. Pence is trying to Flynn fiasco as “a very forgiving play a long game, keeping his man.” In Trump World, that is head down and keeping his probably not an asset. powder dry, assuming some So we’ll all watch of the more flamboyant types to see what President Trump will blow up or blow out and thinks of Vice President Pence he will be there as a trusted on Monday, no, Tuesday, no, counselor a year or so from Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. now. The long game can When Saturday comes around, mislead you. If you end up will it be who’s that stupid clown keeping your powder dry and in the bathroom mirror (yes, I’m never using it, you end up quoting a Kurt Vile song here). being just another guy in the A neutered vice president in White House.” Trump World is not an unfath- MSNBC’s Joe Scarbor- omable stretch. ough observed this morning, But in the Pence “I can tell you every senator long, long, long game – hang- and congressman on Capitol ing in there, talking inevitable Hill would rather have Mike the insults and barbs, keep- Pence as president than Don- ing his head out of the line of ald Tump.” circular fire – could have the And the Wall Street ultimate historical payoff. Will Journal’s Dan Henninger the Trump White House be- writes today, “Unless Team come so scandal-ridden that Trump gets back to the basics Gov. Mike Pence in his Indiana Statehouse office with former if Democrats take control of of the 2016 election, 1974 governor and Vice President Thomas Riley Marshall on the Congress in 2018, the impeach- could return ... A president’s wall behind him. Vice President Marshall fell out of favor with ment proceedings go on the fast blood is in the water and President Woodrow Wilson. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Howey) track? Will Trump grow tired of another White House staff can the inert Congress, his foreign only look out the windows as the sharks arrive.” hotels getting bombed, his family accessory lines getting Ahhh, yes, the long game. Pence has played the kicked out of loser chains like Sears and Kmart, and say in long game before and has done it well. It took him only a 2018, “Hey, f— this. I’m outta here.” few years after entering Congress in 2001 to find himself In that long game, the end result is President in conference leadership. He challenged John Boehner for Pence, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Even after a couple of the speakership, lost, and ended up in the No. 3 posi- years of abuse, Mike Pence would be in control. v tion. He stared down Mitch Daniels in 2011 when both pondered the 2012 presidential race, and ended up with a clear path to the gubernatorial nomination. The challenge for Vice President Pence today is this is not a George Bush White House. The Trump outfit is a mix of Network, Mad Max, Alice in Wonderland and Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone. It’s like playing chess on mush- rooms or acid. There’s no precedent, no logical org chart. This is President Wingin’ It. There is method and madness, though no apparent method to the madness that most of the rest of us can figure out. And there have been an array of vice presidents – from our own Thomas Riley Marshall, to John Nance Garner, to Henry Wallace to Richard Nixon – who either fell out of favor with the president or were belittled and ignored. It can be a tough game. Manipulative presidents Page 14

1014 only gives the commission two chances at approval. Rep. Smith scuttles Rep. Torr admitted that it was a flaw in the bill and that if the commission was voted down twice “the commis- sion would likely fold and the legislature would draw them vote on redistricting anyway.” By THOMAS CURRY Others questioned how a commission could truly INDIANAPOLIS – In front of a packed House be apolitical in a extremely political role. A few members chamber, House Elections and Appointments Committee of the Elections Committee also questioned how the Con- Chair Milo Smith( R-Columbus) denied a vote on redistrict- stitutional requirement is met but Rep. Torr cited support ing reform Wednesday. Multiple members of the commit- from two previous Supreme Court Justices. tee moved to vote on the measure but Chairman Smith After the hearing, Chairman Smith told members said that “there is still work to be done and voices heard” of the media that he felt the overwhelming public atten- and that he “doesn’t know at this time” if the bill will get dance in support of the bill was from “one groups organi- another hearing. zation and that I feel there are many in opposition of the The clock is moving on redistrict- bill.” ing reform with the 2020 censure Earlier in the week, Speaker Bosma told HPI that approaching, as well as next week’s he wasn’t sure how HB 1014 would move this session. “We session halfway mark. This was the are trying to figure out that bill and others as we approach first and only hearing on the bill the halfway mark of this session. Obviously we are focused scheduled for this session and was on the major road plan and a few others of our priority attended by scores of Hoosier citizens showing support for bills.” Bosma continued that “not everyone in our caucus it, including the League of Woman Voters, Common Cause agrees on this particular measure so we are trying to see if and even garnered support from Quakers. it can get through committee and then through the floor.” This year, redistricting reform manifests as House In previous years, measures to reform redistrict- Bill 1014 sponsored by Rep. Jerry Torr (R-Carmel) and ing have died in the Senate even after passing the House. includes co-sponsor Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis). Speaker Bosma commentated that “the Senate has not HB 1014 calls for creating an apoliti- had a great deal of the affinity for the con- cal commission to oversee redistricting cept” in their discussions this session. reform by drawing the districts. The On speculation of redistricting being a House and Senate would then vote up or focus of future sessions, both Chairman Smith down on the drawn districts in an effort and Speaker Bosma were shaky on committing to satisfy the constitutional requirement to the issue down the line. Bosma said that of the legislature deciding the districts. he is “focused on road funding, education and Rep. Torr’s bill would let a nine person tackling the drug epidemic” and that those are panel, made up of judges and university his priorities currently. Smith added that “we presidents, draw up the lines. Members will just have to see” how the measure does would be chosen by the chief justice of this year in order to see for future years. the Supreme Court and the court would Ultimately, failure to launch on redistrict- retain original jurisdiction in removing ing reform is not a surprise. With Republicans maintaining a super-majority in both chambers members. Torr and supporters of the bill House Elections Chairman Milo as well as a majority of statehouses being believe that the bill would “create fairer Smith wouldn’t take a redistricting Republican across the country there is little districts that better represent Indiana.” vote on Wednesday. (HPI Photo by incentive for lawmakers. Many legislators feel Supporters of the bill also claim Mark Curry) that it would increase voter participation, its “not broke so why fix it?” which Bosma said with a representative of Common Cause “will take some time” to get over. Add in the Indiana testifying before the committee that “competi- potential problems of implementation, a denied commit- tion is good for business and sports; it should be good for tee vote on the bill relatively late in session, the far ahead government.” forethought needed to pass reforms and it becomes clear But skeptics of the bill, like Chairman Milo Smith, that redistricting reform is a long way off for Indiana. argue that the bill would do little to stop problems of ger- rymandering. “I don’t know how drawing the lines in a House budget in line with Holcomb way that splits neighborhoods to create equal numbers in Mostly in line with Gov. Eric Holcomb’s priority, both parties is any better than the current system” Smith House Ways and Means Chairman Tim Brown released said in a phone interview with HPI Tuesday. “We should let the GOP’s proposed budget on Wednesday. The plan dif- neighborhoods be neighborhoods.” fers only slightly from Gov. Holcomb’s revealed budget in Smith also raised the question of what happens if January, showing a unified Statehouse as the 2017 session the commission’s drawn lines get voted down twice, as HB moves closer to the half-way mark. Page 15

HB1001 is described by Chairman Brown to “focus past an increase on the cigarette tax has been met with on fiscal integrity, strengthen commitment to education, serious resistance in the Senate. Ultimately, Brown said improve Indiana’s workforce and support public safety.” that he had no idea how that discussion will go in the Sen- A noticeable exclusion however, is any talks of ate. road funding. Creating a long-term infrastructure plan has One of the main focuses of the budget remains dominated conversation at the Statehouse and it was a K-12 education. Gov. Holcomb had pledged a $280 million campaign promise by Holcomb. Currently, HB1002 would increase in education funding and the house budget is only carry that out through increasing the gasoline tax by 10 slightly off at a $273 million increase for education by FY cents a gallon and includes a host of other fees on driv- 2019. HB1001 includes doubling the state’s investment ers. Concerning the separate discussion on the budget and in pre-K pilot programs from $10 million to $20 million, road funding, Chairman Brown said, “That’s something an initiative that the governor called for. There is some they may decide to do in the Senate,” and also noted that dissent that doubling the investment is not enough, but HB1001 is open to amendment this week. Statehouse leadership, Chairman Brown and Gov. Holcomb Gov. Holcomb reacted to the House proposal, all advised caution in investing too much before there are telling HPI, “Overall, this is a good-looking budget, and I known results. commend Speaker Bosma and Chairman Brown for their Another legislative priority from the governor’s of- hard work to ensure Indiana’s next budget is honestly fice has been improving and preparing Indiana’s workforce balanced and maintains healthy reserves. I’m also happy for 21st Century jobs. The proposed budget would pledge to see that it provides support for key priorities of my Next $250,000 to Gov. Holcomb to develop a comprehensive Level legislative agenda, including economic development, workforce development plan to address the state’s needs. transportation, education, drug addiction prevention and It also appropriates money to entrepreneurship programs treatment, and government service. I’m encouraged and and establishes the Next Level Trust Fund, for which Gov. looking forward to the work ahead as we progress through Holcomb wants $500 million, and invests in developing this long legislative session.” companies. Holcomb has said that these programs are key Last week state legislators attempted to ease the to “taking Indiana to the next level and making us com- burden on taxpayers by shifting all of the money generat- petitive worldwide.” ed from sales tax on gasoline to road funding. Previously, To combat Indiana’s opioid epidemic, $185 mil- that money had gone toward maintaining and increasing lion is pledged over the biennium for corrections programs the state’s general fund, but the shift in funds appeared to focused on rehab, something on which Gov. Holcomb has leave a significant hole in the budget. differed with his predecessor. “This is what the governor The Indiana Financial Policy Institute released a asked for” in regard to tackling the epidemic,” Brown said. scathing analysis of this shift, with author John Stafford How exactly this funding would be divided remains to be saying that shifting the sales tax on gasoline would leave seen. holes of “$305 million in FY 2018 and $299 million in FY State Sen. Jim Merritt told HPI earlier in the ses- 2019” in the general fund. Stafford warns of the long term sion that they expect their plan to cost somewhere be- effects of this. “If those revenues are redirected to dedi- tween $5 and $10 million, but that he wasn’t sure where cated highway functions as proposed, the revenues available to support the FY 2018 and FY 2019 budgets become $15.18 billion and $15.78 billion respectively. The net result then is a projected budget defi- cit of $267 million in FY 2018 and of $129 million in FY 2019.” This would create a budget “freeze” causing modest to severe cuts in the governor’s budget. To counteract that, HB1001 calls for increasing the tax on cigarettes by $1 a pack. This would make up most of the money lost, with Chairman Brown saying, “I’ll let you draw conclu- sions as to why some decisions were made.” Brown estimated that somewhere in the ballpark of $250 million would be raised this way. This effort, among others, would allow the state’s general fund to continue to increase by FY 2019. However, in years Page 16 the money would come from. There are also initiatives in her mind and try to save the baby. The House Public the House that require funding creating a total estimate of Policy Committee voted 7-6 on Wednesday to send the $15 million needed to combat the epidemic this year. The measure to the full House. Members amended the bill to budget also appropriates $5 million to support the new have the information provided state that “no scientifically executive drug czar position and its initiatives. validated medical study” confirms that an abortion may While many of the governor’s plans are included be “reversed.” Opponents who argue the procedure hasn’t in the budget, there a few noticeable exclusions. Gov. been sufficiently vetted say providing the information is Holcomb had called for encouraging more direct flights to irresponsible. Indianapolis, but Chairman Brown said there were other priorities to look at first. House panel OKs addiction services There is also less money pledged to improving the The House Committee on Public Health passed South Shore commuter line than Holcomb laid out in his legislation co-authored by State Rep. Cindy Ziemke (R- plan. Chairman Brown said that they came to funding deci- Batesville) to broaden mental health and addiction treat- sions by “looking at our priorities and going from there.” ment options in Indiana, a news release stated (Howey Politics Indiana). According to a recent report, three in More funding for suburban schools 10 new mothers who gave birth at a hospital in Indiana Suburban schools, English-learners and virtual last year tested positive for illegal drugs. House Bill 1006 schools would fare well under the Indiana House’s 2017 would include neonatal abstinence syndrome as a fac- budget plan, while Indianapolis Public Schools and other tor for determining if a child is in need of services. These urban districts would see drops in state support (Cavazos, children would be able to receive medication-assisted Chalkbeat). In the Republican-crafted two-year budget treatment, which uses a combination of medicine and be- draft, presented to the House Ways and Means Commit- havioral therapy to treat addiction. In addition, the Family tee today, Indiana schools are projected to get an extra and Social Services Administration would require certified $273 million to support student learning, a 2.8 percent recovery residences in our state to provide housing and increase overall. Basic per-student funding that all districts assistance to chronic addicts. get would also increase to $5,323 in 2019, up 4.6 percent from the $5,088 they received in 2017. Voter registration bill advances Efforts by State Representative Clyde Kersey Gary schools bailout passes Senate (D-Terre Haute) to improve voter turnout across Indiana A bill that would temporarily shift financial control received a small boost from the House Elections and Ap- for the Gary Community School Corp. away from its school portionment Committee, according to information provided board in exchange for assistance with some outstanding by the Indiana Democratic House Caucus (Howey Politics loans received wide support Monday when it passed the Indiana). dCommittee members approved a modified ver- state Senate (Colias, Post-Tribune). Under the proposed sion of House Bill 1178 that will enable Hoosiers to register legislation sponsored by Senate Appropriations Chairman to vote when they obtain or renew their driver’s license, Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, and Sen. Eddie Melton, D- permit or identification card at their local license branch. Merrillville, it would restructure who is responsible for the The current version of the bill as amended by Elections district’s finances for up to five years through July 1, 2022. Committee Chairman Milo Smith (R-Columbus) requires It passed the Senate 49 to 0. It now heads to the House Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) employees to ask Hoosiers for consideration. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Tim Brown, if they want to be registered to vote when they come to R-Crawfordsville, and co-sponsored by Rep. Charlie Brown, the branch to transact business. D-Gary, and Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary. “We have had conversations about what it could do for us here in Gary,” Terre Haute casino bill fails said school board president Rosie Washington. “I think as Legislation to allow a satellite casino failed on a board we are very supportive of what it can do.” tie vote by the Indiana Senate Public Policy Committee (Taylor, Terre Haute Tribune-Star). The vote on the bill was Abortion reversal bill OK’d by House panel 5-5 with supporters praising the innovative legislation that An Indiana House panel has narrowly endorsed a would have allowed Rising Star casino to split its gaming measure that would require directing women to informa- positions and move half of them to Terre Haute. Chairman tion about potentially stopping drug-induced abortions Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, said, “I haven’t seen enough facts midway through and continuing with the pregnancy (As- to say that this is good public policy for the state.” State sociated Press). The American College of Obstetricians Sen. Jon Ford (R-Terre Haute) reacted, saying, “I’m disap- and Gynecologists has said the so-called abortion reversal pointed that Senate Bill 354 didn’t make it out of commit- is not scientifically proven to work. But House Bill 1128 tee today because I believe this legislation would have a sponsor Republican Rep. Ron Bacon (R-Chandler) contends positive impact on the Terre Haute community. I’m glad we the proposal gives a pregnant woman a chance to change started this conversation.” v Page 17

doesn’t need to tweet it. They get the message: All those NRSC takes aim voters who supported him in 2016 could take it out in 2018 on senators opposing him now on the Gorsuch nomi- nation. at Sen. Donnelly How Donnelly votes on confirmation won’t mat- By JACK COLWELL ter in terms of how strongly the Republican Senatorial SOUTH BEND – The National Republican Senato- Committee and supporting PACs attack him. His decision, rial Committee already has a TV ad aimed at Sen. Joe however, could have effect on voters who look beyond Donnelly, starting early in efforts alternative facts in the 30-second TV attacks. to defeat the Indiana Democrat Predict? We could if we knew how popular when he runs for reelection in Trump will be in November of 2018. Will all those Hoosier 2018. And President Trump invites supporters from 2016 still be with him, storming to the Donnelly to lunch at the White polls to punish anyone on the ballot who hadn’t in their House. Conflict in approach? Not view joined to make America great again? Or will many of at all. them instead fear that they put a madman in the White Both the Senate GOP House and welcome members of Congress who opposed strategists and Trump seek to him? strap Donnelly in a political hot We could predict if we knew whether there will seat in the battle over confirma- be in 2018 an energized Democratic base, storming to the tion of Neil Gorsuch, the presi- polls to reward anyone on the ballot who opposed Trump. dent’s nominee for the Supreme Will some of them refuse to support a Democrat who failed Court. Both seek to put pressure on Democratic senators to oppose Trump at every opportunity? Will many of them facing reelection contests in states where Trump won big again stay home instead of voting? last fall. Trump carried Indiana by 20 percent. As Trump We could theorize if we knew what will happen to would say: That’s huge. Obamacare. Will voters who deplored Obamacare but liked Both know some Democratic senators are needed provisions of the Affordable Care Act realize that ACA is now for the 60 votes for confirmation. They want to avoid Obamacare? Will Republicans repealing ACA provide noth- embarrassment of changing the rules to invoke the “nucle- ing or something good? Will Donnelly’s vote for ACA be a ar option” for confirmation by a bare majority. Republicans plus or a minus? control 52 seats in the 100-member chamber. Gorsuch will be confirmed. One way or the other, So, what if Donnelly votes to confirm Gorsuch? with enough Democrats joining for 60 votes or through Would Republicans refrain from an the “nuclear option.” The all-out attack to defeat Donnelly in election determined that. 2018? Refraining from using millions Much more was at stake of dollars already committed to attack than whether Trump Donnelly is as likely as Trump tweet- once grabbed too much ing that Saturday Night Live really is or Hillary Clinton once very funny. emailed too much. Donnelly knows this. He Should Democrats wasn’t invited to a fancy lunch at the retaliate against the way White House because Trump thinks Republicans wouldn’t he’s a great guy who deserves a sec- even give a hearing to ond term. Donnelly was invited, along an impeccably creden- with three other Democratic senators tialed liberal justice by from red states where Trump won all refusing to vote for an big – huge – because the president impeccably credentialed wants their votes to confirm Gorsuch conservative justice? and to pass some other items on his If so, for how long? legislative agenda. Trump seeks both Whatever they do, there to court and to threaten them. will be no invitations Court them? Sure. Trump, for lunch at the White like other presidents, seeks in the House at election time.v grandeur of the White House to convince members of Congress to go Colwell has covered along with their cordial host to help U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly meets with U.S. Supreme Court nomi- Indiana politics over their president, their country. nee Neil Gorsuch on Tuesday. five decades for the Threaten them? Sure. Trump South Bend Tribune. Page 18

students will drop to zero and few alumni will show up The sweet and sour to reminisce. Residents of Rensselaer will find something missing, something the presence of the college provided beyond business and young strangers. Some ineffable con- of our institutions nection between tradition and the future will be absent. By MORTON MARCUS Indiana has not mastered the decline and INDIANAPOLIS – In a world offering little comfort vacancy in our lives when a tire plant closes in this town, to small towns, joy came this past week to Crothersville, an auto supplier is shuttered over there, a food processing IN. Located just off I-65, south of operation ceases down the road. How are we to adjust to Seymour, north of Austin, Croth- the closing of an institution that has defined our commu- ersville now is the proud home nity for over 100 years? of the Tigers, 2017 winners of a Is anyone prepared to help? v girls’ basketball Class A sectional championship. Mr. Marcus is an economist, writer, and speaker For 103 years, this Jack- who may be reached at mortonjmarcus@yahoo. son County town of 1,600 waited com. for a sectional championship trophy. Now, only 41 years since the first girls’ team began play- ing Indiana’s game, that trophy is displayed at the high school on N. Preston Street. Holcomb says Regional Cities From that site of joy, it is only 176 miles north on I-65 to South College Avenue in Rensselaer, Jasper County, funding 20 projects so far where a very different mood prevails. St. Joseph’s College will suspend operations after graduation ceremonies this INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Eric Holcomb says semester. Continuing students are being offered opportuni- a little more than a year after Regional Cities Initiative ties at several other Indiana higher education venues. funding was announced, more than 20 projects have been The college is closing. Its buildings will be on care- approved and more taker status pending resolution by the board of trustees of than one-third of the the future direction for the institution. Next fall Rensselaer state’s $126 million will not welcome approximately 1,000 students and the has been disbursed 200 faculty and staff who serve them. (Ober, Inside Indi- College education has become increasingly ex- ana Business). He pensive, not just for parents and students, but for the says, as Millennials institutions themselves. Not all colleges have the financial continue to choose backing, the endowments and generous friends, to sur- where they want to vive. Some analysts contend the college bubble is bursting live before where and this event in an example of overinvestment in educa- they want to work, tion. Enrollments and the numbers of institutions show a Regional Cities is an decline. “important tool in Others see only a bump in the road caused by our economic tool- the Great Recession plus the readjustment of expectations box.” as the marginal return to college investment declines. Yes, In all, the three over time, as the number of students seeking higher edu- regions selected for funding are working on more than $2 cation rises, the gains are still there, but not as great as billion in projects aimed at improving livability, connectivity before. Adjustments in the market by suppliers (colleges) and culture. Michiana Partnership Chief Executive Officer and consumers (students) are to be expected. Regina Emberton and East Central Indiana Regional Part- For Rensselaer, how is this (temporary?) closing of nership CEO Mindy Kenworthy tell Inside INdiana Business St. Joseph’s different from a manufacturing plant closing? the funding brings opportunities and challenges. There’s no Asian or Mexican competition involved, no trade The Regional Cities Initiative is being funded pact to be cursed, no evil force to be feared. Without a through a state tax amnesty program that wrapped up in tornado or a flood, Rensselaer cannot apply for emergency late 2015 and raised more than originally projected. The federal aid. effort aims to encourage counties, cities and towns to Yet there will be fewer pizzas sold in Rensselaer collaborate on quality of life initiatives, making the regions next year. Some housing off-campus will go unrented and more competitive for talent on a global scale. v some will be sold off. The number of visiting parents and Page 19

Matt Tully, IndyStar: We all want our political lead- stance done. The more the Trump White House remains ers to do the right thing. But in truth, that’s not as easy mired in its own melodramas, the more plausible it be- as it sounds because what is considered right is a subjec- comes that the Trump-era House and Senate set a record tive thing and its definition veers wildly between election for risk avoidance and legislative inactivity. v cycles and among different sets of voters. To quote an old TV show theme song, “What might be right for you may Michael Gerson, Washington Post: In early not be right for some.” But it seems to me that there are January, House Speaker Paul Ryan met on the issue of tax a couple of sure-fire ways for a politician to determine reform with a delegation from the president-elect. At- what is right. The first is to simply ask: What is the most tending were future chief strategist and senior counselor decent way of handling this situation? The second is to Stephen K. Bannon, future chief of staff Reince Priebus, think about how decisions made today will look years or future senior adviser Jared Kushner, future counselor Kel- even decades from now, long after the next election has lyanne Conway and future senior policy adviser Stephen passed. Holcomb granted a long-overdue pardon to Keith Miller. As the meeting began, Ryan pointedly asked, “Who’s Cooper, a 49-year-old man who spent a decade in prison in charge?” Silence. It is still the right question. Former after being wrongfully convicted — according to witnesses, officials with deep knowledge of the presidency describe DNA evidence, the prosecution, and the state parole board Donald Trump’s White House staff as top-heavy, with five — for a 1996 armed robbery in Elkhart. Second, Holcomb or six power centers and little vertical structure. “The declared an emergency disaster and asked for federal desire to be a big shot is overrunning any sense of team,” assistance for East Chicago, where a housing complex says one experienced Republican. “This will cause terrible contaminated with lead has threatened residents and led dysfunction, distraction, disloyalty and leaks.” Trump has to understandable fears and frustration. Talk run a family business but never a large organiza- about doing the right thing. And talk about tion. Nor has he seen such an organization as an offering yet more evidence that the state now employee. “Trump,” says another former official, “is has a governor who is putting good policy first ill-suited to appreciate the importance of a coherent and is not being driven by a Pence-like ideol- chain of command and decision-making process. ogy that, in these particular cases, I cannot On the contrary, his instincts run instead toward comprehend. As Holcomb announced the East multiple mini power centers, which rewards compet- Chicago declaration, he said, “What I want to do is make ing aggressively for Trump’s favor.” This seems to be the sure we get this right.” Time and again in his first month dynamic unfolding on the weekend political talk shows. in office, he has made decisions that show he is intent on These have traditionally been venues for an administration doing just that. v to communicate with media and political elites (whose reli- gion dedicates Sunday morning to the gods of policy, scan- Ross Douthat, New York Times: The peak of dal and pith). But Trump surrogates are clearly appealing Donald Trump’s presidency, so far and perhaps forever, to a different audience: an audience of one, who may well happened before he became the president. It was the tweet them a nice pat on the back. The goal — as Miller deal he struck with Carrier, the Indiana air-conditioning demonstrated over the weekend — is not to persuade or company, to keep a factory open and jobs in the United even explain. It is to confidently repeat Trump’s most ab- States. No moment was so triumphantly Trumpian; noth- surd or unsubstantiated claims from the previous week/ v ing has gone as well for him since. Was the Carrier deal sound economic policy, a sober and restrained use of the Mike Warren, Weekly Standard: We have not presidency’s powers? Not precisely. But it featured Trump yet reached the end of the Mike Flynn story. The former following through on his most basic campaign promise: national security advisor’s abrupt resignation on Monday the pledge, delivered in rallies across the country’s stag- night might have been the end of his story, as far as the nant reaches, that he would focus on good-paying jobs for American people are concerned, had his downfall been people both parties seemed to have forgotten. It was the personal or isolated. But the factors that cut Flynn’s White message that helped win him the Midwest, and with it the House tenure short are complex and intermingled with so Electoral College. It was the message that Steve Bannon many other issues. Congress will be conducting hearings spent the transition boasting would lead to a realignment and investigations over what, exactly, Flynn spoke about that would shock conservative ideologues as much as with the Russian ambassador. The FBI’s own investiga- liberals. And it’s a message that’s basically disappeared tion, which included interviews with Flynn in the first days — and with it, the president’s brief uptick in popularity — of the Trump administration, could yield more answers to during Trump’s stumbling, staggering, infighting first few questions we don’t even know about yet. The leaks from weeks in office. As a result, right now his presidency is in intelligence and administration personnel that helped shed danger of being very swiftly Carterized — ending up so un- light on Flynn’s misdirection will rightly prompt new scru- popular, ineffectual and fractious that even with Congress tiny of a politicized culture in the intelligence community. controlled by its own party, it can’t get anything of sub- v Page 20

in time for Democrats to unload on performed at inflated prices.” Trump camp talked her about the Obamacare rule (Na- to Russians daily ther, Axios). Verma will get a lot more Andrew endorses questions than that, of course — CMS WASHINGTON — High-level is the main agency that implements Buttigieg for DNC advisers close to then-presidential the law, and she’ll have a big hand SOUTH BEND — South Bend nominee Donald Trump in the Trump administration’s Mayor Pete Buttigieg has the backing were in constant com- efforts to start phasing it out. of three former chairs of the Demo- munication during the Republicans will also ask her cratic National Committee, the most campaign with Russians about Medicare and Medic- of any candidate seeking to lead the known to US intelligence, aid, as well as her views on party (Groppe, IndyStar). Joe Andrew, multiple current and Medicare payment reform and the last Hoosier to head the DNC in former intelligence, law delivery system reform. Her 1999-2000, endorsed Buttigieg on enforcement and administration of- Indiana consulting firm worked on the Wednesday, as did David Wilhelm, ficials tell CNN. President-elect Trump design of the state’s Medicaid reform who chaired the DNC in 1993-94. and then-President Barack Obama plan under then-Gov. Mike Pence, but Buttigieg previously was endorsed by were both briefed on details of the she also worked for one of Indiana’s Steve Grossman, DNC chair in 1997- extensive communications between biggest Medicaid vendor, as the In- 98. suspected Russian operatives and dianapolis Star reported in 2014 and people associated with the Trump the Associated Press investigated this campaign and the Trump business, week. (The AP notes that she’s prom- Young, Donnelly according to US officials familiar with ised to sell her consulting firm within react to Flynn the matter. Both the frequency of the 90 days of her confirmation.) communications during early summer INDIANAPOLIS - U.S. Sen. and the proximity to Trump of those FBI arrests Muncie Joe Donnelly called for a broadened involved “raised a red flag” with US investigation in the wake of the intelligence and law enforcement, bldg commissioner resignation of Gen. Michael Flynn as according to these officials. The com- national security adviser (Bangert, munications were intercepted during MUNCIE — After a months- Lafayette Journal & Courier): “Gen- routine intelligence collection targeting long FBI investigation into allegations eral Flynn’s resignation is a powerful Russian officials and other Russian of wrongdoing in Muncie city govern- reminder that Congress must - for the nationals known to US intelligence. ment, the city’s building commissioner sake of our national security - conduct Among several senior Trump advisers has been arrested and charged with a robust and thorough investigation regularly communicating with Russian wire fraud, theft and money launder- into Russia’s attempts to influence our nationals were then-campaign chair- ing (Roysdon, Muncie Star Press). elections and also possibly our gov- man Paul Manafort and then-adviser Craig Nichols was arrested Wednes- ernment. No one knows what such an Michael Flynn. Officials emphasized day morning and the U.S. Attorney’s investigation would reveal, but that that communications between cam- office released details of the charges should not keep Congress from asking paign staff and representatives of against him late Wednesday after- every last question that deserves an foreign governments are not unusual. noon. Nichols, 38, appeared in federal answer.” U.S. Sen. Todd Young react- However, these communications stood court Wednesday in Indianapolis. He ed, saying, “The Intelligence Commit- out to investigators due to the fre- is charged with 16 counts of wire tee chairman began an investigation quency and the level of the Trump ad- fraud, one count of theft of govern- into these issues in December, and I visers involved. “This Russian connec- ment funds and 16 counts of money believe that investigation should have tion non-sense is merely an attempt laundering. “Nichols has served access to any persons or resources to cover-up the many mistakes made as Muncie’s building commissioner necessary to review the matter.” in Hillary Clinton’s losing campaign,” since 2012, exercising authority over Trump tweeted. permitting, inspections and code Puzder withdraws enforcement for the city,” the office Verma up for of U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler said. Labor nomination “The indictment alleges that Nichols WASHINGTON — Andrew Puz- confirmation today abused his position of trust by using der, President Trump’s choice to serve sham bidding practices and submitting as the next labor secretary, withdrew WASHINGTON — The fraudulent invoices to steer work to his nomination on Wednesday amid Centers for Medicare and Medicaid his companies, and then bill Muncie growing resistance from Republicans Services nominee is up for her con- more than $376,000 for work his and Democrats in the Senate (Wash- firmation hearing this morning, just company either never performed or ington Post).