V26, N30 Thursday, April 1, 2021 Banks: GOP should seek working class Memo to McCarthy tells of ‘transformational coalition’ that should embrace Trumpism By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – Following the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection, a number of big corporations announced they would no longer be giving campaign contribu- tions to the 140 House Members who refused to accept the Electoral Col- lege results. In a memo to House with a receipt.” He believes that the Republican Party “em- Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Republican Study brace our new coalition” as the party of the working class. Committee Chairman Jim Banks appears to say, “Bring it “In the last five years, the GOP has undergone on.” a coalitional transformation and is now the party of the Banks is advocating an embrace of former presi- dent Donald Trump, saying his Jan. 6 “gift didn’t come Continued on page 3 The Gov says V.E.T.O. By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Eric Holcomb answered the most pertinent question at the Statehouse this week: What would he do with engrossed legislation that would curb his powers and allow the General Assembly to call itself into “We are all very pleased to have special session. “I cannot skirt my duty Mike Woodson as the person in and do something that I believe charge of leading our program. is unconstitutional,” Holcomb said at his weekly pandemic He will do an excellent job. He press conference Wednesday. will be an outstanding discipli- “So yes, I can answer your question with four letters and it’s narian and teacher working with V-E-T-O.” The Indiana Senate voted his team. He is just a great man.” Monday giving the General As- - Former IU Coach Bob Knight, sembly the authority to convene an “emergency session” in an on the hiring of Mike Woodson Page 2 amended HB1123. Indiana’s Constitu- and they be updated,” Holcomb said tion specifically states only the gov- of the more than $5 billion coming ernor is authorized to call the Legis- to the state via President Joe Biden’s lature back to the Statehouse after American Relief Act passed by Con- lawmakers have adjourned for the gress in March. “We’ve been doing year. that over the past year with letters Howey Politics Indiana Former Indiana Supreme and phone calls from legislators, WWWHowey Media, LLC Court Justice Frank Sullivan Jr. told sitting down at the table and go- c/o Business Office the Senate Rules Committee under ing over on more than one occasion PO Box 6553 the auspicies of Senate President Pro when we weren’t in session.” Tem Rod Bray last month that SB407 Holcomb said he asked lead- Kokomo, IN, 46904 would violate the Indiana Supreme ership if they want to be in special www.howeypolitics.com Court’s long-standing precedent that session and “The answer was no.” it is unconstitutional for one branch The governor has taken Brian A. Howey, Publisher of government to subject another some heat after his statewide ad- Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington branch to its “coercive influence.” Sul- dress nine days ago that he was livan added, “If the governor’s power shifting the state’s mask mandate to Mary Lou Howey, Editor to handle emergencies needs to be an advisory. He left it in the hands Susan E. Howey, Editor reduced, [you should] do it in a way of local governments to determine that the Constitution permits. You whether they wanted to keep the Subscriptions have plenty of options in that regard. mandate in place. At least four coun- And if you decide that the Legislature ties (Marion, Monroe, St Joseph, HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 does need power that the Constitution Huntington) have said they will con- HPI Weekly, $350 does not now give it, the right way to tinue local mask orders. Lisa Hounchell, Account Manager do that is by a constitutional amend- “Eric Holcomb has too (765) 452-3936 telephone ment, not an unconstitutional bill.” often made politics a part of the (765) 452-3973 fax “I’ve made no secret about equation with the state’s pandemic [email protected] my understanding of Indiana’s Consti- response rather than implementing tution,” Holcomb said. “I have viewed the science, data-based approach Contact HPI this with the belief that this is un- he claims to use every week,” said [email protected] constitutional. We have supplied our Indiana Democratic Party spokesman Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 legislative friends with background. Drew Anderson. “With everything There is an honest difference of opin- Hoosiers have gone through over this Washington: 202.256.5822 ion. They honestly believe otherwise. past year, why would Holcomb risk Business Office: 765.452.3936 I’m left with no other alternative. I derailing all of this progress just to believe I am duty bound by the con- appease folks who don’t believe in © 2021, Howey Politics stitution first and foremost. I can’t do COVID-19 to begin with? The Gover- Indiana. All rights reserved. an end-around the people.” nor will create more problems in the Holcomb said that he is not near future, not less, if he doesn’t Photocopying, Internet forward- “in complete disagreement” with the responsibly lead Indiana out of the ing, faxing or reproducing in any motives House and Senate Repub- pandemic.” form, whole or part, is a violation licans led by House Majority Leader On Wednesday, Holcomb of federal law without permission Matt Lehman and State Sen. Sue Glick was confronted with an amendment from the publisher. had for the legislation. that would prohibit local units of The bill does not rescind any government from keeping mandates of the governor’s emergency pow- in place. “Yes, it concerns me,” he Jack E. Howey ers such as prohibiting church ser- said. “A lot of things concern me. I editor emeritus vices and locking down non-essential haven’t had an opportunity to look at 1926-2019 businesses as he did last March in the amendment; didn’t see it before response to the COVID-19 pandemic. the hearing. We’ll take a hard look at Hoosiers saw a 3.2% jobless rate in this. But on this, I’m going to have to February balloon to 16.9% in April. It look at each and every word. To be was back to 4% this past February. determined.” “I believe, for example, the Holcomb added, “It’s taken funding coming into the state of Indi- months to arrive at where we are ana, it is beyond understandable; it is right now and we didn’t have months to be expected that we work together to make decisions.” Page 3 As for the advisory shift, Holcomb explained, “We As for criticism from Democratic Kentucky Gov. have been very clear since the outset in our desire to drive Andy Beshear who said he would ask Holcomb to recon- down deaths and hospitalization rates, they have come a sider rescinding the mask mandate, Holcomb said, “Gov. long way, they are coming down. It’s not the one number I Beshear has my cellphone number and he clearly has the focus on; it’s many numbers in terms of our ability to care media number as well. He has not contacted me. I did see for those who are hospitalized. We do what we can to limit his comments and I have always taken the approach ... to the spread. respect all other governors and the decisions they have to “It’s not mission accomplished,” he contin- make according to the numbers on the ground and what ued. “There is some personal responsibility to be demand- is happening in their states. I am paying attention to the ed if we want to continue to manage our way through this numbers here in Indiana and what’s best for Hoosiers.” v and manage our way through this is what we’re doing.” Banks, from page 1 bers to their constituents,” Banks continued. “The NRCC should arm Members with that information and commission working class,” Banks tweeted Wednesday. “We should advertisements that contrast Republican challengers with embrace that. Not fight it.” corporate-backed Democrat incumbents. “Both parties are undergoing coalitional transfor- “House Republicans can broaden our elector- mations,” Banks, R-Columbia City, said, adding and that ate, increase voter turnout, and take back the House by Republicans shouldn’t fight the trend of corporate donors enthusiastically rebranding and reorienting as the Party of pulling back from the GOP. “When Eli Lilly and several oth- the Working Class,” Banks said in the memo. “There is an er corporate PACs blacklisted me” for objecting to the cer- embittered and loud minority in the GOP that finds our new tification of President Biden’s victory on Jan. 6, “I reached coalition distasteful, but President Trump’s gift didn’t come out to individual donors, explained with a receipt. the situation, and asked for their “Our electoral success in the 2022 support. Once my supporters midterm election will be determined learned that liberal corporations by our willingness to embrace our blacklisted me because I refused new coalition,” the memo continues. to cave to their demands on Jan. “House Republicans can broaden our 6, they were happy to make up electorate, increase voter turnout, and the difference. That’s how, in the take back the House by enthusiasti- first quarter of this year, I regained cally rebranding and reorienting as the every penny of the $241,000 I Party of the Working Class. Republi- lost in corporate money through cans are pro-business and pro-worker, individual donations.” not pro-corporation.” According to CitizensFor- The memo notes that opposing Big Ethics.org (CREW) the Business Tech “would be popular and politically Roundtable, an industry group that effective.” It said that 45% of Ameri- represents the CEOs of corpora- cans have a negative view of Big Tech, tions denounced the “inexcusable violence” and counted up 33% since 2019.