Thursday, March 29, 2001 ! Volume 7, Number 31 Page 1 of 11 Winston, McDaniel The wary of reform Howey !"#$%&'(")#*&"+")$&,'-")./01).2345 By MARK SCHOEFF JR. in Washington Campaign finance reform is a little like an old saying Political about Indiana weather: If you don't like it, wait a minute and it will change. As the Senate concludes its two-week debate on a reform bill written by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), numerous amendments have cre- Report ated a complex and protean environment. And even when the Senate finishes its work, the legislation will have only The Howey Political Report is published by NewsLink begun its journey. The House must act and then a House- Inc. Founded in 1994, The Howey Political Report is Senate conference committee must convene. And, of course, an independent, non-partisan newsletter analyzing the President Bush must sign the bill. political process in Indiana. "All of this is evolving so much that it's going to Brian A. Howey, publisher change rapidly," said Robin Winston, chairman of the Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington writer Indiana Democratic Party. "Every day, we're getting a new angle on this legislation." Jack E. Howey, editor His counterpart also couched his critique of cam- The Howey Political Report Office: 317-254-1533 paign finance reform in a disclaimer. "Until we know what it PO Box 40265 Fax: 317-466-0993 is, it's hard for me to make a judgment," said Indiana Indianapolis, IN 46240-0265 Mobile: 317-506-0883 Republican Chairman Mike McDaniel. [email protected] The McCain-Feingold measure would ban unregulat- www.howeypolitics.com ed, or "soft money," donations to national political commit- Washington office: 202-775-3242; tees and would restrict state parties to federal limits on Business Office: 317-254-0535. fundraising. The bill also would limit issue advertising and Subscriptions: $250 annually via e-mail or would maintain the ceiling on "hard money" donations. fax. Call 317-254-1533. Under current law, individuals can give $1000 to federal office candidates per campaign (primary and general) and © 2001, The Howey Political Report. All rights political action committees can give $5000. An alternative reserved. Photocopying, Internet forwarding, faxing or reproducing in any form, in whole or in part, is a viola- proposal by Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) that would cap soft tion of federal law and is strictly prohibited without money donations at $60,000, raise the ceiling on hard consent of the publisher. money and force greater Continued on page 2 “I believe Chris Chocola’s political future will Ticker: Chocola eyes ‘02 plans p. 2 be a very bright one. The only way he won’t Bob Lang: McCain & GOP p. 2 be in the district is if partisan politics plays a IPSA Roundtable: Howey, Feigenbaum, role ....” - Nicholas Tyszka, previewing 2000 3rd Hadley, Cranor weigh in p. 3-10 Columnists: Rothenberg, McIntyre p. 11 CD nominee Chris Chocola’s Thursday announce- Covering the golden age of Hoosier politics ment. Thursday, March 29, 2001 Page 2 of 11 CHOCOLA EYES ‘02: Chris Chocola, the Republican 3rd CD 2000 nominee, will make an official announce- ment about the 2002 elec- tion at a press conference on Thursday morning. “I’m very excited about Chris’s decision,” said spokesman Nichola Tyszka. “I believe Chris Chocola’s political future will be a very bright one.” Asked whether Chocola would still run in the 3rd even if the maps didn’t include his Bristol Rep. Tim Roemer (D-3rd CD) home, Tyszka said, “The from page 1 only way he won’t be in the Reform, wants to make the road through the House district is if partisan politics disclosure on issue ads but not restrict as smooth as possible. He is leading a plays a role.” Meanwhile, them was defeated in the Senate on group of 10 House centrists that is urging Elkhart Mayor Dave Miller Tuesday. (Republican Sen. Richard Lugar House leaders to schedule a debate soon told WNDU-TV that he takes and Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, an origi- after the Senate completes its action, per- the idea of breaking up the nal McCain-Feingold cosponsor, both haps before Memorial Day. He acknowl- 3rd CD “personally” voted against the Hagel measure.) Num- edges that the House-Senate conference because Elkhart and South could be volatile. Bend are like “family.” erous amendments have been approved. Added Mishawaka Mayor Among them, one that would raise the "The conference could kill it, if it's Bob Beutter, “Historically contribution limit for a candidate facing a not done right," said Roemer. "Therefore, these two communities are self-financed opponent (Lugar for, Bayh if we could take up the Senate-passed bill, united. In fact, those of you against) and another that would ban issue that would expedite the process through who heard me spin the leg- ads from special interest groups 60 days the House and make it less complicated." end of Princess Mishawaka, before an election (Lugar and Bayh A Senate Republican aide said: know one thing I always say against). "There are few bills where the conference - her father is Chief Elk- Key votes remain on increasing will matter so much as this one." hart” (WNDU-TV). State Rep. Ed Mahern said the new hard money donation limits and on mak- The House passed campaign Congressional maps should ing McCain-Feingold severable. If it is finance legislation in 1998 and 1999 that be ready by April 8 or 9. severable, one part of the bill can be would ban soft money. but it is not identi- declared unconstitutional while other pro- cal to McCain-Feingold. The Republican 14,000 HOOSIER FAMILIES visions remain in place. If it is chairman of the House Administration USE UP WELFARE: The nonseverable, the whole bill is unconstitu- Committee is quoted in the March 24 Washington Post’s Charles tional if one part is voided by the Congressional Quarterly as saying that his Babington speculates that a Supreme Court. panel would send a bill to the full House bad economy and higher "We're not sure what McCain- in the summer. unemployment may test the Feingold will be in the end," said Andy welfare reforms of the Although he's retiring at the end of 1990s. “If the current eco- Fisher, Lugar's spokesman. "There are this term, Roemer is passionate about nomic slowdown continues many twists and turns in the road." changing fundraising rules. "We need Continued on page 3 continued on page 11 Page 3 of 11 Thursday, March 29, 2001 Indiana politics as the decade begins Howey, Feigenbaum, Cranor, Hadley weigh in at Wabash CRAWFORDSVILLE - The Gregg. I also saw several polls in Septem- Indiana Political Science Association con- ber and October that showed Al Gore only ducted its annual meeting at Wabash 5 to 8 percent behind George W. Bush. Al and drives unemployment College on March 23. HPR Publisher Gore is an opponent of the internal com- up, many thousands of low- Brian A. Howey participated in a panel - bustion engine and coal and if you do that income Americans could fall Indiana Politics as the New Decade in Indiana, you're really not anywhere if back into a federal welfare Begins - along with Prof. David Hadley you're a political figure. But there he was system that now cuts off individuals after five years, of Wabash College, Prof. John Cranor of with about 42 percent and I wondered, and limits payments to geez, what if Bill Bradley had been the Ball State University, and Ed Feigenbaum, states no matter how many publisher of Indiana Legislative Insight. nominee, a basketball star, a moderate. So poor residents they have. Prof. Jim McDowell of Indiana State that led me to pose the question, is Indiana, for example, allows University moderated. Indiana becoming a Democratic state? a person a lifetime total of As an HPR Special Report, here are Gov. O'Bannon pasted David McIntosh 24 months on welfare.” The the highlights of that discussion: with a 14-percent victory, and the stage curtain began falling in July seemed to be set. This past week in HPR, 1997, and thus far 14,300 families have hit the cutoff, Brian Howey: An Overview I retreated from that assessment. Two things led me to reassess. One of them is said James Hmurovich, I went out on a limb last fall as we Gov. O'Bannon, who took this 15-percent director of Indiana's Divis- ion of Family and Children. were heading into an Election Day and as mandate, and until we watched the unraveling of David Of those, 495 requested this morning the extensions – which the 1996 McIntosh. He was supposed to be the Special most conspicuous Republican version of Evan Bayh and did- legislation permits a state to thing he's done in grant to as many as 20 per- n't quite come up to muster. In our Sept. Report 2001 is to tell folks cent of its recipients. 28 edition of HPR, I began speculating he wants a new Hmurovich said he has whether Indiana was indeed a Republican house. His legisla- approved 129 extensions. state anymore. Obviously we're always tive program isn't in the greatest shape. the first red state that comes on the He won the governor's race in 1996 say- O’BANNON PRESSES FOR Electoral College map for Republican ing he wanted to restructure the tax code. UTILITY ACCOUNTABILITY: Gov. O’Bannon urged the presidentially, but we're also looking at 16 We have what I call the ticking time bomb years of Democratic dominance in the public to help him convince of Indiana public policy - property tax lawmakers in the State governor's office, Democrats control the reassessment.