Commentary
Paid family and medical leave needed for all Hoosiers
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee recently held its first full hearing on paid family and medical leave, an issue that has seen increased attention in recent years given that most Americans support paid family and medical leave. Additionally, 14 states (plus Washington, DC) have enacted comprehensive paid family leave legislation. Although similar bills have been introduced in Indiana, […]
Like an island, Indiana is surrounded, and it’s gonna cost us
With a few vital exceptions across America, the 2023 election was scheduled to deal with local government. Tip O’Neill famously coined the phrase, “all politics is local.” Oh, if the former Speaker of the House, who held the gavel for virtually all of the 1980’s, could see the America we are living in today. O’Neill’s […]
The obscurity of obscenity
When Justice Potter Stewart famously proclaimed, “I’ll know it when I see it” in regards to obscenity and pornography, the errant assumption was that such matters would be the social deviation rather than the norm. While he passed away long before the internet was invented and our own cultural mores shifted, Justice Stewart would be […]
Ballot initiatives coming to Indiana? No chance.
The biggest news from Tuesday night’s elections was Ohio’s passage of two ballot initiatives: one legalizing recreational cannabis and another enshrining a right to abortion access into the constitution. The moves makes Indiana an outlier among surrounding states on both topics. But even more interestingly, it appears to be prompting Indiana Democrats to grab onto […]
Tax task force can ensure Indiana competes through thriving Hoosiers
Revelations from the latest hearing of the Indiana General Assembly’s State & Local Tax Review Task Force showed that ideas floated by legislators to replace the state personal income tax could actually backfire and put a greater burden on the Hoosiers who already pay the largest share of their income in taxes. But national experts […]
This Veterans Day, everyone is a partner in veteran suicide prevention
Friday, November 11, is Veterans Day — a significant national holiday dedicated to honoring and showing appreciation for all military Veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Originally known as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of World War I on November 11, 1918, Veterans Day was established on June 1, 1954, and […]
Republican treasurers pander to Israel with retirees’ money
This one surprised even me. Indiana State Treasurer Daniel Elliott announced last week the state would purchase $35 million of additional Israel Bonds, a 55% increase of the $65 million Indiana already held. Not announcing the purchase would have been suspicious. A quiet announcement with no additional commentary would be equally so. Either of these […]
Balancing tax reforms and public investment in Indiana
It’s something of a paradox that over the summer, while debating the need for increased public investment in child care access, transportation infrastructure, public employee retirement benefits, and Medicaid reimbursement, legislators also considered proposals that could dramatically reduce the revenues needed to finance those priorities. Appointees to the State and Local Tax Review Task Force […]
Lack of child care is holding Indiana back but lawmakers can change the game
Many parents can’t afford child care. And, if they can, there aren’t enough slots. That’s because staff aren’t paid enough, and turnover is high. But if providers raise pay, then they must raise prices; more parents can’t afford child care. The chicken-and-egg predicament is real, and even worse in Indiana. The Economic Policy Institute ranks […]
Polls have value, even when they are wrong
An ABC News/Washington Post poll in September 2023 generated outrage among Democrats. The headline on the story, “Trump edges out Biden 51-42 in head-to-head matchup: POLL,” appeared designed to attract clicks rather than accurately portray where the race was on that day – or where it was headed. Below the headline, the news organizations’ analysis […]
Pence exits presidential race and confirms the end of conservatism
Las Vegas specializes in making money off of people who just can’t walk away. But on Saturday in Sin City, that’s exactly what former Vice President Mike Pence did. An ironic place for the most pious politician I’ve covered to announce what will likely be the end of his political career. It was a long […]
Vaping is hurting, not helping, Indiana’s fight to be nicotine-free
Hoosier adults smoke cigarettes in greater numbers and with more frequency than people in most other states, a cause for alarm because smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable disease and death. Indiana’s smoking rate isn’t a new development, though, as our state has ranked among the worst in the nation for most of the last decade. Those relative figures disguise some significant progress, […]