Commentary
Indiana Senate Republicans say no to parks and no to Hoosier quality of life
Indiana Senate Republicans’ disregard for our parks and for the benefits they bring to Hoosiers’ quality of life was on full display recently when they zeroed out Gov. Eric Holcomb’s requested investment of $25 million for the President Benjamin Harrison Land Trust. The Trust is how our state, through public funds, expands the amount of […]
Lawmakers should give a cold shoulder to this alcohol proposal
With so many tense and emotional topics moving at the Statehouse, I want to focus this week on something we can all agree on: Indiana’s alcohol laws are ridiculous, and lawmakers are about to double down on one of the worst ones. I am talking about selling cold alcohol — wine, beer, liquor. Indiana is […]
All Yeas and No Nays; Democrats and Republicans work together to protect students
If you watch politics right now, you are aware that finding something that Democrats and Republicans can agree on is nothing short of a miracle. When it comes to protecting Indiana students, a miracle is exactly what was needed. Indiana Republican Sen. Aaron Freeman from Beech Grove and House Democratic Rep. Carolyn Jackson from Hammond. […]
Chances remain to ‘Fly the W’ with wins for Hoosiers this session
With the 2023 session of the Indiana General Assembly coming down to its final days, we’ll soon see the annual roundups from the media and interest groups analyzing legislative outcomes. There are always some familiar themes, many sports-related, including comparing the session to a basketball game with legislative ‘misses’ and ‘makes’, or football ‘touchdowns’ and […]
If Democrats won’t confront the NRA, who will?
There is a primary election for mayor of Indianapolis in two weeks. To all of the candidates on the Democrat side, know this: I won’t vote for you now or ever again if you are willing to re-sign with the NRA for future conventions. Poll that question if you’d like. I’m confident Democrat voters are […]
If we had a nickel…
Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married. Ronald Reagan was inaugurated. Sandra Day O’Connor was appointed the first female judge on the Supreme Court. What do these events have in common? They all occurred in 1981…which is the last time the alcohol tax in Indiana was raised. As far as I can tell, the alcohol […]
The bar to ban books for being obscene and harmful is high — as it should be
When lawmakers recently heard an amendment to tackle allegedly harmful or obscene books, one member had a list of objectionable titles at his desk that he refused to read out publicly. He shared it with others, noting the legislature has to step in because the system isn’t working. But what does it mean to say […]
Session end nears; so much for an official state sandwich
As the end of the legislative session quickly approaches, we witness the final weeks of opportunity for bills to be passed and signed into law. Some failed to make the full journey, dying in committee if they were lucky enough to be assigned and heard. Others have been signed, sealed, and delivered as law or […]
Redefining the homestead
Changing the definition of a homestead could be the most substantive property tax relief for homeowners this session. In 1979, the General Assembly created a definition of homestead that has been interpreted in the same manner for over forty years. As originally enacted, the definition of homestead was interpreted as one house and a garage. […]
Can America’s legal system survive another week like last week?
Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over former President Donald Trump’s first criminal trial in New York, made a $15 campaign contribution to President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign on July 26, 2020. The inconsequential donation has opened the judge up to attacks of bias by those in the legal community. At least one former Manhattan […]
I tried to pay my taxes in cash – here’s what happened
About two-thirds of all U.S. residents who file federal income taxes typically get a refund. Unfortunately, this year I am among the other third who owe the Internal Revenue Service money. So I tried something I’ve never done before and few people do: I wanted to pay my tax bill in cash – that is, […]
Legislative process takes a beating near the end of session
You know it’s April when lawmakers start getting “creative” with legislation. But these maneuvers — while legal and frankly not rare — undermine the integrity of the process and citizen’s trust. They move language from one bill into another; create massive amendments with new concepts that haven’t been vetted; and insert completely unrelated language into […]