WE’RE DEAD LAST: Study calls Indiana’s campaign finance laws the weakest in the nation
When it comes to transparency and the regulation of contributions to political campaigns, Indiana ranks last in the nation, according to a first-ever analysis by the nonpartisan Coalition for Integrity. The nonprofit group based in Washington, D.C. ranked states based on 10 crite “...”
Sheila Kennedy commentary: A down-ballot threat
A recent article from Time Magazine highlighted yet another threat to American democracy–and this particular threat is especially worrisome, because it involves political contests that voters rarely focus on. In our highly polarized era, most voters no longer split their tick “...”
ANALYSIS: Without redistricting reform, democracy will continue to erode like a Lake Michigan beach
This analysis by Julia Vaughn, executive director of Common Cause Indiana, was originally published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle and is republished according to Indiana Capital Chronicle republishing guidelines. My family is fortunate to have a cottage in Northwest Indiana “...”
ELECTION UPDATE: Democrats, Republicans add 18 legislative candidates to Nov. 8 ballot, reducing the number of uncontested seats
At Tuesday’s noon deadline, Indiana Democratic and Republican party officials had added 18 legislative candidates to the Nov. 8 ballot, reducing the number of uncontested seats this year in the Indiana General Assembly. Party officials had the option of adding candidates in “...”
FROM THE INDIANA CITIZEN: Trying to improve turnout in Indiana’s partisan primary elections misses the point
The following analysis was written by Bill Moreau, president of the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation and publisher of its online platform, The Indiana Citizen. If you voted in the May 3rd Indiana primary elections, you participated in a taxpayer-funded process that underwrite “...”
FROM CHALKBEAT INDIANA: What should middle schoolers learn about history? Indiana debates civics standards
This report by Aleksandra Appleton of Chalkbeat Indiana was originally published by Chalkbeat and is republished according to Chalkbeat republishing guidelines. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters May 12, 5:48pm EDT What Indiana does and does not teach about gove “...”
PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS: Few upsets among incumbent success stories in redrawn legislative, congressional districts
The dedicated voters who turned out to vote in Tuesday’s primary — the first since the 2021 redistricting led by the Indiana General Assembly’s Republican supermajorities — sent the message that previous experience in a public office is not necessarily an adva “...”
REDISTRICTING IN 2022: In a lopsided and bipartisan vote, City-County Council approves its new maps
The following report from Indianapolis Recorder writer Tyler Fenwick was first published in the Recorder, and is shared through The Indiana Citizen redistricting reporting project. The Indianapolis City-County Council voted to approve new local voting districts May 2, bringing an “...”
A NEW VOICE FOR REFORM: In northern Indiana city of Goshen, mayor’s call leads to independent redistricting commission
Goshen has joined the very short list of Indiana cities that are turning to citizen commissions to take at least some of the politics out of redistricting. The northern Indiana city of 35,000 will establish a commission to redraw its five city council election districts in respon “...”
Sheila Kennedy commentary: Diagnosing democracy’s illness
A few days ago, I was in a small meeting devoted to civic education. Attendees included some very smart, very savvy individuals, all of whom were veterans of the longstanding effort to increase civic knowledge and civic literacy. But when the individual who had convened this part “...”