In South Bend, a debate over racial gerrymandering and hiring of outside consultants in local redistricting
UPDATE: After an hourlong debate, the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday officially approved a redrawing of the districts from which the board’s three members will be elected for the next decade. The 2-1 vote reflected division within the all-Republican boa “...”
Indiana Chamber of Commerce announces priorities for 2022 legislative session
Under bright chandeliers at the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce met to present its key legislative issues for the 2022 session. The new session will be introduced Tuesday with legislative previews in both the House and Senate. The Indiana Chamber of “...”
John Krull commentary: Gerrymandering and the race to the bottom
They steal that which does not belong to them. And then politicians wonder why people do not trust them. What politicians crave most is power. They will do anything to hold it, to exert it, to wield it like a whip. That is why most politicians—Republican and Democrat—are so o “...”
Lee Hamilton commentary: The documents on which our democracy rests
As Americans, we tend—understandably—to focus on the Constitution as the source for our representative democracy. It is, after all, our basic operating document, the blueprint for the system we’ve been shepherding for the last 234 years. But the Constitution did not arise o “...”
Shabazz awaits response from AG Rokita, SPJ demands an apology
The Indiana Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is demanding an apology from Attorney General Todd Rokita (above) to journalist Abdul-Hakim Shabazz after excluding him from a news conference. Shabazz was denied access to Rokita’s press conference on robocalls “...”
John Krull commentary: Marie Antoinette for Indiana Attorney General
Long ago, perhaps the best teacher I ever had delivered a lesson. He taught through a form of the Socratic, which meant that he posed questions to his students. When we answered, he would challenge us, pushing us to defend our positions and our thoughts. Some students didn’t li “...”
‘Maskless clerk’ lines up State Senate run in new West Lafayette-based district
The following report from contributing writer Dave Bangert was first published in his Substack newsletter, Based in Lafayette, Indiana. Fountain County Clerk Paula Copenhaver made a statewide name for herself during the 2020 elections when she declined to wear a mask at earl “...”
Rokita press conference dispute raises questions about journalist access
Political commentator Abdul-Hakim Shabazz (above) says he was turned away from a press conference held by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita on Thursday. Shabazz, editor and publisher of Indy Politics and an attorney, received an invitation to the press conference on robocall “...”
Governor mum on whether he will appeal challenge to executive power
Gov. Eric Holcomb still isn’t saying whether he will appeal the Oct. 7 ruling by a Marion County judge that the General Assembly can call itself into session—a power he said belongs to the governor alone. During the 2021 session, Indiana legislators passed HB 1123 in respo “...”
John Krull commentary: The mess made by gerrymandering
Not long after Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Indiana’s new and heavily gerrymandered redistricting bill into law, he received a reminder of why such measures aren’t such a good idea. A Marion County judge upheld a law passed by the Indiana General Assembly that challenges “...”