This can’t be good. I’m getting word this evening from my sources at the Statehouse that the real reason Indiana lawmakers can’t get anything done is because House Democrats don’t have a majority to pass anything, instead they only have 50 votes,  and you need 51. State Rep. Dennie Oxley, Sr. has been out with […]

The Indiana House has adjourned until tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.  There had been some talk lawmakers were close to reaching a deal on unemployment. I hear they are still close, but no cigar just yet. We spoke with State Rep.  David Niezgodski shortly after the House adjourned.  His comments are below. Niezgodski

I’ll be filing these throughout the day.  Here’s what I know so far.  A number of lawmakers say things are still “close” as far as working out their final hang ups on unemployment insurance and whether reclassifying independent contractors as full-time employees will be part of the deal. As on lawmaker put it to me, […]

It’s pretty common knowledge that Terry Burns of the Indianapolis Times doesn’t sneeze without his Democratic County party’s permission, so I was little surprised when he labeled the Mayor’s proposal to transfer the water a a backroom deal. First, how can something be a backroom deal when most of the information has been on the […]

As much as I like the Speaker of the House Pat Bauer, I would not want to be him right now.   Let’s face it, it’s been a tough year. There’s a national trend that doesn’t favor Democrats in the next election.  Evan Bayh won’t be on the ticket.  House Republicans are running everybody and […]

House and Senate Republican leaders emerged from the Governor’s Office saying there is no reason to separate education funding from unemployment insurance as lawmakers look to end this session. Senate Pro Tempore David Long says both the unemployment bill and education bill are about jobs.  He says Governor agrees with their position and lawmakers could […]

Indiana House Speaker Pat Bauer says education funding should be a separate issue from unemployment insurance and he’s asking Governor Mitch Daniels to get that message to his fellow Republicans. Although lawmakers seem to agree on most of a plan to give schools more flexibility to solve their budget shortfalls and all parties seem to […]

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard this hour is announcing a nearly $2 billion partnership deal with Citizens Gas over the city’s water and sewer treatment facilities which he says will generate more than $400 million for infrastructure improvements. If all goes according to plan, Citizens Gas would assume operational control of the city’s water and wastewater […]

My Marion County Democratic friends had a news conference today calling on Republicans to join them on township government reform.   I’m a little hurt they didn’t send me any notice (although I hear Ed Treacy is afraid to answer any of my questions) because they would have discovered I actually agree with them. State Representative […]

Editor’s note: The following blog post is based on a number of interviews involving multiple sources, some of which were questioned by the FBI, over the past five weeks involving the case of former IMPD officer and City-County Councilor Lincoln Plowman.  In exchange for the information, I promised not to identify any individual I spoke with.  However, […]