It is customary at the end of the legislative session to do a postmortem  and talk about how lawmakers did, or in some cases, didn’t do.  So as I join the list of political prognosticators, allow me to offer my opinion.  In this case, everyone won big, ironically by losing a little.  Let’s walk down […]

When it comes to SB 621, Marion County Sheriff John Layton may have saved his own skin by cutting a deal with Republicans at the expense of his fellow Marion County Democrats. You can get that, and more in the latest daily installment of my political gossip column, the Cheat Sheet.  Here’s what else you’ll […]

Indy connect now open letter to members of the indiana general assembly from Abdul-Hakim Shabazz

Although a lot of the focus in Senate Bill 621, the Marion County Government/Power Grab reform bill, has been on whether to eliminate the at-large City-County Council seats, the legislation includes much more substantive, far-reaching provisions that are, in my opinion, far more important than whether four politicians keep their part-time jobs. Part of SB […]

Be sure to tune in on-line Monday, April 22 at 9 p.m. (EDT) on the Indiana Talks Radio Network as Indy Democrat blogger Jon Easter and I debate the merits of SB 621. the Marion County Government reorganization bill. Easter calls it a power grab by Mayor Greg Ballard.  I call it common sense.  Who’s […]

The Public Safety Director for the city of Indianapolis says that it does make a difference whether Monday’s explosions at the Boston Marathon were the results of domestic or foreign terrorism. So far, three people were killed and nearly 200 injured in two explosions at the Boston Marathon.  Federal authorities are investigating. Troy Riggs explains  […]

Last week, U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly demonstrated a concept I have come to label as “enlightened self-interest.” That means you do the right thing not only because it is the right thing to do, but you also get a benefit out of it. In Donnelly’s case it was coming out (pardon the pun) in favor […]

As someone who writes frequently about events over at the Indiana General Assembly, it is not uncommon to be in a situation where you have multiple events taking place at the same time and you are running back and forth between the two.  I found myself in that situation recently while trying to keep tabs […]