SMITH: Indiana’s part in the Supreme Court dance
Now comes the first truly titanic fight of the new Trump/Pence administration: Indiana will be at the center of this battle to confirm a new U.S. Supreme Court justice.
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Articles
LEPPERT: Hiding behind a wall never works
I have found through researching the famous walls of history that they all have one thing in common: Their intended purpose and usefulness are uniformly temporary.
SHABAZZ: Indiana black Democrats right to demand diversity
Since 2004, Indiana Democrats have had only one African-American running on the statewide ticket. It was Vop Osili, who ran for secretary of state in 2010.
SCHNEIDER: A bipartisan recipe for failed government
I’d urge Republicans to remember that with incredible power comes incredible responsibility. Now, more than in split government, those in power must pay attention to not just those who voted for them but also those who didn’t.
SHELLA: Good journalism needed now more than ever
As a political reporter, I am often asked to speak about how the media works to groups that include the Lugar Series, the Agricultural Leadership Institute, freshman lawmakers, General Assembly staff and others. I tell them most reporters are biased only in favor of a good story.
IRELAND: Universities overstep bounds on executive order
I have grown accustomed to being a political minority in the classroom—studying journalism and public affairs only furthers this reality. In many ways, this has benefited my education; but, as I enter my final semester, I am concerned by our academic leaders’ foray into politics.
RITZ: State must be equitable in students access to technology
For about $17 million over the biennium, the state could begin to make sure all schools are at connectivity levels that would allow them to seriously address equity in technology access for our children’s learning.
HALE: People are getting involved—and that’s good
Regardless of what you think about the new Trump administration, you are likely to feel passionate about it.
BEHNING: Pre-K pilot programs should be expanded responsibly
Right now, Indiana is not ready to provide universal, statewide pre-K.
GOODIN: Early education too important to limit its reach
At a time when everything indicates more should be done to spread state-funded pre-K statewide, the tendency of many legislative leaders is to dawdle
WOLLEY: Embracing the ‘beloved community’ in the Trump era
After an acrimonious election cycle where large swaths of the voting public were attacked because of their religion, ethnicity, gender or impairments—or were characterized as “deplorables”—I believe there is an appetite for something different in our civic discourse.
SMITH: African-American’s win in AG race is sign of progress
Curtis Hill, running statewide for the first time and as a Republican no less, secured more votes than any candidate in Indiana’s 200-year history.
SHELLA: Media background doesn’t make politicians media-friendly
There is no need to feel sorry for the media. Reporters and editors signed up for this treatment, and if they don’t have thick skin, they should get some. But we all benefit from true journalism and it should be encouraged.
Machines keep getting smarter, but they don’t have hearts
Software has started writing poetry, sports stories and business news. IBM’s Watson is co-writing pop hits. Uber has begun deploying self-driving taxis on real city streets and, last month, Amazon delivered its first package by drone to a customer in rural England. Add it up and you quickly realize that Donald Trump’s election isn’t the […]
Dems may be poised to make party even more extreme
As we enter 2017, the Democratic Party has good reason to be concerned. In Washington, Republicans now control the White House and both houses of Congress. Thirty-three governors are Republicans, and Republicans control both houses of state legislatures in 32 states whereas Democrats control both chambers in just five. Because I am a conservative, I […]
As Trump inauguration nears, anxiety reigns
The capital has never been more anxious about its own government. The town is suffering pre-traumatic stress disorder. Donald Trump is really going to be president. Finally, there is bipartisan consensus: It’s time to flip out. No one knows what is going to happen, but they know it will be utter chaos and that the […]
SHEPARD: A good year for Indiana’s future
It’s a human habit, of course, to use birthdays and anniversaries for simple celebration. And the commemoration of our statehood included events that served largely as parties. Having parties seemed altogether right for the occasion of an anniversary like 200.
DANIELS: Keeping arrestee DNA on file would solve crimes
We are thus losing the opportunity to identify repeat offenders before additional people are victimized; and we are losing the benefit of arrestee DNA analysis to exonerate the innocent.
SITES: DNA profile should be destroyed without conviction
It is a bedrock principle of our criminal justice system that those arrested for or even charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
MEREDITH: Mandatory kindergarten, pre-K are no-brainers
Offering universal pre-K goes hand-in-hand with full-day, mandatory kindergarten. The results of a paired pre-K and half-day kindergarten program include “higher reading skills by the third grade than those who attend full-day kindergarten alone,” according to a study by the Center for Public Education.