MASSON: The Crossroads of America is getting bumpy
Indiana celebrates being a place others merely pass through, declaring ourselves the Crossroads of America. But those roads are getting a little bumpy.
Forefront
Articles
TREACY: Hogsett should keep singing to Democratic choir
Sometimes candidates are told they don’t need to talk to the base.
JOHN: Brewer should pitch himself as Ballard 2.0
When it comes to their own parties, the message to voters for each of these candidates is pretty simple.
KELLEMS: Think tanks, information strategies pick up clout in Indiana Legislature
he question can be viewed several ways. One approach is simply ranking industry groups and associations—by appraising perceived wins and losses. A second is to assess the role of the individual lobbyist representing them to legislators and the governor’s office. Then consider which characteristics and qualifications are common among those who wield influence successfully on behalf of clients. And how important is party affiliation of both the individuals and institutions involved?
HADLEY: Business, social issues prevail under Republicans in Indiana Legislature
Having observed the Legislature for 45 years, I have to say, it depends! It depends on when you ask the question. It depends on which party controls the House, Senate and Governor’s Office. And, increasingly, it depends on the issues confronting the state in a given session.
SOWELL: Kangaroo courts are latest threat to liberty on campus
There seems to be a full-court press to get colleges to “do something” about rape on campus.
DOWD: A nibble on a candy bar, and a Rocky Mountain high
The caramel-chocolate flavored candy bar looked so innocent, like the Sky Bars I used to love as a child.
SIDDIQUI: Democrats in Washington should approve HIP 2.0
The Healthy Indiana Plan is a good move for Indiana and our country. It allows us to provide access to health care to the uninsured poor in a way that instills responsibility, limits abuse and furthers innovation.
DANIELS: To compete, Indianapolis must be aggressive
Want more police officers? Want those winter-battered streets repaired? Want more sidewalks and street lights? Better parks and green spaces?
VANE: Ballard counters anemic national economy with growth
It is always disheartening to read about the national economy’s not growing, but rather contracting, in the last quarter and that hundreds of thousands of people simply have quit looking for work.
MACALLISER: Ballard has characteristics that transcend politics
I go back to that happy time when elections (and campaigns) occurred on a fixed, periodic schedule versus campaigning incessantly every day, of every month, of every year. Although our municipal election is 18 months off, the political winds have been blowing for a full year—and we don’t even know who’s running for mayor.
FROEHLE: The economics of environment in Hoosier Nation
It seems that what is right for America must not be right for Hoosiers. At least, that is what our governor would have us believe.
CARPENTER: Pence is letting Indiana’s coal habit cloud our future
Protesting that you can’t meet power-plant-emissions reduction goals because you’re too coal-dependent is a bit like saying you can’t arrest liver damage because you’ve got this taste for liquor.
KRULL: EPA battle leaves Indiana stranded on the shore
So, Gov. Mike Pence wants to have a fight with the Environmental Protection Agency.
BECK: Democrats left big JJ dinner energized, unified
One of my favorite parts of serving former first lady Maggie Kernan involved county Jefferson-Jackson Day dinners. Call me crazy, but I enjoyed countless evenings at JJ dinners, whether it was fried chicken in Parke County or a standing-room-only crowd in Starke County.
BARLOW: Dems now importing candidates … bad ones
I am going to start with a confession: I am a conservative Republican, so it should be no surprise that I cracked up while reading tweets, Facebook posts and stories about the Indiana Democratic Party’s State Convention, or the “Big Dem Weekend.”
MAHERN: Has Legislature lost its ‘do the right thing’ members?
Forgive my nostalgia. I had a fairly serious health scare a little over a month ago and find myself quite involuntarily looking back.
VAUGHN: Admitting problem is first step to ethics reform
While I was disappointed the House Ethics Committee didn’t even slap Rep. Eric Turner’s wrist for his behavior surrounding the failed nursing home moratorium, I was surprised and pleased the committee report admitted that our Legislature’s ethics rules and statutes are too lax.
SHEPARD: Voting centers might not be a great idea, after all
Voter turnout in Indiana’s recent primary election was the lowest in 20 years, 35 percent below average. It’s time for a serious conversation about whether the growing use of voting centers is bad for turnout.
STYRING: Considering a weapon of last resort against the feds
Chances are you’d never heard of something called the “Mount Vernon Assembly” before reading this column.