Inspired by his grandmother, Luke Messer grows into politics
“When I was a young kid, I was always sort of fascinated because my grandmother was so involved. But I wasn’t somebody who knew I’d run for office or anything like that … .” —Luke Messer
Government & Economic Development
Articles
Todd Rokita has faced other tough Republican battles but has repeatedly come out on top
“The politics stuff has never been what’s driven me. It’s always the policy. … It’s not that you’re in office that makes you elite. It’s how you behave in office and what your record is.” —Todd Rokita
Mike Braun emphasizes business acumen, experience running company in Jasper
“With my private-sector experience and a fruitful three years in the Statehouse, I’ve learned so much and know how it works in the real world.” —Mike Braun
GOP rivals scramble to stand out in Senate primary race
Republican U.S. Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita and former Republican state lawmaker Mike Braun are fighting to run against Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly in the fall.
Huge surpluses have dried up for downtown tax increment financing district
Tens of millions in spending, along with unforeseen events, have drained the TIF’s unrestricted cash balance—money left to fund extra projects after covering debt and reserves.
Zuckerberg says regulation of social media inevitable
After two days of congressional testimony, what seemed clear was how little Congress seems to know about Facebook, much less what to do about it.
House Speaker Paul Ryan says he won’t seek re-election
The Wisconsin Republican cast the decision to end his 20-year career as a personal one, saying he did not want his children growing up with a “weekend dad.”
Facebook’s Zuckerberg fends off senators during five hours of questioning
Under fire Tuesday for the worst privacy debacle in his company’s history, CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized several times for Facebook failures and batted away often-aggressive questioning from lawmakers.
Trump signs executive order pushing work for welfare
The order focuses on finding ways to strengthen existing work requirements and exploring new requirements for benefits such as food stamps, cash and housing assistance programs.
Trade, tax cuts at center of Donnelly’s run in Trump country
Sen. Joe Donnelly is doggedly cultivating those who are agitated with Donald Trump as he seeks a second term in a state that the president won by 19 percentage points in 2016.
Council votes to prohibit new jail from being privatized
The Indianapolis City-County Council on Monday night approved an ordinance that restricts the city’s new jail and criminal justice center from being run by a private operator once it eventually opens.
Leaders of Trump’s Indiana campaign endorse Rokita
Members of Trump’s team from 2016 are backing Rokita in Indiana’s GOP Senate primary, claiming fellow Rep. Luke Messer and former state Rep. Mike Braun didn’t do enough to support Trump.
China vows to ‘counterattack’ U.S. as trade spat worsens
Now in a tit-for-tat fight with the United States, the global superpower vowed Friday to retaliate if President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to apply tariffs to an additional $100 billion worth of Chinese goods.
Cities, projects seeking special alcohol permits likely must wait until next year
Legislation that would have granted additional alcohol permits to a handful of municipalities and the developer of a big downtown project were sidetracked in the General Assembly.
March report shows modest job growth, rise in wages
U.S. employers added 103,000 jobs in March after several months of bigger gains, though the government’s overall jobs report suggests the labor market remains healthy.
Trump proposes new tariffs on $100B in Chinese goods
President Trump’s surprise move came a day after Beijing announced plans to tax $50 billion in American products, including soybeans and small aircraft, in response to a U.S. move this week to slap tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports.
MC Hammer joining governor to unveil prison coding program
Gov. Eric Holcomb is set to launch a program that teaches inmates at the Indiana Women's Prison how to code. And you can't touch his guest list.
How well does Indy rate on Amazon’s scorecard for HQ2?
Using the criteria the internet giant set for its secondary headquarters, IBJ did some digging and reached some conclusions on the city’s fitness for the $5 billion project.
Maverick state senator facing threat in primary
Republican State Sen. Mike Delph, in office since 2005, is facing his first-ever primary challenger—former Carmel Redevelopment Commission Executive Director Corrie Meyer.
Ballpark keeps upgrading experience for fans
Suite holders at Victory Field this season will be treated to a major renovation of the private rooms as part of an ongoing $6 million upgrade to the aging ballpark.