Banner Graphic, Volume 18, Number 99, Greencastle, Putnam County, 4 January 1988 — Page 3
Legislators begin short session with mixed agendas
: By DOUG RICHARDSON Associated Press Writer ; INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - ndiana legislators returned to the Statehouse today reflecting on the proper role of the biennial short session of the General Assembly and looking ahead to the November election. ; The 150 citizen-lawmakers will have 29 working days to transact the state’s business after using one of their 30-day allotment to organize in November. By law, the session must conclude by March 15, but legislative leaders predict this year’s session probably will end by the third week in February. COMING BETWEEN a productive four-month 1987 session and a 1988 election in which 125 legislative seats will be up, the second regular session of the 105th General Assembly likely will address the major issues and leave smaller matters alone until 1989, legislative leaders predict. “Without question, it is again time to return to the original intent of short sessions,” House Speaker Paul S. Mannweiler, R-In-dianapolis, said in an organization day speech. “It is time we live Within our own rules to deal with critical legislation and critical legislation only.” Senate President Pro Tern Robert D. Garton, R-Columbus, agreed
Hoosier politics could get dirty as both parties have much to lose
By DOUG RICHARDSON Associated Press Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Power, jobs and prestige will be on the line this year as the Indiana Republican Party tries to defend its bounty of offices against a Democratic Party buoyed by successes in 1986. Both party chairman express confidence entering 1988, a political year in which Hoosiers will elect a new governor, U.S. senates-, 10 congressmen, 125 legislators and scores of other local officials. “EVERY FOUR years is a big one, but this is the first time since 1980 that we’ll elect a new governor,” said state GOP Chairman Gordon K. Dumil. “We don’t want to lose, but that’s not the prime reason for wanting to win,” he said. “You want to win so you have a chance to put your philosophy to work and govern.” State Democratic Chairman John B. Livengood believes “the state is ripe for a change” after 20 years of Republican rule. Heartened by the victory of Secretary of State B. Evan Bayh and the gain of one congressional seat in 1986, Democrats “have gained some momentum and that’s important because it gives the troops the belief that we can win.” DURNIL SAID Democratic gains in 1986 were an aberration that won’t be duplicated in 3 presidential and gubernatorial election year. However, this year is different from most presidential years because it is the first since 1968 when neither an incumbent president nor governor will be on the
Seven Hoosiers die in holiday fatalities
By The Associated Press Two Bloomington teens were killed and two others injured in a onecar accident on the westside of Bloomington, bringing the state’s holiday traffic toll to at least seven. Safety officials had predicted that five people would die on Indiana roads over the 102-hour New Year’s weekend, which began 6 p.m. Wednesday and ended at midnight Sunday. Dead in the Bloomington accident were the driver, Jeff Dixon, 18, of Bloomington, and a passenger, Mark Doan, 15, of Bloomington. Warren Hedges, 16, of Bloomington was taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis after the Sunday afternoon accident. The hospital did not have a condition report on him today. Another passenger, Scott Porter of Bloomington, was treated at a Bloomington hospital and released. Police say seat belts could have prevented a fatality, but no one was wearing them. Elsewhere, two Ball State University students returning to campus after the holidays died Sunday when the car they were riding in collided nearly head-on
recently that the session should be “administrative in nature, things of a routine matter not a bombastic session.” Democratic leaders predict the 1988 Legislature will have a “full, hard-working session,” in the words of Senate Minority Leader Frank L. O’Bannon. House Minority Leader Michael K. Phillips, D-Boonville, said, “This should be a do-something session instead of a do-nothing session as I hear people talking about. “IF IT’S A do-nothing session, then they should just cancel it and send us home,” he said. “But that’s not what they elected us for. We ought not to be deterred just because it’s in an even-numbered year, instead of an odd-numbered year.” Mannweiler, whose November speech rekindled debate about a short session’s purpose, said he believes major items such as the state’s two-year $15.8 billion budget and a $631 million package of education reforms and tax increases were taken care of already. Now, it is time to concentrate on issues that cannot wait until next year, he said. “I was not saying we do nothing,” said Mannweiler. “It was a call to do those things that have to be done, but not things like creating the buffalo as the state animal.” HE NOTED that enacting emer-
Hoosier ballot Republicans begin the new year trying to improve on a record of success unequaled in Hoosier politics. The GOP has controlled the governor’s office for 20 years, the longest streak in history, and this year tries to elect Lt. Gov. John M. Mutz to become the first party in state history to have five consecutive elected governors. Republicans also try this year to extend their control of both U.S. Senate seats by re-electing Sen. Richard G. Lugar, R-Ind., and of the General Assembly, where the GOP has controlled both chambers since 1979. That legacy of Republican rule, which carries with it control of more than 9,000 patronage jobs in the state, will be a primary campaign issue, political leaders predict. “WHEN THE ‘in’ party has been in power for two decades, there are a lot of problems that they have to answer for,” said Livengood. “You put that and other factors together and it adds up to a good Democratic year.” Dumil said Republicans will gladly accept the responsibility for where the state is headed. “You counter them by saying, ‘We accept. Blame us,’ ” he said. “You know, the polls show the two most important issues are jobs and education, and 66 percent of the people believe Republicans handle those issues the best.” Both political leaders believe the economy will influence the election results, but Livengood and Dumil disgree on how voters feel about economic issues.
with a pickup truck, authorities said. The victims were identified as Jonathon C. Grose, 21, of Richmond, and Sharyl L. Wilson, 19, of Clarks Hill in Tippecanoe Countv. Bainter was being treated at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie on Sunday night. IN OTHER accidents, Andy Tiskor Jr., 22, of Goshen, died about 3:30 a.m. Sunday after he lost control of his car on a curve on a city street, Goshen police said. The vehicle struck a bridge abutment, went airborne and landed on its top in a creek. Also, Eric Leonard, 5, of Walkerton, died Saturday night when he was struck by a car as he walked along a Starke County road. The accident happened about 6:30 p.m. Roberta Wollen of Elkhart died Thursday night when her car went off an Elkhart County road and overturned, police said. The accident occurred about 8:15 p.m. Three people died during a 54hour New Year’s holiday period last year and 12 died on Indiana roads in 1984 during the last 102hour New Year’s holiday period. Indiana recorded 1,031 traffic fatalities in 1987 as of last Monday.
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PAUL MANNWEILER Critical issues only gency legislation was considered the proper role for a short session when the General Assembly adopted its current long and short session rotation in the early 19705. This is the ninth short session since a constitutional amendment permitting annual legislative sessions was approved in 1970. The first 30-day session was held in 1972. While legislative leaders disagree on adjectives to describe the 1988 session, the lawmakers generally agree on the short list of top priorities that must be addressed.
“Unless it bottoms out, and there’s high unemployment and interest rates, I don’t think people will get too upset,” said Dumil. LIVENGOOD contends that recent stock market turmoil, federal budget deficits and the decline of the dollar against foreign currencies create “a lot of uncertainty, and when there is uncertainty in voters’ minds, they tend to vote Democratic.” Dumil believes having either Vice President George Bush or Senate Republican leader Robert Dole as the likely presidential candidate also helps the GOP. Livengood acknowledges there is no clear Democratic favorite for the nomination now and may not be after Indiana’s May 3 presidential preference primary. But he said recent races such as 1984, when President Reagan overwhelmingly carried Indiana while Republican Gov. Robert D. Orr won a close race against state Sen. Wayne Townsend, show that the presidential coattail is less powerful than it used to be. Another factor in the state races will be the turnout in the November 1988 referendum on legalizing a state lottery. LIVENGOOD said the lottery vote will bring out voters who don’t normally go to the polls. “It puts more uncertainty in the process because it brings people to the polls who are less predictable,” he said. The governor’s race between Mutz and one of three Democrats likely will be the hardest fought
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ROBERT GARTON A routine session Both House and Senate leaders said legislation likely to get serious consideration would curb the spread of AIDS, increase workers compensation benefits, improve highway funding, replace the SSO truck decal that could soon be ruled unconstitutional and regulate implementation of local measured telephone service. Mannweiler, Phillips and other leaders said they will also seriously consider Republican Gov. Robert D. Orr’s proposal to create new Hoosier jobs by exporting more products overseas.
contest in 1988, both political leaders agree. Livengood said some Democrats still hope an accord can be reached to avoid a hotly contested primary among Bayh, Senate Minority Leader Frank L. O’Bannon, DCorydon, and former Kokomo Mayor Stephen J. Daily. A competitive primary won’t necessarily be divisive but it could cost the eventual nominee money that could have been saved for the fall, Livengood said. BOTH CHAIRMEN expect the Bayh campaign to be accompanied by a dispute about the candidate’s residency. Dumil said Republicans will argue that Bayh doesn’t meet the five-year residency requirement for a governor. Livengood, confident Bayh meets the residency requirement, said a GOP challenge on the issue will “make them look petty, scared and desperate.” Both party leaders also predict negative campaigning could be used in 1988. Dumil promised to respond in kind to any Democratic advertisement he considers negative. Livengood said the campaign will be “very hard-hitting.” “When you’ve got as much on the line as they do, you really come out swinging,” he said. Dumil replied that an all-out effort is a sign of good politics, not desperation. “You never know what you’ll be faced with, so you just raise a lot of money, get your phone banks working and try your hardest,” he said.
DEMOCRATS SUCH as Phillips and O’Bannon would also favor discussion of education issues such as a more generous state textbook reimbursement program and a plan to cut the share of the total operating cost of state-suppor-ted colleges that students bear through tuition payments. Orr, serving his last year in office, has declared off limits to lawmakers other education issues such as the five-day addition to the school year approved in 1987 and measures to increase the accountability of schools. Mannweiler agrees, arguing that the 1987 education reform package should be given a chance to work before lawmakers try to rewrite it. Throughout the session, the politics of the approaching election will likely be on everyone’s mind, lawmakers said. FOR EXAMPLE, legislators understand that raising gasoline taxes would be the simplest way to raise more money for state highways, but doing that will be difficult in an election year, acknowledged House Speaker Pro Tern Jeffrey K. Espich, R-Uniondale, an advocate of greater highway funding. In the House, all 52 Republican and 48 Democratic seats will be up for grabs in 1988. In the Senate, 25 of the 50 seats will be contested,
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among them 18 of the 30 held by the GOP majority. In addition, two candidates for governor O’Bannon and Republican Lt. Gov. John M. Mutz, who presides over the Senate will be daily participants in the legislative session. Democratic Secretary of State B. Evan Bayh, also a gubernatorial candidate, has an office just downstairs from the lawmakers’ third-floor quarters. Former Kokomo Mayor Stephen J. Daily, the third Democratic candidate, has become a frequent visitor to the Statehouse in recent months. “THE UPCOMING session is going to be pretty political,” said Senate Finance Chairman Lawrence M. Borst, R-In-dianapolis, a 21-year legislative veteran. “You’ve got two candidates for governor who are in the Legislature and another one who is close to it, and they’ll all have their advocates,” Borst said recently. “They’ll put in their bills and make their speeches, but they know what is going to happen,” he said, predicting that many of the candidates' suggestions won’t go far. “I hope they plan to run on the records they already have.”
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