By Mary Beth Schneider
mary.beth.schneider@indystar.com
Hoping to build public support for government reforms that range from eliminating townships to consolidating library and small school districts, Gov. Mitch Daniels and former Gov. Joe Kernan will hold the first of several "meetups" in Kokomo on Tuesday.
The lobbying push by the two governors may be needed. The bills have come under fire in the Republican-controlled Senate, while the leadership of the Democrat-controlled House has yet to commit to even giving the bills a hearing, much less passing them.
Additional "meetups" will feature Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman and former Democrat Rep. Marilyn Schultz, who is now executive director of Mysmartgov.org, a group formed to advocate for the reforms, who will go to Terre Haute on Feb. 20.
Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard and former Lt. Gov. Kathy Davis will go to Evansville on Feb. 25.
Kernan, a Democrat, and Shepard, a Republican, were co-chairmen of a local government reform commission which Daniels' appointed.
So far, though, only two bills have made it out of committee. One would create a single chief county executive and eliminate county commissioners in all but Marion and Lake counties. The other would bar public employees from simultaneously serving as an officeholder in their same unit of government, and also move school board elections to November, and have all muncipal officeholders elected in even-numbered years.
In a news conference in his Statehouse office with Mysmartgov.org and business leaders -- including Kevin Brinegar, president of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce who also is board chairman of Mysmartgov.org -- Daniels said he's optimistic the reforms will pass.
The lobbying effort is important, though, to help what he called "the definitively good government" effort.
"If only the special interests are heard, then these bills will have difficulty," he said.
Asked about the opposition by some lawmakers, Daniels said that "politicians protecting politicians is neither new nor very pretty sight, ever."
But, he said, polls have shown the public wants the reforms.
From the Indianapolis Star
February 13, 2009