WITH THE ELECTION OVER, IT’S TIME TO GET INVOLVED
With the 2012 election now behind us, it’s time to begin our efforts to implement Farm Bureau’s policy objectives during the 2013 legislative session. The best tool that Farm Bureau has to accomplish our policy objectives in any legislative or regulatory arena is an involved, well-informed membership base. The first step in this process is to get involved and begin to build relationships with policymakers at all levels of government. Public officials understand that you know more about your business than they do, and they want to hear from you. But if you need to ask for something, you can be much more effective if you have already developed a positive relationship with the person you are asking. So, in the next several weeks, make an effort to congratulate to newly elected or re-elected public officials and to indicate your appreciation for their willingness to serve in what is often a thankless job. This could pay big dividends for you and for the organizations with which you are identified, such as Farm Bureau.
THE DISPATCH IS BACK
In addition to being involved, it is important to be informed. To help you understand Farm Bureau issues and feel comfortable in discussing them with your elected officials and other public policy makers, we will again publish and distribute to Farm Bureau members the Public Policy Dispatch. We plan to distribute the Dispatch every two weeks throughout the year and use it as a vehicle to address not only state legislative activity but federal legislative action and state and federal regulatory activity as well. When there is a reason to distribute the Dispatch more frequently – such as during the state legislative session – we will do so.
We hope that the Dispatch will eventually become an exclusively electronic newsletter. We will continue to mail a hard copy to those Farm Bureau members who request it, but we would much prefer to distribute it electronically.
The Dispatch will be regularly posted and archived on Indiana Farm Bureau’s website at www.infarmbureau.org and on a new Indiana Farm Bureau public policy website that will be unveiled at the state convention.
ELECTION RECAP
As was predicted by the pre-election polls and most political observers, Republican Mitt Romney defeated President Barak Obama in Indiana this year. Nationwide, however, the story was different as President Obama easily won re-election. Indiana’s new congressional delegation will feature three new faces and one familiar face in a new role.
U.S. SENATE
In a high visibility race that was hotly contested, U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly defeated State Treasurer Richard Mourdock to represent Indiana in the United States Senate. This race began shortly after Mourdock defeated incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar in the Republican primary in May and continued right up to election. It attracted national attention in media coverage of the Republicans failed attempt to gain control of the Senate. After the election, Democrats maintained a majority in the Senate.
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
After the election, Indiana will be represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by seven Republicans and two Democrats. This is a gain of one seat for the Republicans who will control the House. The lone seat to change parties was that in Congressional District 2 where Republican Jackie Walorski was elected to replace Democrat Joe Donnelly who, in turn, was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Other new representatives will be Republican Susan Brooks who will replace retiring Congressman Dan Burton in CD 4 and Republican Luke Messer who will succeed Governor-elect Mike Pence in CD 6. Returning members of the Indiana delegation will be Republicans Marlin Stutzman (CD 3), Todd Rokita (CD 4), Larry Bucshon (CD 8) and Todd Young (CD 9); and Democrats Pete Visclosky (CD 1) and Andre Carson (CD 7).
GOVERNOR MIKE PENCE
Republican Mike Pence, who has represented East Central Indiana in the U.S. Congress since 2000, will become the state’s next governor. Pence and his running mate, State Rep. Sue Ellspermann, defeated the Democratic ticket of John Gregg and Vi Simpson on Tuesday and will assume office on January 7. (The State Constitution provides that the governor take office on the second Monday in the January following his/her election.)
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION GLENDA RITZ
In the election’s biggest surprise, Democrat Glenda Ritz, a school library specialist in Marion County, defeated incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett. Ritz’s victory is being applauded by many observers as a repudiation of the many changes in public education – including stricter teacher standards of teacher evaluation and support of charter schools and vouchers – instituted by Bennett during his tenure.
ATTORNEY GENERAL GREG ZOELLER
Incumbent Republican Attorney General Greg Zoeller easily defeated Democrat Kay Fleming for Attorney General.
REPUBLICANS NOW ENJOY SUPER-MAJORITIES IN BOTH INDIANA HOUSES
The Republican Party will hold super-majorities in both the Indiana State Senate and the Indiana House of Representatives during the next two years. A super-majority means that one party has enough members to establish the quorum needed to conduct business without members of the other party being present. The practical effect of the Republican super-majorities is that the Democrats cannot delay the consideration of a measure they disagree with by staging a walkout or otherwise denying a quorum.
LIMITED CHANGES IN INDIANA SENATE
Members of the Indiana Senate serve four year terms with only 25 of its 50 seats on the ballot every four years. There will be four new state senators in 2013, all of whom are replacing incumbents who were not seeking re-election. Sen. Pete Miller (R-Danville) will have a slight edge in seniority because he was appointed to replace Connie Lawson when she was appointed Secretary of State and re-elected this week. Other new senators are Rod Bray (R-Martinsville) who replaces his father, Sen. Richard Bray; Mike Crider (R-Greenfield) who replaces Beverly Gard; and Mark Stoops (D-Bloomington) who replaces Vi Simpson, who ran as the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor and couldn’t seek two offices at the same time.
HOUSE WILL HAVE 25 NEW MEMBERS
As a result of redistricting following the 2010 census, a number of new seats with no incumbents were created in the Indiana House of Representatives and a number of seats included more than one incumbent. The past session also saw the retirement of a number of incumbents, some prompted by the new districts and some because they felt it was time to move on to something else. As a result of redistricting and retirement, the Indiana House of Representatives will have 25 new members in the new session.
The Farm Bureau lobbying team has yet to meet all the new legislators, and we look to Farm Bureau members establishing a relationship with each of the new representatives that will emphasize the importance of agriculture and rural interests in their particular districts and establish the fact that Farm Bureau is the voice they should listen to on agricultural issues.
The following is a quick recap of the new makeup of the Indiana House. Remember, you can access the link that will identify your state senator and your state representative from the “Public Policy” tab of Indiana Farm Bureau’s website at www.infarmbureau.org.
In the only race where two incumbent legislators faced-off against one another, Kreg Battles (D-Vincennes) defeated Bruce Borders (R-Jasonville) by only a few votes in House District 45.
Other races that saw a sitting member of the House defeated were: HD 56 – Richard Hamm (R, Richmond) defeated Phil Pflum (D-Milton); HD 60 – Peggy Mayfield (R-Martinsville) defeated Peggy Welch (D-Bloomington); HD 81 – Martin Carbaugh (R-Fort Wayne) defeated Win Moses (D-Fort Wayne); and HD 87 – Christina Hale (D-Indianapolis) defeated Cindy Noe (R-Indianapolis).
The other new members of the House will be:
HD 5 Dale DeVon (R-Granger)
HD 11 Rick Niemeyer (R-Lowell)
HD 13 Sharon Negele (R-Attica)
HD 15 Hal Slager (R-Schererville)
HD 17 Tim Harman (R-Bremen)
HD 24 Steve Braun (R-Zionsville)
HD 34 Sue Errington (D-Muncie)
HD 37 Todd Huston (R-Fishers)
HD 42 Alan Morrison (R-Terre Haute)
HD 47 John Price (R-Greenwood)
HD 51 Denny Zent (R-Angola)
HD 52 Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn)
HD 55 Cindy Ziemke (R-Batesville)
HD 64 Tom Washburne (R-Evansville)
HD 69 Jim Lucas (R-Seymour)
HD 74 Lloyd Arnold (R-Leavenworth)
HD 82 David Ober (R-Albion)
HD 92 Karlee Macer (D-Indianapolis)
HD 97 Justin Moed (D-Indianapolis)
HD 98 Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis)
HD 100 Dan Forestal (D-Indianapolis)
ALL FOUR CAUCUSES NAME LEADERS FOR THE UPCOMING SESSION
All four of the legislative caucuses have chosen their leaders for the upcoming session. The Senate Democrats chose Sen. Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) to replace Sen. Vi Simpson as their leader. Sen. Simpson left the Senate to run for lieutenant governor. Sen. David Long (R-Fort Wayne) will continue to serve as president pro tempore of the Senate following his formal election by the full Senate on Organization Day (November 20). The Indiana Constitution provides that the state’s lieutenant governor serve as the Senate’s presiding officer. Sue Ellspermann will assume that role following her inauguration in January.
Rep. Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) will continue to lead the Republicans in the House and will be elected Speaker of the House on Organization Day. The House Democrats, who ousted long-time leader Rep. Pat Bauer (D-South Bend) during the summer, chose Rep. Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City) as their leader. Rep. Linda Lawson (D-Hammond) had served as the Democrats’ leader since Bauer’s ouster.
LOCAL OFFICIALS NEED FARM BUREAU’S SUPPORT AND INFORMATION
This week also saw the election of a number of new county officials across Indiana. Local programs and budgets can have as great an impact on your day-to-day farming activities as those that come from Indianapolis and Washington. It is important that Farm Bureau members get to know their local officials as well as their state and federal legislators.
VANDERBURGH REJECTS CITY-COUNTY MERGER
In one of the local government highlights of this week’s election, a referendum to consolidate the City of Evansville with the unincorporated parts of Vanderburgh County was rejected by a 2-1 margin. The Vanderburgh County Farm Bureau was active in the grassroots efforts to defeat this initiative, which was being promoted by a number of well-financed business interests in the community. Congratulations to Vanderburgh County for its success in this effort. Farm Bureau hopes this overwhelming rejection will send a message to other municipalities that might try to force a consolidation or merger on their rural neighbors.
LORETTA RUSH JOINS STATE SUPREME COURT
Almost lost in the swirl of election news this week was the private swearing-in of Tippecanoe County Judge Loretta Rush as the newest member of Indiana’s five-member Supreme Court. Justice Rush, who was appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels earlier this year, is the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court in over a decade.