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Local, state, and federal highlights in this week's memo include:
- Indiana General Assembly Maintains Supermajority
- Four Indiana School District’s Ballot Question Fail, Four Pass
- State Rep. Robin Shackleford Announces Bid for Indianapolis Mayor
- ICHE Releases Recommendations for Higher Education Funding Formula
- Court of Appeals Rules Against Three Indiana School Corporations
- Inflation Cools in October
- Biden’s Student Debt Relief Program Put on Hold
- Share the Torchbearer Newsletter with Your Network!
- Important Dates
Indiana General Assembly Maintains Supermajority
What’s new: Following last week’s midterm elections, Republicans picked up a seat in the Indiana Senate, from 39 to 40, while the House Republicans held on to their supermajority.
The details: There were some notable losses, including Representative Teri Austin, D-Anderson, and several close races. In all, the Indiana General Assembly is expected to see roughly 20 new faces come the 2023 legislative session.
In the weeds: While Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray and Speaker Todd Huston were both re-elected in their leadership roles, Bray did face a challenge for control from Senator Mark Messmer. The [Senate] caucus has had internal struggles since the special session on abortion earlier this year, when it fractured over conservative ideals.
Looking forward:
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“It is truly an honor and privilege to serve as Pro Tem of this esteemed body,” Bray said in a statement following the caucus meeting Wednesday. “… The 2023 session will have many challenges and opportunities as we look to improve our state for all Hoosiers, and as always, Senate Republicans will be committed to passing a balanced budget that funds our priorities while living within our means.”
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“I’m humbled and honored to be selected to continue serving in this leadership position, and I’m excited about the future of our state,” Speaker Huston said in a statement Wednesday. “We have an incredibly talented team, and we’re going to keep our focus on issues important to Hoosier families and business and ensure Indiana continues to live within its means.” (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Four Indiana School District’s Ballot Question Fail, Four Pass
What’s new: Following Tuesday’s midterm elections, four of the eight Indiana school districts with ballot questions to approve property-tax levies for operational funds failed to receive voter approval.
The details:
- Leaders at Brown County Schools, Delphi Community School Corp. in Carroll County, Medora Community School Corp. in Jackson County, and MSD of Wabash County could not convince their communities to support the extra cost to property bills.
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On the other hand, voters in Westfield, Monroe County, MSD of Southwest Allen County, and Southern Wells Community Schools did approve a property-tax change to help fund operations at the fast-growing Westfield Washington Schools district. (IBJ)
State Rep. Robin Shackleford Announces Bid for Indianapolis Mayor
What’s new: State Rep. Robin Shackleford, the chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, announced Thursday, that she will seek the Democratic nomination to run for mayor of Indianapolis in 2023, a decision that could pit her against incumbent Mayor Joe Hogsett in the Democratic primary next May.
What they’re saying: In a statement announcing her candidacy, Shackleford said Indianapolis is “a tale of two cities.”
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“One with good roads where residents don’t worry about putting food on the table and feel safe in their homes,” she said. The other is one “with pothole-ridden streets where residents struggle to get enough to eat and worry that at any moment a stray bullet will travel through their wall and strike their child. We need to bridge the gap between the two different versions of Indianapolis and prioritize making Indy a safer place to live work play and raise a family.”
What’s next: Mayor Hogsett is expected to announce his decision about seeking a third term before Thanksgiving. He told WISH-TV on Wednesday that he was “50/50” on seeking another term. If Hogsett decides to run again, Shackleford will not be his first opponent in a mayoral primary. In 2019, he won 84% of the Democratic primary vote to defeat Denise Paul Hatch before beating former Republican Jim Merritt, a former state senator, in the general election. (IBJ)
ICHE Releases Recommendations for Higher Education Funding Formula
What’s new: Indiana’s higher education officials on Thursday approved recommendations for a new approach to funding higher education that is based on school-specific goals, rather than blanket recommendations.
Why it matters: The proposed funding model was crafted by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE), which the General Assembly tasked with researching a new formula to cover costs at Indiana’s state colleges and universities.
- Indiana’s public higher education institutions are rewarded for growth, all based on the same five metrics. The model also uses averages over the last few recent years for various factors – such as on-time degree completion – to calculate the state’s fiscal responsibility moving forward.
- ICHE board members said the state seeks to move away from that type of funding approach, and the new model will instead provide flexibility for institutions to work towards more individualized growth targets.
Yes, but:
- Some stakeholders raised concerns about the prospective model, saying it still lacks clear goals for the state’s public colleges and universities. They cautioned that it could unfairly shift the burden of improving some metrics — like Indiana’s dismal college-going rate — to institutions of higher education instead of K12 schools.
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Others, including Representatives from Ball State University and Indiana University, said they were supportive of the funding changes, calling it a “forward-looking approach.”
The bigger picture: Getting the new model across the finish line will be a challenge, said ICHE board member Chris LaMothe. The board’s funding proposal can’t support requests from all of the state’s universities — especially when it comes to funding capital projects, which will be more limited until the 2025 biennium — but he said the commission will need everyone on board to ensure a green light from lawmakers. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Court of Appeals Rules Against Three Indiana School Corporations
What’s new: Three Indiana school corporations have failed to convince the Court of Appeals of Indiana to overturn a law requiring them to sell vacant public school buildings to charter schools for $1.
The details:
- Between 2018 and 2020, Lake Ridge School Corp., the School City of Hammond and West Lafayette Community School Corp. each closed public school buildings in their respective communities.
- None of the school corporations wanted to part with the vacant buildings despite being required to do so per Indiana statutes that require school corporations to make a closed public school building available for sale or lease to any interested charter school or state educational institution for $1.
- If no interest is expressed, then the governing body may otherwise dispose of the building in accordance with Indiana law.
The Court of Appeals concluded that the school corporations, as political subdivisions, could not sue the state under the takings clauses because “the U.S. Supreme Court has long held that the Takings Clause has no role to play in intragovernmental disputes between a State and one of its agencies or political subdivisions.” (IBJ)
Inflation Cools in October
What’s new: Finally some good news on the inflation front. New reports show that consumer prices cooled in October, and there are encouraging clues they will cool further in the coming months.
Why it matters: The nation's price pressures are by no means resolved; they remain painfully high. But last month's moderation is a hopeful sign of easing inflation alongside a still healthy economy.
By the numbers: The Consumer Price Index cooled more than expected in October: it rose 7.7% from a year earlier, down from 8.2% the prior month, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
- There was a sharp deceleration in core inflation, a key gauge that strips out food and energy costs. It rose 0.3% last month, after rising 0.6% in September.
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Yes, but: This is just one month's data, and there is no guarantee there won't be other shocks that push prices back up.
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The Fed has said it wants to see consistent signs inflation is slowing down to be sure this month's report isn't a blip. (Axios)
Biden’s Student Debt Relief Program Put on Hold
The Department of Education removed the application for Biden's student debt relief program from its website.
Driving the news: "Courts have issued orders blocking our student debt relief program," the application website reads. "As a result, at this time, we are not accepting applications. We are seeking to overturn those orders."
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The move comes after a federal judge in Texas struck down the debt relief program Thursday.
- The Biden administration said later Thursday that it's appealing the ruling of the Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman.
Details: The judge declared the program illegal after a lawsuit alleged the administration violated federal procedures by denying borrowers an opportunity to provide public comment before launching the plan.
Yes, but: the Supreme Court has already turned down two other requests to block the program amid a growing number of legal challenges against the plan.
Where things stand: The challenges to the program likely mean any approved relief is on hold while the legal battles play out in court. (Axios)
Important Dates
- Monday, November 21st at 10am - Drainage Task Force
- Tuesday, November 22nd at 1:30pm - Organization Day
- Friday, December 9th - LSA bill request deadline
- Monday, January 9th - 2023 Legislative Session Reconvenes
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