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Some personal issues kept me away from the last general membership meeting and the last Board Meeting. And now, even better, there is wireless at the meeting location so minutes will go up as soon as the meeting is concluded.

Meeting Minutes for March General Membership Meeting of the Indiana Democratic Club

Meeting called to order by: First Vice President Eileen Collins at 7:31pm at the Julia Carson Government Center in Indianapolis

Tonight’s Sponsor: Marion County Auditor Billie Breaux.

Speaker: State Senator Jean Breaux

Introduction by IDC President Ken Ken: As far as we know, she is the first woman to succeed her mother if not just in the state legislature but possibly the state.

We did get a bill out of the house and she is co-sponsoring it in the Senate to show and display more things around the State Government for African-Americans who have contributed to the state. It did pass unanimously and there will hopefully be a display in the rotunda of the State House soon.

She also authored a bill for the state to re-evaluate investments in the Sudan region and to take investments out of there as the area continues to exploit its people. There has been some resistance from the GOP side and they have attached some things about abortion and about divesting from companies that make contraceptives. There was a resolution also coming that is separate from the tacked on items to the bill that can be passed in case the bill dies.

Indiana Commerce Connector: This issue is now off the table. She did a survey and 89% of the people who responded said they did not want the Governor making transportation decisions without going before the General Assemble first. There was much opposition to the ICC and the Governor didn’t want to answer many specific questions about it (eminent domain, where the roads would go, who the private partners would be, etc). The Governor is also apparently willing to possibly bring back the NW Indiana bypass without tying it to the ICC. The state Democrats have been trying to separate those as they are vastly different. For all intents and purposes, both are off the table right now.

All Day Kindergarten is moving forward as the bill proposed by the Governor. It would be a phase in, with the final phase in being completed by 2010. First phase would be for those on reduced lunch or free meals as they are the ones most in need of full day kindergarten. At risk children who have access to full day kindergarten do much better. Sen. Breaux and others have suggested instead of singling out specific “classes” of students to be starting All Day Kindergarten first, implement it at schools (for the entire kindergarten class) that have the highest percentage of assistance receiving students. The Governor’s office cannot explain how they would implement it with only specific students in each school phasing in.

Sen. Breaux is one of the authors of a bill that passed the House and is in the Senate now that deals with local government consolidation. Tomorrow is the hearing at 1:30pm in the Senate Chambers. There are a number of amendments by Senator Merritt that would drastically alter it.

Minimum wage bill is also being heard tomorrow at 9am at room 233.

Senator Breaux is trying to get a bill heard to extend the WARN act that would notify employees in advance if they are at risk of layoffs. So far, it has not been heard by the GOP. The federal WARN act only applies to companies that employ 100 or more people. They are trying to extend it at the state level for companies of 50 employees and above.

SB503 is also being heard soon. it relates to getting more Hoosiers who do not have health insurance covered under some sort of coverage.. There have been many bills and discussions in the legislature about healthcare, including major reform such as complete coverage. Sen. Young: He is hopeful that this session we will move forward with more solutions. Realistically one of the things they are looking at is a way to implement a $.50 tax on tobacco to provide funding for at least 200,000 uninsured Hoosiers.

A bill coming up for a vote in the Senate soon is one to put slot machines at the horse racing tracks. It will be a very contentious and possibly very close vote. Part of the money would go to a life sciences initiative and towards scholarships at colleges. But some GOP wants to take the money from that and into the General Fund and has gotten support from a majority of Republicans. The Senate Democrats are supporting the House Democrat version that puts some of that funding to the areas described above.

There is an issue relating to Coal Gasification Plant in southern Indiana that would create a synthetic gas that could be sold to energy and power companies. The company that wants to run and start this plant have come to the Indiana Assembly to get support for a base price to utilities, but what the want is the Indiana regulators to not be able to alter the agreed upon base price for 30 years. They also want to be able to recover all costs if it does not make money so if they try to recover that through higher costs the regulatory committee could not do anything. Sen. Breaux is going to offer an amendment that would allow the IURC (regulators) may sign off (instead of shall) after a thorough review of the contract and certain considerations (such as rates, etc). The amendment would basically give the IURC the power it is supposed to have.

Q&A (with Sens. Breaux and Young):
Q: Budget?
A (Sen. Young): They will be meeting soon to get an indication of the changes that will be made. Regardless, it will go to conference committee. Since the Assemble is split a true consensus budget will come out of conference but right now nothing more is really known.

Q: In God We Trust Plate, why is it free?
A (Sen. Breaux): One audience member mentioned it would be like the state getting money from religion.

Q: anti-gay marriage amendment?
A (Sen. Breaux): It did get a hearing in the House but there has not been a vote and no vote has been scheduled. The hope is it will be amended in such a way as it will not make it out of Conference Committee

Q: Reverse or stop this privatization by the Governor?
A (Sen. Breaux): There is a bill (or amendment?) that would stop the Governor from engaging in privatization of state services without going before the assembly.
A (Sen. Young): One of the things he wants to run for governor on are trying to recapture the state services that have been privatized. He would also re-institute collective bargaining for state workers.

Q: On the Coal Gasification, how much would rates be affected?
A (Sen. Breaux): There was a study, but there wasn’t an exact impact determined. But with a fixed rate they are going for and normal gas prices doing nothing but going up there is hope that the impact would be minimal.

Q: What is the party doing, is there a plan to deal with the drug problems and increased crime rate in the state?
A (Sen. Young): The Senate has passed a number of pieces of legislation to give law enforcement more tools and to incarcerate those buying and selling drugs for more time. As Governor he would get involved with communities (not just law enforcement) and involve them, everyone, into solving the problem. We need to “get our hands around how we define the problem.”
A (Sen. Breaux): The lack of economic opportunities really ties into crime and drugs. By bringing real, effective mass transit to urban areas it can help spur economic opportunities for at risk urban areas. Also give incentives to companies who start and create jobs in urban areas. Do do that, mass transit is needed.

Comment: There were many comments at a community meeting where people have contacted the police but there has been no response.
Response (Sen. Young): Call your legislators and put pressure at that level so that they can put pressure on whatever agency that you yourself are not getting a response from. Auditor Breaux suggests calling the Safety Director for the City of Indianapolis

Q: What happened to the vote by mail bill that would do elections by mail.
A (Sen. Breaux): She does not know what happened to that bill.

Q: If Health Care is is funded by just a tobacco tax, what happens to paying for healthcare as the numbers of smokers decreases?
A (Sen. Breaux): That is planned for in the bill’s funding, such as as smoking numbers go down cost of healthcare goes down.
A (Sen. Young): Current revenues used to support healthcare will(could?) be enough if healthcare/tobacco tax/education is successful in dropping tobacco users sufficiently.

Comment: Commends the work being done for health care due to the number of uninsured and underinsured. This is causing people to use the ER and other emergency services as their primary health care.
Response (Sen Breaux): Many companies cannot even afford to offer their employees health care. There are 10,000 people on the waiting list for the CHOICE program.

Other Speaker(s): State Senator and Gubernatorial Candidate Richard Young

Was the auditor for Crawford County for two years and that led him to becoming a state senator by replacing Evan Bayh when he became Governor.

Sen. Young praised the diversity of Indiana and the contact he has had with that diversity in his role as the leader of the Senate Democrats in Indiana. The opportunity to work with legislators from across the state and be a leader to build a consensus “so we can put forward an agenda to move ourselves forward” has been great. He decided to run for Governor because he feels we need “a new style of leadership…. leadership to find a way to build very diverse ideas together.”

He sees a habit currently of trying to “micromanage” state government. We need bold ideas, but we need to trust in the people we have and bring them together, trusting them to shape our state and agenda. We can bring these people together to work on issues such as health-care, commerce, economic development, etc.

Club Business:

Secretary’s report deferred to next month.
Treasurer’s report for the last couple months reported and accepted as read.

Guests, New Members, Candidates & Notables:

• Mike Young, 9th District Democratic Chair to introduce State Senator Richard Young
  IDEA at Switzerland County same weekend as the Swiss Wine Festival.
• State Senator and Senate Minority leader Richard Young, 47th District. Senator Young is running for Governor for the 2008 election.
• Marion County Auditor Billie Breaux.
• Steve Wolfe from Hamilton County. Meeting tomorrow night at Shapiro’s in Carmel at 6:45pm.
• Letty Oliver is now President of the Central Labor Council. Congratulations.
• Annette Johnson is a candidate for State House District 7 in Marion County
• Jim Perron, former Mayor of Elkhart for 16 years, new IDC member

Meeting Adjourned at:

Respectfully Submitted: Jason Borneman, IDC Secretary

These minutes were taken by IDC Second Vice President Cheryl Kern

INDIANA DEMOCRATIC CLUB, INC.

FEBRUARY 27, 2007

MINUTES

The Meeting was called to order by President Ken Kern at 7:41 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance being led by Annette Johnson, President of the Pike Township Advisory Board. A moment of silence followed.

Ken recognized all of the office holders present and allowed them a couple of minutes to speak. The were as follows: Hon. Joann Sanders, City County Council; Hon. David Shaheed, Marion Superior Court Judge; Lettie Oliver, Warren Township Advisory Board, and Annette Johnson, President of the Pike Township Advisory Board.

Ken directed everyone’s attention to the flyer “Some Noted African-American Members of the Indiana Democratic Club” prepared by Steve Barnett. Martin Hinman spoke a few words about Arthur Wake.

The speaker for the evening was Father Boniface Hardin, President of Martin University. Father Hardin talked about all issues, which relate to life and life does not mean white against black, black against brown, brown against red, and red against white. He discussed education is not as important as it was once upon a time. He talked about how everyone needs to “sit up at the table” because if everyone became a little more responsible for life around them things would be different. He talked about the Preachers ruling the black citizens here in Indianapolis and the Pope ruling a large part of the white population. Father Hardin talked about how we are all a servant to someone, example athletes. He ended with a discussion that we live in a plantation economy. Following his presentation there was a question and answer session.

There was no old business for the evening.

Under new business it was discussed about the club becoming a member of the NAACP as a Silver Life level. The cost is $750.00; however, it is payable at the rate of $75 per year for 10 years. It was moved and seconded to become members. The motion carried.

Eileen Collins won the $12 split-the-pot.

It was moved and seconded that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried.

Respectfully submitted,

Cheryl Kern
Secretary Pro-Temp