In the News

House retirements present opportunity for Republican majority in 2008

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:46:54 -0500

Indiana politico Brian Howey ran a blurb in his daily wire about retirements in the House.

Eight House incumbents declined to seek re-election as filing deadline passed on Friday (Howey Politics Indiana). They include: Democrats Joe Micon, Dave Crooks, Phil Hoy and David Orentlicher and Carolene Mays who are seeking the 7th CD. House Republicans decling to run include Eric Gutwein, Mike Ripley and Larry Buell. (emphasis ours)

Certainly the Micon seat and the Crooks seat, districts that Bush 2004 won handily, are major opportunities for Republicans. Republicans have recruited excellent candidates in Mark Messmer (HD63) and Randy Truitt (HD26).

Howey didn’t mention the Denbo district, also a red seat that is now occupied by an appointed freshman Democrat.

However, the Hoy seat and the Orentlicher seat have been competitive in recent cycles. In Orentlicher's seat, Republican Adam Nelson is the candidate.

If nothing else, 2008 will be a year where Democrats will be forced to defend a lot of open seat races.

GOP, Indy Star: Give the people a voice, Dems: No way

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:16:37 -0500

That’s how it seems to be shaking out, and it’s disappointing. Even the Indianapolis Star editorial board seems to be perplexed.

One new amendment, approved by House Democrats voting along party lines, would limit school construction referendums to those projects not directly tied to classroom instruction. Taxpayers under the proposal could still decide whether to build a new high school football stadium but wouldn't be able to vote on whether proposed classroom buildings are excessively expensive.

Opponents of referendums fear that taxpayers would be too stingy, blocking necessary construction to the detriment of students. But Hoosiers have shown repeatedly that they're willing to spend money on education when school administrators make clear that needs -- and not mere wants -- truly exist.

Taxpayers already have oversight of sorts through a remonstrance process. But it's a convoluted system that lacks transparency.

What opponents of referendums are really saying is that they fear taxpayers are unable to make wise decisions about how their money should be spent. That's not an attitude the General Assembly should embrace.

House Republicans, however, are clear. There is nothing dangerous about giving voters a voice in local school construction projects. Why the Democrats don’t trust the people is a mystery.

Indiana Chamber: Two House Republicans are Small Business Champions

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:30:25 -0500

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce announced that two members of our Republican caucus are Small Business Champions. According to the Chamber, this award is given for their “dedication to bettering Indiana’s business climate for small employers.”

The House members were:

- Rep. Matt Bell (R-Avilla), District #83
- Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Howe), District #52

“Protecting Indiana’s small businesses is vital to the state’s economy, considering more than half of all Hoosiers work at these small companies. These legislators recognize the importance of small businesses and consistently support their interests in the Statehouse,” Brinegar says.

The House Republican caucus is dedicated to preserving the health of Indiana small businesses.

House GOP seeks cut and cap for Hoosiers

prospergroup — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:07:32 -0500

Republican Leader Brian Bosma sent the following letter to the Indianapolis Star, calling for property tax relief and outlining the goals of the House Republicans:

Three primary issues loom large in the 2008 session of the General Assembly -- property taxes, property taxes and more property taxes. After decades of first aid, it's time for major surgery on Indiana's antiquated property tax system.
That is why House Republicans stand firm for mmediate relief and permanent reform of our outdated property tax system. Our proposals build on Gov. Mitch Daniels' plan and move us toward bold, immediate and permanent relief for every Hoosier taxpayer.
With the hope of framing the debate on tax reform, House Republicans have announced 10 "Standards for Success" with the goal of including these elements in any plan adopted by the legislature:

Immediate property tax cut by May 2008. Homeowners must receive an immediate property tax cut of at least 40 percent by May of this year. No rebates, no gimmicks. This would reduce homeowner property tax bills by almost $1 billion.
Permanent state and local spending caps. We must enact permanent caps on local spending, but it is not enough to tighten local purse strings alone. The state also must live within its means. Our proposal limits state spending increases to the growth in personal income in the state and requires a two-thirds vote of the legislature to exceed this permanent cap.

Permanent 1 percent of assessed valuation homestead cap. Homeowners' property taxes should not exceed 1 percent of their homes' assessed value. This cap would save homeowners $215 million, beginning in 2009.

Remove schools and welfare from property tax. The state already pays 85 percent of school operating costs statewide; House Republicans believe the state should be responsible for that final 15 percent. Also, local taxpayers are forced to pay child welfare costs even though the programs are administered by state employees through state regulations and standards. The state should foot this bill, bringing another $1.1 billion in property tax relief.

Make caps and levy removals permanent. Taxpayers (and lawmakers) are fed up with temporary fixes. The limits on taxing and spending discussed above should be made permanent through an amendment to our state's constitution.

Referenda for local construction and budget increases. Taxpayers should have real control of how their tax dollars are spent by voting on major local construction projects and budget increases that exceed local spending caps. Referenda would give citizens an active role in determining their community's future.

School construction projects built on local option income tax. Statewide, school debt constitutes 37 percent of the increase in our property tax levy. Placing projects on a voter-approved optional income tax would end the property tax spiral.

Fund all cuts with sales tax alone. Even if the property tax burden is relieved, public services must still be funded. Replacement funding should come from the state sales tax, rather than a new tax or increasing income or corporate taxes. Almost 20 percent of the sales tax is paid by out-of-state visitors, and the sales tax presents a fair and equitable funding mechanism supported by most Hoosiers. According to the Legislative Services Agency, a one-penny sales tax increase would provide almost $1 billion in property tax relief in 2009.

Single assessment official in each county. Hoosiers deserve consistent and predictable assessments, a challenge with 1,100 elected assessors in the state. Each county should have a single elected assessor who is trained and qualified to ensure uniform assessments.

Permanent elimination of homestead property tax. This is the key to truly ending Indiana's property tax crises. House Republicans support the elimination of homestead property taxes by 2012; that process should start with this session. Where great challenges exist, opportunity is present as well. While other matters will demand our attention, all else shrinks in the face of our current property tax crisis. Hoosiers have made it clear they expect a solution; the House Republicans' standards for success -- cutting taxes now and capping them forever -- offers immediate relief and permanent reform. Hoosier taxpayers deserve no less.

New and Improved Features of the House Victory Website

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:10:45 -0500

Welcome to our new website! We’ve given it a face lift and made it more interactive and easier to navigate. With new tools to keep you informed on the progress of our goal of a House Victory in ’08, there are now more opportunities than ever to get involved and check the status of our campaign.

The House Victory Blog will be the hub of all activity on our new website. We will post announcements and commentary here on a regular basis. Our visitors will have the ability to comment on the posts and news items as well.

We’re launching a new initiative for the blogging community called Victory Bloggers. This includes a place for our friendly bloggers around the state to write about House Victory and receive special e-updates. In addition, we will be periodically highlighting posts from our Victory Bloggers as well. Sign up here.

House Victory '08 now also offers a You Tube channel so we can showcase our candidates at events and also highlight any videos or TV commercials that visitors can comment on and forward to friends.

Want to know where our candidates are going to be? Check out our House Victory Events Calendar. As the campaign season progresses, this will have an up-to-date calendar every week to let you know where and when our events are taking place. Powered by Eventful, the new calendar will also give visitors an interactive way of looking at the calendar, with the ability to join our group, make comments, and recommend events to friends.

Visitors to our site can choose to receive the blog and news content through an RSS Feed, ready to read when they have time instead of having to visit the website.

We will also offer, for the first time, audio clips of our candidates speaking on a variety of issues. Tagged through the blog system, the audio clips page will be a dedicated place to listen to interviews, speeches and radio commercials. Be sure to check it for updates!

We are also debuting our new “Take Action" section on the site. Here, visitors can write letters to the editor from the website, register to vote, sign up to volunteer, contribute online, and help promote the website by downloading buttons for their website or blog.

The Agenda page will show the House Republicans' plan for the 2008 Legislative Session and the goals we wish to accomplish.

The candidates running for State Representative will be showcased on our Candidates page. We will also be showcasing various incumbents here and their accomplishments both at home and at the Statehouse.

We’ve added a lot of new and exciting features to our site, and we hope you'll take a few minutes to look around. Feedback is always welcome, so if you have any comments, please let us know!

Media Coverage From Bob Heaton's Candidacy Announcement

admin — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:26:27 -0500

After traveling all over the Wabash Valley to announce his candidacy for State Representative in House District 46, here are the news stories that ran in the local media in the days following.

Terre Haute Tribune Star

Former ISU star running to represent District 46

GOP trying to reclaim District 46

Brazil Times

Heaton tosses hat into political ring

Diversity Focus

Heaton Announces Candidacy for State Representative in House District 46

Terre Haute WTWO (NBC)

Former Basketball Star Runs For Office

Terre Haute WTHI (CBS)

Video Clip of Announcement - Scroll down to number 9 on the page to open the video.

Hoosier Access

Dream Season Dreaming Up Dream Candidate?