Recent editorials published in Indiana newspapers

The (Munster) Times. November 25, 2016

Time to bite the bullet on long-term road funding plan.

It's time to bite the political bullet - no matter the metallic taste left behind - and ensure a long-term fix for Indiana's road infrastructure.

It's encouraging to see some of the state's top legislative leaders realizing that tax increases - no matter how politically unpopular - will be necessary to keep Indiana's crossroads safe and passable for future generations.

But incorporating taxes into the fix need not be overly painful. At the top of legislative leaders' proposed list of road fixes heading into 2017 should be a plan that couldn't gain enough traction to pass the previous legislative session.

We were encouraged earlier this week when Indiana Senate President David Long, R-Fort Wayne, and Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, both suggested that adjusting state taxes should be considered for sustainable road funding.

Speaking at an Indiana Chamber of Commerce luncheon Monday, both men noted the possibility of, at the very least, adjusting Indiana's 18-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax to account for inflation. The tax has seen no change since 2003, and it should be central to a long-term funding fix for state roads.

The Legislature also should be open to a fresh introduction, perhaps with some tweaks if necessary, of Indiana Rep. Ed Soliday's road funding bill that failed to pass the General Assembly last year.

Among other things, Soliday's bill would have reapportioned money from the gasoline sales tax to road funding. To make up for funding the Valparaiso Republican's bill would have channeled away from health care, Soliday also proposed an increased tax of $1 per pack on cigarettes.

We continue to contend, as we did last year, that Soliday's plan promoted both sustained road funding and a more healthy populace.

Whatever path they choose, Bosma said it best.

"I'm looking for a long-term solution - not something that gets us through the next administration but that gets us through the next generation."

It's past time for Indiana to climb out of the perennial pothole-patching business and drive toward something permanent.

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The (Bloomington) Herald-Times. November 23, 2016

A plea for our state legislators: Keep the focus on inclusive issues.

Indiana legislators got together Tuesday for the first time since the Nov. 8 election. It was the annual Organization Day in Indianapolis.

We'll have plenty more opportunities to write about the lawmakers after the session begins in earnest in January. But it's never too early to suggest that the folks elected to represent us in Indianapolis should work hard to unite Hoosiers at a time of great division in the state and nation.

Republicans dominate both chambers, the House and Senate. They have the power to run over those in the minority party if they want to use it. We hope they work toward solutions rather than domination.

Here are a couple things to note.

Men make up about 80 percent of the Legislature. They should be aware that the majority of Hoosiers are women - 50.7 percent in 2015. That should be a strong consideration when pushing for laws that would affect the majority of Hoosiers, but not affect a vast majority of legislators.

Also, there are minority groups in the state that need to be considered and protected by those with the power. Many of them have felt marginalized during the past two sessions.

Hopefully, this legislative session will be focused on issues that affect everyone - jobs and the economy, education, public safety, the environment, infrastructure and the like instead of social issues that raise emotions and tear Hoosiers apart.

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The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette. November 25, 2016

When Irish eyes are blackened.

Even the Democrats, it could be argued, haven't had as tough a season as Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly.

A week before the first game of the season, six of Kelly's players were arrested on a variety of charges. Kelly kicked one off the team, suspended another and meted out internal discipline to the other four.

During the first game, a double-overtime loss to Texas, it became apparent that Kelly's effort to assuage both DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire with a two-starting-quarterback strategy wasn't going to work.

In game after game, the Irish played up to the edge, and choked - big time. This week, going into its final game of the season, with its record a disappointing 4-6, the NCAA sacked Notre Dame as ruthlessly as opposing NFL lines go after the Colts' Andrew Luck. Because a former student athletic trainer improperly helped several players with academic work, the NCAA wants to void Notre Dame's victories in 2012 and 2013 and place the team on probation for a year.

Besides an improbable run of great weather, there is very little a Notre Dame fan will be able to remember positively when the season finally slithers away against USC this weekend.

Wait! There's one thing. Now that the team's perfect 12-0 regular season in 2012 may be erased from the record books, Irish fans can stop reliving the horrendous drubbing their team took from Alabama in the championship game in January 2013. That's not exactly the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but it will have to do.

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South Bend Tribune. November 23, 2016

Answer the call for more civilian police oversight.

For years now, members of this community - activists, public officials, this editorial board - have called for additional civilian oversight in how South Bend police handle complaints of alleged excessive force and other misconduct.

The idea, typically raised in the aftermath of a controversial, high-profile case, has never taken hold.

It certainly hasn't helped that Mayor Pete Buttigieg - and before him, former Mayor Steve Luecke - has been lukewarm to the idea.

The argument Buttigieg has used against establishing a citizen review board is that the city already has a Board of Public Safety. In a recent Tribune story, the mayor praised the work of this board, whose members he alone appoints.

Our call for increased police oversight isn't a criticism of the work the public safety board does. Nor is it a slam against police officers, the majority of whom go about their jobs in an honorable and professional way. But it's a recognition of the safety board's limitations: The board, which acts as the administrative agency for the South Bend police and fire departments, has no say in whether a complaint of misconduct is upheld or found to be false. The board reviews complaints of misconduct only after the police chief brings a disciplinary recommendation.

Civilian boards in some communities actually conduct their own investigations; some boards consider the results of internal investigations, either accepting or disputing the findings. Still others employ auditors to find patterns of misconduct and underlying reasons.

The mayor says he has directed his staff to research possible ways to include more people in the process or add to the Board of Public Safety's powers. Including a broader group of people in the police disciplinary process is critical - as is making sure this group is representative of the diverse population of the city and isn't appointed by just one person. Following through on this would also serve to educate the public about some of the difficult situations that officers face on a daily basis and increase confidence in the department. In short, a civilian review board would be good for everyone, including the police.

There are a number of options and opportunities to be responsive to the call for greater oversight. To be sure, it won't be easy, as there are legal challenges involved to making such a change. But the end result - a more open process from which everyday citizens aren't excluded - is well worth it.

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