Now that the 2010 Legislative session has come and gone, we can discuss who won, who lost, who was basically a draw.  Actually, there are different degrees of how much individuals win and lose based on what they hoped to accomplish, what they got done and how this all plays into the upcoming elections.  So with that said, the awards go to…

Governor Mitch Daniels – Big winner.  He got his property tax caps as well as lawmakers to hold the line on spending.

Senate Republicans – Winners.  It was getting shaky towards the end and I was starting to wonder if I was watching the Manhattan tribe, but they held together at the end.

Senate Democrats – Draw, they’re the Senate Dems, what else needs to said.

House Democrats – Losers.  The House Ds took it on the chin this session.  They didn’t stop the tax caps, there was major dissention in the ranks, and the proposed Warrick County aquarium and museum tax district kept everyone here a week longer than necessary.

House Republicans – Biggest Winners.  They got about 80% of their agenda through and, politically speaking, the winds are at their backs for now.

Business – Winner.  Any time you can get a tax increase delayed for a year, you’re in good shape.  They also scored a victory on employee classification, however, they lost on guns in the workplace.

Schools – Draw.  They lost money due to the economy, but they also got more flexibility to move money around in their budgets to mitigate their financial situations.

Unions – Loser.  They wanted the state to change the rules on how independent contractors are classified so more of them can be considered full-time employees and thus eligible for more union membership.

2nd Amendment Crowd – Winner.  Got guns in the workplace as long as it stays locked in the car and also access to permit database restricted to media.

Local Government – Draw.  The tax caps are coming, but that just means more opportunities to be creative and consolidate.

Local Government reform – Loser.  But keep trying guys, I’m with you.

Redistricting Advocates – Draw.  It was a loss for now, but will be back next year.

Gaming – Loser.  They didn’t get any help from lawmakers this year, but this may have to be revisited next year because no one has a choice.

Anti-smoking advocates – Draw.  No smoking ban, but they saved the Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Board.

Lobbyists – Winners.  Despite ethics reform, anyone who hung around the rail the last days and paid attention saw how much pull they have with lawmakers and it has nothing to do with money or gifts.

Taxpayers – Biggest Winners.  They get to vote on tax caps.

Media – The real winners.  Because we always are!

Feel free to add your thoughts.

I’m a little tired this morning after a long last day at the Legislature, so instead of me talking, I’ll let the lawmakers talk.

David Long on Last Day

Pat Bauer on Last Day

Brian Bosma on Last Day

The deal is as follows…

1. A one-year delay in the increase in the unemployment insurance tax.
2. Flexibility for schools to transfer money from their capital budgets to operational budgets.
3. Giving the Department of Labor the authority to create better rules on worker classification to draw better distinctions between full-time employees and independent contractors.
4. Instruct the state’s Public Employee Retirement Funds and Teacher Retirement Funds to merge fund management operations, to achieve efficiencies and savings.  There would still be two boards, but one executive director.
5. Eliminates the creation of the Warrick County Sales Tax Increment Financing District in order to pay for a museum and aquarium.

This is basically the deal that was reached last week, with the exception of the worker classification and sales tax financing district.

Sine Die!

I’m getting confirmation from very reliable sources that Indiana lawmakers have reached an agreement tonight.  No word on the details and no one is speaking on the record yet.  They were divided over unemployment insurance tax issues and some school funding matters.  Stay tuned.

Here’s where we are.

1.  Republicans say Democrats are including ridiculous demands for labor.

2.  Democrats say the GOP wants a two-year delay on unemployment that will cost the state $500 million.

3.   The Speaker doesn’t think they’ll be done tonight.

4.  The GOP doesn’t think there’s any reason to go past today.

5.  Not sure if the House can Sine Die with only 50 Democrats present.

As one my media colleagues just wrote, the wheels are coming off in front of our very eyes.

The House is adjourned until 6:30 p.m.

Here’s Pat Bauer’s most recent comments for those of you who care.

Pat Bauer

With a weekend left, Indiana lawmakers are blaming each other for the stalemate here at the General Assembly. Senate Pro Tempore David Long says there could have a deal last week, because Democrats are making unreasonable demands they say will break the state budget.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Pat Bauer says he wants to make sure schools don’t share all the pain in the state’s fiscal crisis.

Long said Democrats were asking for legislation which would benefit unions and would break the state budget and they have gone about as far they intend to on making concessions.

Lawmakers have until March 14 to reach an agreement, the last day of session.

You can hear Long and House Republican Leader Brian Bosma’s comments below.

Long & Bosma

I’ll  Twitter if something changes.

This can’t be good.

I’m getting word this evening from my sources at the Statehouse that the real reason Indiana lawmakers can’t get anything done is because House Democrats don’t have a majority to pass anything, instead they only have 50 votes,  and you need 51.

State Rep. Dennie Oxley, Sr. has been out with health problems and State Rep. Craig Fry is reportedly down in Florida watching spring training.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think taking off work during your potentially busiest time of the year is a good idea.  Especially when there are serious issues that need to be worked out.

Meanwhile sources say Senate Republicans keep caving into the Democrats on just about every issue, when Democrats don’t have the votes.

I’m going to try to sort all this out in the morning, but I can tell you one thing,  this is a heck of a way to close out the last days of session.

The Indiana House has adjourned until tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.  There had been some talk lawmakers were close to reaching a deal on unemployment.

I hear they are still close, but no cigar just yet.

We spoke with State Rep.  David Niezgodski shortly after the House adjourned.  His comments are below.

Niezgodski

I’ll be filing these throughout the day.  Here’s what I know so far.  A number of lawmakers say things are still “close” as far as working out their final hang ups on unemployment insurance and whether reclassifying independent contractors as full-time employees will be part of the deal.

As on lawmaker put it to me, “We are making meth.  We’re either going to get a final product, or it’s going to blow up in our faces.”

Lawmakers have still been meeting behind closed doors all day.   And I’ve got several sources keeping an eye for me on when they’ve got a deal.  Once they get something, I’ll get something.  And when I get something, so will you.

It’s pretty common knowledge that Terry Burns of the Indianapolis Times doesn’t sneeze without his Democratic County party’s permission, so I was little surprised when he labeled the Mayor’s proposal to transfer the water a a backroom deal.

First, how can something be a backroom deal when most of the information has been on the city’s website since Labor Day?

Second, that would mean that the participants are backroom dealers, such as the board of the Citizens Gas.   Here’s a list of Citizens Gas’ Board members according to the Indianapolis Star…

Board of trustees

• President: Daniel F. Evans, president and CEO, Clarian Health Partners.
• Secretary: Gerald L. Bepko, professor at Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis.
• Dennis Bland, president, Center for Leadership Development.
• Kathryn G. Betley, civic leader and community volunteer.
• One position is open.

Board of directors

• President: Martha D. Lamkin, retired president and CEO, Lumina Foundation for Education.
• Treasurer: Lawrence A. O’Connor Jr., executive director of the Butler Business Accelerator.
• Secretary: Dorothy J. Jones, former president, BOS Community Development Corp.
• Daniel C. Appel, president, Gregory & Appel Insurance.
• Anne Nobles, senior vice president of Enterprise Risk Management and chief ethics and compliance officer, Eli Lilly and Co.
• James M. McClelland, president, Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana.
• Anita J. Harden, retired president, Community Hospital East.

Is Burns, and by default the Marion County Democratic Party calling the President of Goodwill Industries a backroom inside dealer?    Is the former President of the Lumina Foundation trying to so a deal in the dark?  Does the president of Clarion smoke a Cohiba or Arturo Fuentue when he’s in the smoke-filled back room cutting deal?  It sure does sound like they are.  I don’t know if this is the best public relations strategy if you’re going to attack the deal.  But I guess it’s the only strategy you have when you’re totally void of ideas.