My friend Zach Wendling has a slew of good Indiana posts at In the Agora. Here he writes on the governor’s State of the State Address. Here he writes on cigarette taxes. Here he writes on the Indiana GOP’s new leader.

The NK Hurst Bean Company has filed court papers challenging the state’s authority to take its property for new stadium and convention center parking. In the documents filed late Friday in Marion County Superior Court, NK Hurst’s primary argument is that the taking violates Indiana’s eminent domain laws because the property would be used to primarily benefit the Colts, a private company. NK Hurst maintains the Authority needs its land for parking so that the Colts can be guaranteed a certain amount of revenue. NK Hurst maintains Indiana’s laws forbid the government from taking land from one private party and giving it to another private party. The Stadium Building Authority filed its eminent domain suit on the last business day of 2005. The Authority says it needs the bean company’s land for stadium parking. The Authority had offered NK Hurst a chance to stay on the property, but with reduced space. NK Hurst says the offer would not allow them operate their business. The Indiana House Judicary Committee Tuesday unanimously passed a bill making it tougher for governments to use eminent domain to take private property.

The Indianapolis Star reports the following:

Indiana University President Adam Herbert told trustees today that he will quit when his contract runs out in 2008, a move that signals his surrender in a long battle with Bloomington faculty members, IU alumni, state leaders and other critics who have questioned whether Herbert was up to the job.

The decision also effectively puts to rest the question of whether the trustees will consider an unprecedented midyear job review of Herbert, a decision they were expected to make Saturday.

Herbert, who is about halfway through is five-year contract, requested a head start to the search for his replacement, according to his letter to the nine-member trustees board.

Indiana Republicans have a new man at the helm. Former State Senator Murray Clark will take over to replace outgoing chairman Jim Kittle. In an afternoon press conference, Kittle said he was leaving the party in the best it has been, citing Republican control of the Governor’s office and the legislature. Clark says his priorities will be keep the Republicans in control of the House of Representatives, get Carl Brizzi re-elected Marion County Prosecutor and to recruit quality candidates for the GOP.

Although they won’t make an official announcement until this afternoon, I hear the two likely candidates to replace Jim Kittle as head of the Indiana GOP are Mark Lubbers, aide to Governor Mitch Daniels and former State Senator Murray Clark of Indianapolis, who also ran for Lt. Governor in 2000. I’ll let you know for sure as soon as the announcement is made.

I hear the likely candidate to replace the outgoing head of the Indiana Republican party is key Mitch Daniels aide, Mark Lubbers, who is also the husband of State Senator Threasa Lubbers. We’ll see. So much for taking Friday off.

I’m taking a few days off to spend time with my son, but before I disappear I wanted to leave you with these two items to chew on for a while, lawmakers health insurance and Marion County Consolidation.

Health Care for Life
As you know there has been a stir raised in the Capitol over the fact that lawmakers who serve more than six years are entitled to free lifetime health insurance. Their spouses, kids and ex-spouses and widows also get the benefit. Auditor Connie Nass is looking at the costs to taxpayers, which could run into the tens of millions. Sources close to Speaker Brian Bosma tell me that his plan to solve the issue includes eliminating the lifetime health insurance benefit for all lawmakers elected in 2006. Originally it was hypothesized, the Speaker would only eliminate the benefit for new lawmakers elected in 2006, but that would still leave dozens with the benefit. This way everyone is treated equally and all lawmakers lose their lifetime state funded healthcare.

The Consolidation Saga Continues…
The other item I want to leave you with is SB 1, the “Indy Works Better Together Bill.” I know for a fact I am on Sen. Mike Young’s (R-Indianapolis) sh**list, so reporting this won’t probably endure me anymore to the Senator or some other members of the local Marion County GOP who would probably sleep better at night if I were working in some other radio market. Young’s bill is an alternative to Mayor Bart Peterson’s Indy Works part II bill that calls for consolidating all the township fire departments in Marion County with the Indianapolis Fire Department. Young’s bill was heard in committee yesterday, but no vote was taken and there’s probably a good reason, to save him some political embarrassment. Committee chairman Marvin Riegseker told me he wants Young and the Mayor to sit down and seek a compromise. He also says the bill may have to be moved to the Appropriations Committee because of a provision dealing with small claims courts. Riegsecker also believed that had the vote been taken yesterday it would not have passed leaving Young and his allies with serious political egg on their faces. I think the fact that the legislation would not have been rubber stamped by the Senate Republicans shows an increasing disconnect between the Marion County GOP and the state party. Sources tell me the powers that be are not happy with the local guys and I’ve also heard in several places that some major donors are starting to withhold their financial contributions. Throw in the fact Governor Mitch Daniels is calling for the consolidation of the township assessors offices and the fact Mayor Bart Peterson’s forces are much more organized this time around, check out the ad campaign, and the Marion County GOP may be fighting a battle that already has a predetermined outcome.

That’s what I know for now. I’m off to go to the job I enjoy most, being a Dad.

In the nearly year and a half that I have come to know Mitch Daniels one thing I can say is that although he may be from Indiana, he sure doesn’t act like it. In his second State of the State address the Governor outlined a road map for Indiana that continues it in the fast lane toward change, however I have to wonder if some of his passengers may be getting a little car sick. Daniels wants more money for schools and more money from cigarettes, just to start. Here’s a better rundown…

Schools
The Governor wants to take more than $150 million from the $255 million in tax amnesty and put it towards schools. Daniels says the state has a duty to pay its back bills with any new money and schools are owed quite a bit. In addition, Daniels says Indiana schools should have the authority to opt out burdensome regulations that don’t add to instruction in the classroom. He told lawmakers he plans to send them a bill that will help free schools from many regulations. He also wants to give schools more power to pool their resources and purchase items in bulk to save money.

Cigarettes
With administration officials saying cigarettes cost the taxpayers $500 million in health care costs, Daniels called for a 25-cent increase in the tax on cigarettes. The increase would not be for revenue, but to deter youth from smoking.

Township Government
In his second State of the State address to Hoosiers, Governor Mitch Daniels called for the elimination of township assessor offices. Daniels said Indiana suffers from redundant and antiquated government that makes property taxes too high. Daniels says the township assessors’ functions should be transferred to a single county assessor. More will be unveiled Thursday in a morning press conference.

Roads and Phones
He also called for the passage of “Major Moves” his transportation plan which he says would create thousands of jobs and includes toll roads. He also wants to revamp Indiana’s telecommunication laws.

Pretty bold for someone who’s been in office a little more than 365 days. It will be interesting to see how Indiana lawmakers take all this once they see the details.

Below Abdul notes that the Indiana GOP is calling for the elimination of township assessors, trustees and consolidating township departments. Within Marion this may serve as an interesting juxtaposition for the recent GOP opposition to Bart Peterson’s consolidation efforts. But in the context of the wider state this move makes sense. After all, it was Indiana Republicans that first championed consolidation and as advocates of more efficient government, elimination of township officials is a logical step.

Unfortunately though, in spite of all the talk, very little progress has been made toward this end. Even Bart Peterson’s plan won’t let City-County Council use township funds for UniGov purposes, nor will it eliminate all the township assessors and trustees. There remains a need for reform in both Indianapolis and the entire state. One of the state’s leading experts on the subject, Paul Musgrave, has covered it here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Although excessive township bureaucracy remains the state’s most pressing concern for government reform, there are still other vital local consolidation efforts around the state that deserve attention. The consolidation movement in Evansville and Vanderburgh County now has two somewhat conflicting bills that allow for a referendum.

Rep. Dennis Avery, D-Evansville, filed House Bill 1394, which would hold a referendum in 2006 asking voters if they want a commission to “continue to study whether local government in Vanderburgh County should be consolidated.” Meanwhile Rep. Phil Hinkle, R-Indianapolis, filed House Bill 1344, which words the referendum question differently, asking voters if a commission should “continue to study whether the governments of Vanderburgh County and the city of Evansville should be consolidated so that the county is governed by a mayor and a single legislative body.”

In his quest to consolidate local government, Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson may have found an ally in the most unlikely of places, the Indiana Republican Party. I am not making this up. I was checking the state GOP website this morning and under Indiana Watch (Jan 10, 2006 edition), the GOP calls for the elimination of township assessors, trustees and consolidating township fire departments. Once again, I am not making this up. The Indiana State GOP is advocating consolidating township functions. Go to the website and check it out yourself. Once the Mayor gets wind of this, he is going to have more ammo in his pocket and the Marion County GOP is going to have to scramble on this one. By the way, I’ve printed off a copy of the webpage in the event it gets changed today. You may want to do the same.