Courts have always played a major role in painting political landscapes, but the importance of the judiciary in determining public policy – and thereby influencing politics – seems particularly intense now.City officials’ hopes for the General Assembly to approve a Fort Wayne casino referendum in an upcoming special session lie less with the city’s lobbyists and more with Gary.
Gary’s legislative delegation hopes the special session will produce a law allowing the owner of Gary’s two riverboats to move one of the casinos to a land-based operation near a busy Lake County interstate.
The delegation has more pull in the Democratic-controlled House than the bipartisan Allen County delegation. The move would not constitute “new” gambling, a deal-breaker for some lawmakers, and might be considered more of an internal Lake County matter than one of statewide concern.
Proponents of a Fort Wayne referendum would then argue that if lawmakers are willing to look at Gary gambling in a special session, they should not ignore Fort Wayne.
Whether a referendum is considered and passes would also depend on how much Democratic state Reps. Win Moses and Phil GiaQuinta want to push the issue. GiaQuinta has quickly gained credibility with the House Democratic leadership, and Moses is among the most politically savvy members of the General Assembly.
Absent other considerations, both are inclined to do what they can to help fellow Democrat Tom Henry help the city succeed. But Henry’s missteps and decision not to clearly back a local casino could make them both wary.
Even a successful Gary move and maneuvering by Moses and GiaQuinta might not be enough to get a referendum through, considering the organized move against a local casino. Legislators like to see something close to a community consensus before passing laws affecting an individual community.
Kruse’s critics
State Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, is among the most conservative members of the legislature, but you wouldn’t get that impression listening to some of his fellow Republicans. Kruse played a lead role in addressing the shortfall in the state’s unemployment compensation fund, overseeing compromise legislation that raises taxes on business by $680 million and finds $300 million in savings.
“The unemployment insurance fix is anything but a compromise; it’s a lopsided mess,” state Rep. Randy Borror said of Kruse’s work.
Added fellow northeast Indiana Republican state Rep. Matt Lehman: “This bill does not, in any way, solve the problem, and it threatens to make it worse.”
Though Republicans claim the entire burden falls on businesses, workers will receive $300 million less for various reasons – an issue Hoosiers will probably hear a lot more about when some workers who previously received unemployment are denied.
