The Indiana Supreme Court ruled last week that the state’s ban on automated robo-calls is constitutional – but that may not be the last word.
Don’t be surprised if the ruling is appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court on First Amendment grounds. Consider the opinion of Justice Frank Sullivan, the court’s lone dissenter – and perhaps its best legal mind.
Sullivan explained in great detail how political speech is deserving of greater protection, and that the robo-calls are a financially efficient way to reach voters. The courts most often strike down laws on free-speech grounds when they are too broad; the more narrow the law, the less likely it is to limit protected free speech. “The Indiana Autodialer Law is not narrowly tailored because it burdens substantially more speech than is necessary to serve the State’s interest in protecting residential privacy,” Sullivan wrote.
2012 campaigns
While today’s Iowa caucuses focus attention on the presidential race – the top of the 2012 ticket – local politicians soon will begin officially declaring their candidacies.
Candidates can begin filing their formal intentions to run in the May primary on Jan. 11; the deadline to file is Feb. 7.
One battle is already shaping up: Recorder John McGauley has said he plans to run against incumbent Commissioner Nelson Peters in the GOP primary. The three at-large County Council seats now held by Republicans Paul Moss, Roy Buskirk and Robert Armstrong will also be up, as well as county coroner, treasurer and surveyor.
Congress
One of the big questions in the GOP primary is whether first-term U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman will face any challengers. Stutzman was in some ways an accidental successor to Mark Souder. If another Republican wants that congressional seat, 2012 may be the last time anyone has a decent chance to beat Stutzman. If he’s re-elected, he may well have the office for many years as Souder did.
Campaign reports
Another key date coming up is the Jan. 18 deadline for candidates and their committees to file year-end reports for 2011. Final costs of last year’s mayor’s race can be calculated then.
Not deputy mayor
Last week, I wrote that Karen Goldner’s name has come up as a possible candidate to replace Beth Malloy as deputy mayor. Goldner says she is not interested.
Goldner, who works at the business consultancy and venture capital firm Ruffolo Benson and is president of a venture fund, recently became president of Bowmar, which the fund she oversees owns. Bowmar began in the city 60 years ago and now makes, among other items, electronic products for the defense and aerospace industries. But the Bowmar name is perhaps best known for its 1970s product, the Bowmar Brain, the first handheld calculator.
