Governor gives Fort Wayne special message

FORT WAYNE -- In campaign-style mode Wednesday but without any promises for a rosy tomorrow, Gov. Frank O'Bannon asked Hoosiers to help sell his message to lawmakers: Put election-year politics aside, get back to work and fix the state's pressing financial problems.\n"We need to get back to special session and get it done," O'Bannon told about 75 cheering supporters at the airport in Indiana's second-largest city.\nAfter telling them to call their lawmakers and spread the message, O'Bannon was whisked to a hotel, where he sat down with a group of local civic, business and education leaders and said he needed their help, too.\nThe Democratic governor already has set a special session for May 14 to address the budget shortfall and tax restructuring, but he cannot guarantee that Democrats and Republicans will compromise on solutions.\nO'Bannon said if lawmakers do not raise taxes to shore up a projected $1 billion budget deficit and modernize the state's tax structure this year, schools and an already sagging business climate will suffer even more in the coming years.\nHe later named Republican lawmakers from northeastern Indiana, including Sens. Robert Meeks of LaGrange, David Ford of Hartford City and Tom Wyss of Fort Wayne, and Rep. Jeff Espich of Uniondale. All have been involved in recent budget talks.\nDuring the regular session that adjourned March 14, Senate Republicans insisted O'Bannon could manage the deficit on his own by making spending cuts, account transfers and relying on reserves.\nAfter a private meeting between O'Bannon and fiscal leaders Tuesday, Meeks acknowledged the state faces a serious budget shortfall. But he and many other Republicans have said action should wait until next year, when more will be known about the economy and reassessment.\nPhil Laux, president of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, told O'Bannon his group opposes a special session unless fiscal leaders reach a tax-and-budget deal first.\nDuring the flight to Fort Wayne, O'Bannon was relaxed but acknowledged some frustration over the fiscal impasse.\nHe said his proposal to raise taxes on cigarettes and casinos would help balance the budget and protect future funding for schools.\nO'Bannon is counting on support from Democrats who control the House to help get a tax-and-budget package passed in the special session. Rep. Win Moses, D-Fort Wayne, said he hoped O'Bannon's visit would put pressure on Senate Republicans to work on the problems as well.\nMoses acknowledged that most of his House Democrat colleagues do not want to return for special session.\n"We don't want to go through the process of supporting the governor again, putting up tough votes in every respect, and then being left to twist in the wind as we did this last time," Moses said. "I'm not saying we won't do it, but it would be easier if there was an agreement first"