Election News Analysis

INDIANAPOLIS -- Democrats who control the Indiana House are shooting at it. Democratic Gov. Frank O'Bannon is taking shots at it, too. So is the Indiana Democratic Party.\nAs a group, Republicans who rule the Indiana Senate aren't saying anything about it. Senate Democrats are taking a collective pass, too, seemingly resigned with a sigh to still being outnumbered big time come Nov. 6, the day after the upcoming election.\nCall it pie-in-the-sky, too costly, trying to have it all ways.\nCall it what you want or say nothing about it at all, but of the O'Bannon administration and the four caucuses in the General Assembly, the only group with a pre-election, pre-session plan for taking on Indiana's lingering problems is House Republicans.\n"Right now it's the only plan for the future of the state, because most other state leaders are silent at a time when our state is in near-crisis mode," House Republican Leader Brian Bosma said. "It's not just political, it's an issue of leadership."\nWithout much backing from House Republicans, the General Assembly passed a major tax-increase and tax-restructuring plan during a special session in June.\nIt was designed to shore up the state's budget deficit, shield most homeowners from big property tax increases and create jobs.\nIn time, it might create jobs and turn Indiana's economy around. But for now, the state still has a big budget deficit, and the national recession still has a grip on Indiana.\nTo help turn things around, House Republicans are proposing new tax breaks for businesses that create jobs. They're proposing a state spending cap at 99 percent of projected revenues.\nThey want a commission appointed to root out government mismanagement and agency duplication. They want to expand the state government program that helps low-income seniors pay for prescription drugs.\nThey want to shorten the ISTEP test and make teachers take tests to ensure they know what they're teaching.\nHouse Democrats say the proposals are costly and hypocritical.\n"Just a week ago, the House Republicans were calling for massive cuts in state spending and now they say they want an expansion of programs that will cost our state easily $100 million or more," said House Ways and Means Chairman B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend.\n"Indiana does not have that kind of money, especially during the national recession."\nDemocrats also accused House Republicans of campaigning on the state's time by having staff put out news releases that were political pieces, not policy pieces.\nHouse Republicans dismissed the claim and continued playing up their proposals.\n"House Republicans are proud but somewhat surprised to be the only caucus that is talking about a pre-session agenda before the election," said Rep. Jeff Espich, R-Uniondale.\n"We think it's very disappointing ... that the House Democrat reaction was not one of releasing their own agenda, but in fact, simply crying because we have an agenda and are willing to share it with Hoosiers."\nIt's an agenda that might not win them the majority on Nov. 5, but Espich and Bosma are right about one thing. When it comes to future state policy, it is the only agenda out there right now.