INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mitch Daniels met privately with fellow Republicans and a top Democrat on Tuesday in a hectic push to keep some of his top bills alive, including ones to mandate statewide observance of daylight-saving time and give his inspector general additional powers to prosecute government crimes.\nDaniels met with some lawmakers in his office, and at midday, huddled privately with House leaders then ran past reporters for behind-closed-doors discussions with most of the Republicans who control the chamber.\nAlthough Republicans have a 52-48 majority in the House, Democrats have accused Daniels and Republicans of seeking partisan power grabs, and the political tensions have threatened to stall or even derail some of the governor's key initiatives. Tuesday is the deadline for bills to pass the House and move to the Senate.\nHouse Republicans cheered Daniels after he left a brief, private meeting the governor later described to reporters in pep-talk terms. Daniels said he was unsure whether he would have to accept some Democrat changes to some of his bills to keep them \nmoving.\n"I told (House Republicans) 'Thank you, and press on. Be of good courage and continue setting a pace' (reporters) have all reported as unprecedented in memory," Daniels said.\nAlthough daylight-saving time has been a polarizing issue for decades, House Democrats have signaled at least a possibility of voting as a bloc against the bill. Daniels says observance of the time change would eliminate confusion and boost commerce by bringing Indiana in line with 47 other states, but House Republicans have acknowledged it needed at least some Democrat support to pass.
\nDaniels created an inspector general post by executive order, but wants that official to have power to prosecute crimes if local prosecutors do not do so after six months. Democrats say that would give the executive branch unprecedented police powers, and have continued to object to the legislation.
