Connect with us

Indiana

Q&A from 'All Indiana Politics Special: The Governor’s Debate'

Published

on

Q&A from 'All Indiana Politics Special: The Governor’s Debate'


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The three candidates in November’s election for governor debated in a live broadcast Thursday night at WISH-TV studios.

“All Indiana Politics Special: The Governor’s Debate” featured Republican Mike Braun, Democrat Jennifer McCormick, and Libertarian Donald Rainwater.

Here are the questions they were asked followed with their answers. Answers are paraphrased until in quotation marks. This story will be updated as new questions are added.

Raise your hand if you support cutting or reducing Indiana’s property taxes as governor?

All three raised their hands.

Advertisement

What specifically would you cut, and how would you replace funding for schools and local police and fire services?

BRAUN: People are complaining about property taxes. Circuit breakers put in place by Gov. Mitch Daniels are no longer working. He would reset property taxes to where they were before they went out of control. He wants to assure local governments and school districts have enough to keep going.

McCORMICK: She knows property taxes are weighing on everyone. She put out a property tax plan to give savings to all Hoosiers in a bipartisan way. It’ll be ready on Day 1 and particular help elderly Hoosiers and veterans. The plan would save $660 million; it’s been well-received. She says Braun keeps revising his plan.

RAINWATER: In 2020, he suggested property taxes should be capped at 1% of the value of the property over seven years. He’s done planning — looking at tax-increment finance districts and 10-year tax abatements — on how to fund local government amid a tax cap.

In the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border a crisis, and what should be the role of Indiana government in addressing it?

McCORMICK: Braun, while in Congress as a U.S. senator, has opposed legislation that would have helped. Braun voted against the legislation for political reasons alone. Indiana needs to consider legal immigration’s positive role in helping Indiana’s economy.

RAINWATER: The governor should enforce the rule of law. The federal government has failed to enforce its mandate to manage immigration. Why Braun hasn’t solved the immigration problem while a U.S. senator? Would he do better as Indiana governor?

Advertisement

BRAUN: Former President Donald Trump protected the borders; President Joe Biden has not. He declined to list the crimes that come to Indiana. “I don’t think any Hoosier would be for making it legal that you could have 5,000 illegal immigrants coming across the border daily.”

Do you believe Indiana should add additional restrictions on abortion, repeal the law, or keep things as they are now?

RAINWATER: If changes need to be made to the current law, then the judiciary needs to determine that. Legislators can listen to constituents and make changes. Additional things: Many lifelong Hoosiers are pro-choice; I’ve never seen in the state constitution where Indiana is declared a pro-life state, as Braun has said; many women, lifelong Hoosiers, are pro-live.

BRAUN: Indiana’s abortion has held up through the courts, and Hoosiers have supported it because Indiana as a pro-life state. He says Indiana’s legislature vetted its law carefully, and that held up in the courts, and “it reflects the majority of Hoosiers in the state.”

McCORMICK: I trust women and health care providers. Let’s put the question to the voters in a ballot initiative. Sixty percent of Hoosiers believe in allowing women control the decisions for their health care. Braun says he thinks he got it right, but we need to go back to standards of Roe v. Wade and trust our women. “Hoosiers, I have your back on this.”

Do you believe the school voucher system is helping or hurting the education of Indiana’s children?

BRAUN: Indiana has a leading edge on choice and competition, and also puts the parents as the main stakeholders in their children’s education. “When you have one size fits all, it’s a monopoly.” If you’re not for choice, competition, and vouchers to make it doable, it’s not a zero-sum game. Indiana’s money follows the kids, as was established years ago.

Advertisement

He says Pike County once had mismanagement within a school district, and had to shut down one with the best performance. “If it had not been for the availability of a charter school, you would’ve had to bus those kids 20 to 30 minutes additionally. They are thriving now because they had the option, and the parents went for it.”

Braun says McCormick was in charge for four years as a state schools superintendent and that “results never got any better. I think you’ve got to be held accountable when that’s the one thing you did in state government.”

McCORMICK: I believe in fiscal responsibility. Indiana puts $1.6 billion into private education, and the results haven’t been good. “Make no mistake, this isn’t about parents choosing, this is about a school choosing. The admission policies need to be looked at. If I should up with a child and the school doesn’t like the academy performance, or the color of their skin, or how they identify LGBTQ, or their religious belief, they do not have to take them. … Public dollars need to go to public schools. That whole program needs to be reviewed.” The threshold of eligibility is $220,000 family of four, and how many Hoosier families make that much?

Indiana schools have been under continuously changing standards and test before the exam results are in. Those changes, every time, cost $40 million. We don’t have good data to know what is and isn’t working.

McCormick, when she was a former state schools superintendent, didn’t have control over changing the test.

Advertisement

RAINWATER: I believe in universal school choice. Our public school system is failing; only 63% of children taking statewide tests in math and English. “We are spending almost 60% of our state budget on education.” The state constitution allows for the funding of public and private schools.

McCormick, when she was a former state schools superintendent, changed the test and wasted money.

Do you support Indiana legalizing marijuana use, either medicinal, recreational, or both?

McCORMICK: I’m aware 80% of Hoosiers support it. My cannabis plan calls for a conversation on medical use before a conversation on adult use.

On adult use, Indiana is losing out on $177 million in tax revenue and hundreds of thousands of jobs because surrounding states have legalized marijuana.

Indiana needs a commission on cannabis use.

Advertisement

RAINWATER: “We don’t need to expand government. We don’t need a new commission. We don’t need new regulations. We can make cannabis in all forms — medicinal and recreational — legal right now.”

“If legislators are not prepared, that is their fault, and we should probably replace them. We should make this legal now, and, as governor, I would make sure that all nonviolent criminal cannabis-related offenses are expunged.”

BRAUN: Marijuana use medicinally and recreationally is cascading across the county, and Indiana needs to address it seriously. He’d have to think about whether to allow adult use. On medical use, “We’re probably ready for it.” On both counts, he’s going to listen to law enforcement because they will have to enforce it and put up with any issues.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Indiana

The Indiana Pacers Need Tyrese Haliburton To Find Consistency

Published

on

The Indiana Pacers Need Tyrese Haliburton To Find Consistency


Last season, the world saw the early-season rise of Tyrese Haliburton, in which the Pacer guard averaged over 26 points, and 12 assists per game, leading his team to the number one offense in the NBA.

Unfortunately, an avalanche of injuries, including to his knee, ankle, hamstring, and back, forced Haliburton to play the majority of the season in limited fashion. His numbers, understandably so, fell to a point where fans and pundits essentially decided to wait for this season, 2024-2025, to see his full production return.

Advertisement

Inconsistencies

37 games into this season, however, Haliburton is nowhere near the same place as he was to start last season. His 18.4 points, 8.8 assists, and 3.7 rebounds are stil All-Star caliber numbers, but for a team that was expecting their point guard to return to his elite levels of production, it’s been a rough year.

Fortunately for the Pacers, they’re 19-18 and are winning at a decent rate, at least decent enough compete for a Top 6 playoff seed, which means avoiding the play-in tournament altogether. This, in large part, is due to the play of Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, and Myles Turner.

Haliburton unquestionably plays a big part in their winning record, inconsistencies aside, but there seems to be a lingering feeling that the Pacers would be considerably better if he was back to form.

In seven games this season, Haliburton has failed to crack double-digit scoring. The Pacers have lost each and every one of those.

Advertisement

In the six games he’s scored over 30 points, they’re 5-1, and have outscored their opponents by 51 points in those five wins.

It’s not rocket science to conclude that teams tend to win more when their best player is producing at elite levels, but in the case of Indiana, it’s absurdly relevant given how one small losing streak can put them right back into play-in territory.

Deadline goals

The Pacers do have a little under a month to further upgrade its roster, which should help offset some of Haliburton’s inconsistent play.

Indiana doesn’t have a major pool of assets to toy around with, and they’re currently over the luxury tax limit by a hair over $400,000 which means they’re probably looking to also shed money to get under it.

(Historically, teams that are so close to go under the tax line make deadline moves that save them just enough to get under, so they can partake in receiving payments from the teams that do go over.)

Advertisement

Can the Pacers make a roster upgrade, and simultaneously get under the tax line? It’s not impossible, but they’ll have to carefully construct a deal that helps both of their endeavors, while also making sure to not waste too much of their future flexibility.

If possible, the franchise should seek out a shooter who can also rebound the ball.

The Pacers are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA, and while they rank seventh in three-point efficiency, they rank just 27th in attempts, and are thus in need of volume.

Those players aren’t easy to find, so they’ll have to get creative.

Hope ahead

Setting aside the trade deadline, there might be good news coming for the Pacers in regards to Haliburton.

Advertisement

Over his past five games, the 24-year-old has averaged 25.3 points, 9.0 assists, and 5.0 rebounds, including a 33-point, 15-assist performance against Miami.

This has been Haliburton’s best stretch of the season, and the Pacers would love to see him maintain this level of production, especially as they’re paying him over $244.6 million over the next five seasons.

Should the Pacers succeed in making a real upgrade before the deadline, and get Haliburton back to form, they could become a serious surprise team in the East by April.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Indiana

Indiana basketball vs. USC expert prediction, start time, TV channel for 1/8/25

Published

on

Indiana basketball vs. USC expert prediction, start time, TV channel for 1/8/25


play

Indiana basketball returns home on a four-game winning streak to host USC in Big Ten action on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.

The Hoosiers (12-3, 3-1) are coming off a victory over highly regarded Penn State in Philadelphia as Oumar Ballo carried the first half and Mackenzie Mgbako heated up early in the second half. Malik Reneau (knee) missed the game, but team officials have said they don’t expect him to be out long term. IU is the Big Ten’s best rebounding team (76.7% defensive rebounds in conference games, 1st; 37.7% offensive rebounds, 2nd).

Advertisement

The Trojans (9-5, 1-2) lost to Michigan over the weekend as they scored just 3 points in final 3 minutes. USC struggles rebounding (68.9% defensive, 12th; 28.6% offensive, 12th) and it doesn’t attempt many 3-pointers (5.0-of-15.7 per game, 31.9% in conference). The Trojans continue to miss Terrance Williams II, the Michigan transfer who suffered a broken wrist in December.

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Zach Osterman and Michael Niziolek keep up with IU all season. Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. 

Indiana basketball prediction, pick

Zach Osterman, IndyStar: Indiana 88-81

Advertisement

Indiana has been playing better of late, with good, tough wins against Rutgers and Penn State. USC isn’t bad so much as finding itself, and this feels like the kind of game where a young team rises to the occasion. IU struggles but wins.

When does Indiana basketball play today?

7 p.m. ET Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.

What channel is the IU basketball game on?

Indiana basketball odds

ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Indiana a 65.4% chance of winning.

Indiana basketball rankings vs. USC

Through Jan. 5

Advertisement

Indiana projected starting lineup

(with 2024-25 season averages)

USC projected starting lineup

  • Desmond Claude (14.9 points, 3.9 rebounds)
  • Chibuzo Agbo (12.8 points, 39.1% 3-pointers, 4.3 rebounds)
  • Josh Cohen (9.7 points)
  • Saint Thomas (9.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists)
  • Wesley Yates III (9.1 points)

Indiana basketball schedule

Jan. 2: Indiana 84, Rutgers 74

Jan. 5: Indiana 77, Penn State 71

Wed., Jan. 8: vs. USC, 7 p.m., BTN

Sat., Jan. 11: at Iowa, 8 p.m., Fox

Tues., Jan. 14: vs. Illinois, 7 p.m., Peacock

Advertisement

USC basketball schedule

Dec. 22: USC 82, Southern 51

Jan. 4: Michigan 85, USC 74

Wed., Jan. 8: at Indiana, 7 p.m., BTN

Sat., Jan. 11: at Illinois, noon, BTN

Tues., Jan. 14: vs. Iowa, 10:30 p.m., BTN

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Indiana

Historic Cypress Log Cabin at Indiana Dunes National Park now available for overnight stays

Published

on

Historic Cypress Log Cabin at Indiana Dunes National Park now available for overnight stays


ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 1:06AM

Historic Cypress Log Cabin at Indiana Dunes National Park available for stays

You can now stay at the one-of-a-kind Cypress Log Cabin at Indiana Dunes that was originally built for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.

CHICAGO (WLS) — You can now stay at the one-of-a-kind Cypress Log Cabin at Indiana Dunes that was originally built for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.

At the end of the World’s Fair in 1935, the home, which is one of the famed “Century of Progress” houses, was taken to Beverly Shores, Ind., where it has stood since.

Advertisement

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

It spent several decades as a private home, and then was restored through a program between Indiana Landmarks, the National Park Service and several private parties.

The cabin was previously only accessible to the public through limited National Park tours.

You can book a stay by visiting INtheDunes.com.

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending