by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE: This is a commentary written by Fred Swift of the Hamilton County Reporter. The views expressed are those of Fred Swift and do not necessarily reflect the views of LarryInFishers.com.  This opinion piece is posted here as part of a partnership between the Reporter and LarryInFishers.com)

State legislators are beginning to reveal matters they intend to address in the upcoming session of the General Assembly.

I have a few matters that deserve addressing if the legislators would care to listen. Of course, these suggestions make too much sense, so they will likely not be considered.

Number 1: Our lawmakers should put an end to “pay to play” which is a disgrace just short of bribery. It involves some companies or individuals giving money to an elected official’s campaign committee with the expectation that it may help get a lucrative contract for goods or services.

Why should the public care? Because it costs the taxpayers money. Most public officials do not participate in the pay to play game, but those who do take these contributions and give business to their contributors and not to non-players.

This potentially can cheat the public out of having ethical businesses do public work. But, worse yet is the fact that when a company plays this game, the costs of candidate contributions are likely passed on to the consumer – in other words, the public.

This practice could be stopped or at least be made unmistakably illegal by legislation if there was a will to do it.

Number 2: Gerrymandering directly affects Hamilton County. In the upcoming legislative session, maps of Congressional and state legislative districts will be redrawn, adjusting for shifts in population.

Hamilton County is very popular. It seems every Republican legislator wants a part of it. Democrats seem to want no part of it. The result is the county is incredibly split up among parts of eleven state legislative districts.

What’s wrong with that? Well, when for example, a Marion County district gets a group of Hamilton County precincts included within it, but the elected legislator is a Marion County resident, we could easily get the short stick.

If Indianapolis politicians should want a new state or regional tax but Hamilton County voters do not want it, how do you think that legislator is going to go? Probably not with his Hamilton County constituents.

Districts are supposed to be ‘compact in area’ and represent a ‘community of interest.’ Our local legislators can make that happen if they have the will to do so.

Number 3: Put an end to the closed political caucus when a public official is being elected. Political parties are permitted to hold closed caucuses to develop strategy, elect their officers, etc. That’s OK.

But, through another law, they are given the responsibility of filling a vacancy when a local elected official resigns or dies during his or her term of office. When a caucus is called for that purpose, the meeting should be open and publicized in advance. But, the local party chairman can either open or close such a caucus.

Under current law, it is possible for a vacancy to be filled without members of the public having an opportunity to run for the office or even know of the caucus.

State law should be, and easily could be, amended to remedy this injustice.