Kernan was elected lieutenant governor in 1996 running on a ticket with Democrat Frank O’Bannon. They were reelected in 2000, but O’Bannon died suddenly after a stroke in 2003, and Kernan ascended to the Governor’s Office.
The Republican governor’s comments came a day after he announced the requirement, which is to take effect Monday, and less than a day after Attorney General Curtis Hill said the governor did not have the authority to enforce a mandate.
Democrat Woody Myers is the state’s first Black gubernatorial nominee from either major political party, but Black community leaders say his campaign is getting lost in the barrage of news about COVID-19 and protests over police brutality and racial inequity.
Tax revenues for fiscal year 2020 were already off by $1.2 billion by the end of May, an amount that is expected to grow to $1.7 billion to $1.8 billion before the fiscal year ends June 30.
The governor was criticized for violating two of the recommendations he’s made to Hoosiers, most recently in the “Back on Track” plan he released on Friday that is aimed at reopening Indiana economy in a phased approach through July 4.
A company official said it’s “preposterous” to think the company would reopen its malls, especially those in its home state, while stay-at-home orders are still in place.
State officials again refused to say how many ventilators or intensive-care unit beds hospitals have, citing confidentiality agreements with hospitals and vendors. Some hospitals expect their supplies to run short in coming weeks.
Cris Johnston, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said agencies have been told to look for places where they can eliminate spending. But he said there are no plans to cut funding for schools, even though it’s the state’s largest expenditure.
The governor’s decision to block the bill from becoming law allows tenant protections the city of Indianapolis recently put in place to remain in force.
His decision—announced in a Statehouse address streamed online—follows in the footsteps of a handful of other governors across the country, including three of Indiana’s neighboring states: Michigan, Illinois and Ohio.
The governor also signed legislation that will eventually put more money into the state’s unemployment trust fund, a move that comes as the coronavirus outbreak has led to a jump in unemployment claims.
More than 200 of Indiana’s nearly 300 districts have closed after consultations with local health officials. But, in at least 21 states, officials have ordered closures to try to stop spread of COVID-19.
Holcomb signed an executive order meant to speed up deliveries to retailers, which are running short of supplies, by lifting regulations on the number of hours that commercial drivers can work.
Owens told IBJ on Tuesday that he left his job as CEO of local tech firm SupplyKick in early January in part to focus on his run for governor. Now that he’s not running for governor, he said he hasn’t decided what his next move is.
Supply Kick CEO Josh Owens said the move to suspend his campaign—which comes two days before the candidate filing deadline—lets Woody Myers become the party’s presumptive nominee.
Democrat Paul McNutt was governor from 1933 to 1937, after serving as dean of the Indiana University Law School and then state and national commander of the American Legion.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb is expected to talk during his annual State of the State speech Tuesday about a possible additional boost in school funding—just not one that would happen this year.
Sen. Eddie Melton of Gary announced his candidacy in October, becoming the third Democrat to seek the party’s nomination to challenge Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Republican Eric Holcomb has said he would wait for recommendations later this year from a teacher pay commission he appointed in February, but he told reporters Monday—on the first day of the legislative session—that might change with state tax revenues growing faster than expected.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said Tuesday that he wants the state to impose a hands-free-driving law in 2020. The proposal, which would prohibit the use of mobile phones while operating a motor vehicle, is part of the Republican governor’s 2020 legislative agenda.
