WIBC News

60 Students Suspended Following Protest

By Reed Parker (reed@wibc.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:55:00 GMT

Nearly 60 students have been suspended from Cascade High School after protesting administrators' handling of a senior prank. Five seniors and one junior were suspended for two days after they posted about 12,000 sticky notes in decorative displays in the school's hallways, windows and floors Monday night.

Superintendent Patrick Spray recommended that a custodian who supervised the students during the prank be fired, although students said it was a board member and parent of one of the suspended students who let them in the building. Students who were upset with the schools' handling of the incident staged a sit-in protest in the school's gymnasium Wednesday morning.

Student Chancy Anderson doesn't agree with the school's actions "Because we don't think it's right. They had no reason to suspend the six students and they shouldn't have fired the janitor. It's just not right in my mind."

School officials allowed the protest to continue for about an hour but then Superintendent Patrick Spray began suspending students "Disrupting the school day and causing a distruption during the school day is not justified. Its part of every school's code of conduct and I believe is very consistent."

All of the suspended students will be allowed to return to class Monday and seniors will still be able to take part in graduation ceremonies.

John Gregg Proposes Corporate Tax Cut

By Mike Corbin (mcorbin@wibc.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:13:00 GMT

John Gregg (WIBC.com file photo: Eric Berman)

Democratic Candidate for Governor John Gregg says he wants to cut corporate income taxes for Indiana-based firms.

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Gregg says the move would create a friendlier business climate and target companies that choose to re-locate to Indiana and hire Hoosier workers. Gregg says his plan would not cut taxes across the board, but would target Hoosier-minded companie. He calls it his "Corporate Headquarters Job Tax Credit." The credit would allow companies from $500 to $2000 per employee. He says the cut would amount to about $150 million.

Gregg says he also wants to give tax credits to all firms, large and small that make job creating investments in the state. Gregg says he'd pay for the cuts through the collection of online sales taxes which he says would amount to at least $200 million. Gregg says that move would create a level playing field for all Indiana business whether they be online or brick and mortar.

Marion County Election Board Prepping For Certification

By Mike Corbin (mcorbin@wibc.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:31:00 GMT

The Marion County Election Board experts to certify results of the May Primary this coming Monday.

Clerk Beth White says they got a court order from a Marion County judge to count votes Wednesday that didn't get counted for whatever reason. White says those votes amounted to about 54, but White says for the General Election, that number could be much higher. She says that's why it's good to seek such approval. By law, certification must occur the Monday ten days after any Election Day.

Military people and overseas voters have until noon this Friday to get their ballots into the clerk's office. The board will meet Monday morning at nine a-m to certify the election. Then on Tuesday, May 22nd, voter registration for the November election opens.

Why Are Unions Protesting WellPoint?

by Ray Steele (rsteele@wibc.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:25:00 GMT

Union protestors complain about WellPoint's political spending (WIBC.com photo: Eric Berman)

They lost at the Supreme Court last year. Now, some who oppose political spending by corporations are using shareholder meetings as their latest attempt to curtail what the high court ruled was free speech protected by the Constitution. 　

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They've targeted several big companies like Coca Cola, Pepsi, and Wendy's. Now, the latest target of unions and other activists who disagreed with the Citizens United decision is insurance company Wellpoint in Indianapolis. What is WellPoint's sin? "Funding extremist political organizations and candidates that we are convinced are not in the interest of policy holders, taxpayers or shareholders," said Tom Swan with the group Health Care For America, which was part of Wednesday morning's protest.

Extremist is how Swan and other protestors describe WellPoint's contribution to a 2010 ad campaign that spoke out against President Obama's health care reform law - Swan's group supports the law. Also extremist, according to Swan, was WellPoint's contribution to the American Legislative Exchange Council which, among other things, has funded campaigns for voter ID laws, like the one in Indiana. Swan refers to them as "voter intimidation laws."

WellPoint also has contributed to the campaign for right to work laws like the one that passed in Indiana this year, and Swan says that means Wellpoint isn't representing all of its insurance policy holders. "Some estimates show over 40 percent of (WellPoint's) membership comes from collective barganing agreements. This is not in the interest of shareholders or policy holders who currently enjoy those rights."

Activists held a rally, and some tried to disrupt WellPoint's annual shareholder meeting. The Wall Street Journal says they are also trying to get rid of two Wellpoint board members. One of them is Susan Bayh, the wife of former Democratic Senator Evan Bayh, because her husband is now a consultant with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - another enemy of those who don't think corporations should be allowed to spend money on politics.

The kerfuffle is funny and outrageous to the attorney from Terre Haute who argued in favor of Citizens United before the Supreme Court. Jim Bopp says the ruling was not only good for corporations but also for the labor unions protesting companies like WellPoint. "Each of them, corporations and labor unions, can spend their general treasury funds to advocate their position on political issues, including candidates that are seeking election," Bopp says.

Bopp says union complaints have nothing to do with shareholder rights. He says it's about sour grapes on the part of a group of people who didn't agree with a Supreme Court ruling. "Labor unions want to take advantage of this decision and be the only ones that speak out." Bopp says. "That's the reason they're attacking corporations, to try to shut them up. But they certainly don't want to shut themselves up. They just want to have a one-way conversation."

Not so, says Swan. He simply believes WellPoint and other companies should make all their political donations public knowledge so those who have insurance with WellPoint know where their money is going. "Nobody that I know from any labor union says it should be done in a secretive way. Unions have to disclose ten times as much when it comes to how they spend their members dues than any corporation has to spend," Swan said.

Jim Bopp says that's like the pot calling the kettle black, since many unions automatically deduct dues from workers, and those workers usually don't have input on political campaigns in which their money is spent. He also says it's bunk that corporations don't disclose their donations. "If a corporation, as they are allowed to in Indiana, makes a contribution to a candidate, or if they would speak out and do an ad about an economic policy they want to support, they are required to disclose their identity," Bopp said.

Tony Felts, a spokesman for WellPoint, declined a request for an interview, but he issued a written statement says the company complies with all political disclosure requirements, usually going beyond what is required under the law. Felts says two years ago, 82 percent of WellPoint shareholders voted against a resolution asking the company to provide more disclosure.

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Dems Seek Info About Chrysler Bailout Lawsuit Decision

By Eric Berman (eric@wibc.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:11:00 GMT

Democrats want to know more about State Treasurer Richard Mourdock's opposition to the 2009 Chrysler bailout.

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Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker wants Mourdock to release copies of all emails about his decision to sue to block Chrysler's "managed bankruptcy," a suit which went all the way to the Supreme Court. Party spokesman Ben Ray notes Mourdock himself has acknowledged the battle raised his name ID as he prepared to challenge Senator Richard Lugar in the Republican primary -- he says Democrats want to see if there was any political motivation.

Parker is also demanding itemized bills from the New York law firm which handled the suit.

Mourdock spokesman Ian Slatter says the office will review Parker's public records request, but says there's no mystery behind the lawsuit -- he says Mourdock wanted the courts to enforce Indiana pension funds' repayment rights, which were overridden by the bankruptcy deal.

State Police pension fund investments included Chrysler bonds, which normally would have been at the front of the line for repayment in bankruptcy. Federal courts ruled bankruptcy administrators had the right to circumvent the normal order in the deal which transferred ownership of the automaker to a new partnership led by Fiat.

Democrats believe the issue is a political winner for Senate nominee Joe Donnelly, claiming the deal saved thousands of jobs that would have been lost in a conventional bankruptcy.

Lafayette Subaru Factory Expanding; 100 New Jobs

By Joe Ulery (julery@wibc.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:36:00 GMT

SIA production line in Lafayette (WIBC.com photo)

Subaru will add 100 new jobs at its Lafayette production plant over the next two years.

The Japanese automaker is increasing production capacity to keep up with consumer demand for its Outback and Legacy models.

Subaru will spend about $75-million dollars to expand the plant an additional 52,000 square feet.

The factory employs about 3,600 Hoosiers.

Police Shoot Distraught Lapel Teen;

By Joe Ulery (julery@wibc.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:42:00 GMT

Corey Michael Tucker (Hamilton County Sheriff's Department photo)

The shooting happened in Lafayette Park, near Noblesville.

Sheriff's Deputy Vicky Dunbar said officers were investigating a suspicious vehicle at the park when Corey Michael Tucker, 18, jumped from the vehicle with a .44 Magnum and ran into the woods.

Tucker was reportedly upset because he and his girlfriend recently brokeup. Police said his Facebook page suggested that he may have been considering killing himself.

An Indiana State Police S.W.A.T. unit was called to the scene and coronered the teen shortly about 1:07 a.m. Wednesday.

Dunbar said Tucker fired his gun into the air, but no one was hurt.

Police repeatedly told him to drop his weapon.

A state trooper shot him with two bullets after Tucker waved the gun in the air.

Dunbar said Tucker was loaded onto a medical helicopter and flown to St. Vincent's Hospital in Indianapolis, where doctors performed surgery.

He is listed in stable condition.

Another Indiana Justice Considering Retirement

By Eric Berman (eric@wibc.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Indiana Supreme Court Justice Robert Rucker

The Indiana Supreme Court could soon face its fourth vacancy in two years, and its third in six months.

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Justice Robert Rucker is scheduled to face the voters in November for Indiana's once-every-10-years retention vote. But Chief Justice Brent Dickson says Rucker is considering retirement.

Rucker must file paperwork with the secretary of state by July 16 to get his name on the ballot. If he doesn't, the Judicial Nominating Commission could choose finalists to replace him by mid-September. That would make four of the five justices appointees of retiring Governor Mitch Daniels.

The court had gone 11 years without a vacancy. But Theodore Boehm retired in 2010, and was followed two months ago by Randall Shepard. Justice Frank Sullivan has announced he's leaving the court in August.

The commission named Dickson chief justice on Tuesday. Dickson says he hadn't planned to seek the position, but was urged to accept it to give the court stability amid the upheaval. If Rucker does retire, Dickson would be the only justice with more than two years on the court.

Rucker has been on the court for 13 years.

Labor Activists Protest at WellPoint's Annual Shareholders Meeting

By Eric Berman (eric@wibc.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:00 GMT

About 50 organized labor demonstrators picketed a WellPoint shareholders' meeting to protest the insurance giant's support for Republicans.

Protesters from AFSCME, the Food and Commercial Workers, and other unions complain WellPoint has donated 73-thousand dollars over the years to Governor Mitch Daniels. In the current election cycle, the company's political action committee WellPAC has given 15-thousand to Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence, a similar amount to G-O-P party organizations, and nearly 13-thousand to the G-O-P legislators who passed right-to-work.

Union PACs have been even more active in backing Democrats. AFSCME alone has donated more than 12-thousand to Pence's opponent John Gregg, 18-thousand to Democratic legislative candidates, and 155-thousand to the state party and the House Democratic caucus.

Amy Shackleford with the group Jobs With Justice argues unions have no choice but to donate, in order to fight legislation like right-to-work or Wisconsin's revocation of collective bargaining for state employees. She contends it's unfair for WellPoint to raise premiums while its PAC donates to campaigns.

Both WellPAC and AFSCME have donated to both parties, but the ledger is heavily skewed in one direction. AFSCME has given 14-hundred dollars this cycle to five House Republicans, including Speaker Brian Bosma. WellPAC donated to the state and Marion County Democratic Party in 2005, but since 2007 has given to just one Indiana Democrat: a 500-dollar contribution last year to Covington Representative Dale Grubb, who ended up not running for reelection.

Tony Felts, a spokesman for WellPoint, issued a written statement that says the company complies with all political disclosure requirements. Shareholders rejected a union-backed proposal demanding broader disclosure, with 84-percent voting no -- up slightly from the 82 percent who voted down a similar resolution two years ago.

IU Outlines Policies Regarding Children's Safety on Campus

By Alex Brown (alex@wibc.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Indiana University has outlined specific policy guidelines regarding the safety of children on campus in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State University.

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Sandusky is accused of sexually abusing children and at least one such incident was alleged to have taken place on the Penn State campus. Mark Land, Associate Vice President of University Communications at IU, says the university's outline contains policies regarding children's safety that have already been in place. "We decided to take the opportunity to really put them all down in one place and very clearly spell out what the policies are, what steps need to be taken if abuse or any sort of malfeasance is suspected."

Land says the unversity's outline shows specific steps on how to report any abuse or criminal activity believed to be occurring on campus. He says the policy also outlines how background checks are conducted on people who are working with children on campus.