I sat down with Indiana State Representative Clyde Kersey last night at Comfort Suites in Urbana to talk about what’s going on in his home state. Of the 40-member Democratic caucus, some 35 representatives are on the run in Urbana, one in Kentucky, two are missing and two were left on the floor of the House of Representatives (they’re keeping the Republicans from proceeding on bills by demanding roll calls. Bills need 67 votes to pass.)
Watch Rep. Kersey describe the political climate in Indiana before he left the state. He also answers people saying the Democrats aren’t doing their jobs.
Kersey discusses why he’s opposed to House Bill 1479. It is an education bill that focuses on revamping and privatizing failing schools. The bill is very similar to a nation-wide program proposed by President Obama. In his 2012 Department of Education budget, Obama is looking to allocate $600 million for the project.
Kersey, a former teacher, discusses how charter schools really don’t offer a valuable choice to students.
Kersey discusses what right-to-work bills mean and why the Indiana Democrats oppose it. The statistics he mentions are just some of the numbers floating around in support and in opposition to right-to-work bills. The variety of statistics are all over the place, and show how right-to-work hurts or supports everything from job growth, average pay, unemployment rates and even population growth. Interestingly, the governor of Indiana opposes this bill, believing it takes away attention from his other reform bills, primarily those focusing on education. Furthermore, if the bill passes the House and goes to Senate, says Kersey, it will get stuck (and pretty much die) in a study commission.
To learn more about what’s going on in the Midwest, read A Call to Wisconsin.
The Big Boom 