Politics & Government

Governor-elect Mike Pence announced Thursday he will make a leadership change at the state Department of Homeland Security. It’s the first Pence-appointee who comes from outside the Daniels administration.

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s new director will be John Hill, replacing current director Joe Wainscott.  Hill was previously the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as well as a former member of the Indiana State Police.  Pence said he’s grateful for Wainscott’s service but adds bringing in Hill was a unique opportunity.

Governor Mitch Daniels celebrated Indiana’s 196th birthday with hundreds of schoolchildren at a Statehouse ceremony Tuesday.  It will be the last Statehood Day Daniels takes part in as governor.

Students from schools around Indianapolis and Columbus participated in festivities at the Statehouse that included presentations from legislators, state Supreme Court Justice Steven David and the governor.  Daniels said Statehood Day is the best opportunity he sees to teach younger students about the history of Indiana.

Governor Mitch Daniels’ eight years in office is being remembered as a time of big changes and sweeping reform that’s left the state markedly different than it was.  Both supporters and opponents say Daniels was decisive and left no doubt as to who was in charge.  But whether changes made under the Daniels administration were positive depends a lot on who you talk to.

Four members of Governor-elect Mike Pence’s cabinet are now in place.

Department of Revenue Commissioner Mike Alley and Department of Administration head Robert Wyncoop will remain in their jobs when Mike Pence takes over the governor’s office in January.  Chris Atkins was general counsel and policy director for the Office of Management and Budget under Governor Daniels and will run that office while Anita Samuel will be the new Director of State Personnel after serving that office as its general counsel. 

A U-S District judge has ruled against atheist organization the Center for Inquiry in its bid to strike down Indiana’s marriage statute as unconstitutional.

Marriage in Indiana is a two-step process: receiving a marriage license and making the marriage official.  The state’s marriage statute specifies who can perform that second step – the clergy of any religious group and certain government officials like mayors and judges.