The Shelby County Democratic Party’s annual golf fundraiser at Bear Chase on Sat. May 12 was a hole-in-one success!

Along with complimentary soft drinks and hot dogs, prizes were awarded for:

• 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams
• longest drive
• closest to the pin
• 50/50 par three
• and a putting contest!

 Congratulations and appreciation to all for a successful fundraiser!

John is an author, Hoosier Hero award winner, former university president, loyal Democrat and genuine leader with a proven record of winning all eight elections in which he’s run.  With your help, John Gregg will be the next governor of the great state of Indiana.

For more information, go to John’s website here

Congratulations to Brad Bookout who defeated four Democratic opponents to win the nomination to represent Shelby County and the rest of the 6th Congressional District.

Bookout will face Republican Luke Messer of Shelbyville in the general election Nov. 6.

For more about Brad Bookout,  check out his website:

Brad Bookout (D)

And volunteers led by Mayor Tom DeBaun were out in force on Earth Day, April 22, for the second cleanup of the nearby field where litter often collects.

Many thanks to those Shelby County Democrats who took part in that cleanup effort, and the first one March 10, again led by Mayor DeBaun.

A strong back was a plus in the effort.

Many thanks to all those who helped out!

Democrats duked it out with Republicans again this year over so-called “Right-to Work” legislation, which the GOP-controlled legislature finally passed despite massive, daily protests in opposition. 

Even the conservative Indianapolis Business Journal, in a Jan. 16 editorial, acknowledged the bill, “would deal a blow to unions (and) seems largely rooted in GOP politics.”

The IBJ went on to say, “We’re skeptical of Gov. Daniels’ repeated assertion that becoming a right-to-work state would be an economic game-changer.”

A bill to rein in spending by redevelopment commissions died in committee. Sen. Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville), concerned that some commissions have become “shadow governments,” filed a bill that would have required city council approval for any bond issue over $5 million. 

Supporters of a statewide smoking ban won at least a partial victory when the legislature passed that measure, though they were disappointed the law exempts bars, casinos and private clubs. 

Lawmakers also approved several local government reforms. 

Under one measure, local government employees will lose their jobs if they’re elected to a government entity that employs them (e.g. a police officer or firefighter elected to a city council).  Another new law prohibits government employees from working for a relative.

Solid waste districts in the state won a huge victory when a bill that many feared would drastically cut funding for recycling and household waste disposal programs died. 

The measure, sponsored by Beverly Gard (R-Greenfield), would have eliminated the authority of Indiana’s 34 solid waste districts to levy a tax to help pay for about 40 percent their operations, requiring instead that they get county council approval for additional user fees.

However environmental advocates lost out on another measure.  A bill to merge the state’s air, water and solid waste authorities into one “environmental rules board” was approved, despite objections that it would undercut the expertise and authority of the individual boards. 

Your on-going series of reasons to vote for John Gregg for Governor!

Starring  Indiana Republican Congressman Mike Pence….and commentators.

Click this link for:  The Mike Pence Show!

(Really – we didn’t make this stuff up.)

To paraphrase Mark Twain - ’rumors of our death are greatly exaggerated.’

Democrats in Shelbyville are back in a big way!!!

Shelbyville Mayor-elect Tom DeBaun shook hands and thanked supporters at Democrat Headquarters on election night with the same enthusiasm he wielded to defeat his well-financed opponent Nov. 8.

DeBaun trounced city councilman Jeff Sponsel by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, securing the top post in city government 2,293 votes to 1,311.

Right along side Tom, former mayor Frank Zerr reclaimed his old job as clerk-treasurer, defeating his incumbent Republican opponent Rod Meyerholtz by 1,909 to 1,678.

Despite hard-fought campaigns, Democrats did not secure seats on the Common Council – the GOP has all seven council seats for the next four years, though not by much.

In the 1st Ward, hats off to Joanne Bowen who, through her selfless hard work and perseverance, came short of victory by only 17 votes, falling to incumbent Dick Fero 310 to 294.

Democrat Kerry May lost to David Carmony, 290 to 234 in Ward 2.  Meanwhile in Ward 3, incumbent Rob Nolley, cited by The Shelbyville News as having the worst attendance record of any member of the City Council, defeated Democrat Jim Atkins inexplicably by 640 to 356.

Kudos to Carrie Ridgeway whose dedication and tell-it-like-it-is honesty took her to within 27 votes of sending Republican  Ron Hamilton on his way, in a 411 to 385 heart-breaker in the 4th Ward.

And here’s to Jeff Wright for his even-tempered, steadfast campaign effort that nearly took him to victory over Republican Jason Brown, 341 to 275.

Many thanks also to Wade Lewis and Poochie Macklin, our at-large council candidates, who lost to incumbents David Phares and Brian Asher by very small percentage margins. 

Elsewhere, the ‘un-official mayor’ of Morristown, Democrat Don Roberts, has won back his old job of Clerk-Treasurer, but the GOP will retain control of the Morristown Town Council.

Overall turnout in the election was nearly 34.5 percent.

Countless thanks to all of our volunteers and supporters!!! 

Without you this great election victory would not have been possible.  But the effort has just begun.  Please come to our monthly meetings and support the Democrat Party every day in every way!

THANK YOU ALL!!!

The speeches were as delicious as the fried chicken at the Shelby County Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner held on Sept. 27 at Occasions Banquet Hall in Shelbyville. 

Shelbyville’s next Mayor, Tom DeBaun, and others warmed up the audience for keynote speaker Democratic candidate for governor John Gregg, and the former Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives regaled the enthusiastic crowd with his insightful wit and good humor. 

Dee Bonner’s original artwork was raffled for a tidy sum, and there was much good camaraderie to accompany the superb meal served up by Martin Zinser and his gracious staff. 

Many thanks to Cheryl Etherton and all the other volunteers for their hard work which resulted in a sensational and very successful evening for the Shelby County Democratic Party.

Now on to Nov. 8 - this is our year to win back Shelbyville city government!

A standing ovation as Tom DeBaun prepares to address the crowd.

John Gregg and Tom DeBaun compare notes at a welcome gathering prior to the JJ Dinner.

175 people came to hear the future Mayor of Shelbyville and future Governor of Indiana speak.

We’ve partnered with ActBlue, a national nonprofit organization committed to helping fund local Democratic Party groups and candidates across the nation.

To make your gift to the Shelby County Democratic Party, just click on the Contribute Today! button to your right.  There you’ll find a link to our page on ActBlue where you can use your credit or debit card to make your contribution.  Easy and secure!

The upcoming election Nov. 8 is the most important in many years here in Shelbyville and Shelby County.  We need your help to win – please join us! 

With a solid majority in the Indiana House and a super-majority in the Senate following the November 2010 elections, Statehouse Republicans led by Gov. Mitch Daniels approved much of a GOP wish list in the 2011 legislative session.

Republicans pressed ahead with an agenda of social legislation, and the outcomes prompted no less than the usually conservative Indianapolis Business Journal to ridicule the measures on the editorial page of its May 7, 2011, issue:

“…we’re forlorn, even embarrassed by what emanated from the Statehouse this year,” the IBJ said. 

One was the failure to authorize a statewide smoking ban, which the IBJ noted could hurt the state’s convention and tourism industry, worth $3.56 billion in Indianapolis alone last year, according to the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association. 

Another was approval of a proposed amendment to the Indiana Constitution that would ban gay marriage and civil unions.  The IBJ said the proposal will harm the state’s ability to attract skilled, educated workers and expressed relief that it still must be approved in a second legislative session, either in 2013 or 2014, then face a statewide ballot referendum in 2014.

Finally, the Republican-controlled House and Senate approved a measure, which the governor signed, to end all state funding of Planned Parenthood, making Indiana the first state in the country to do so. 

In its editorial, the IBJ called it, “…a bad law, just the sort of vindictive, backward measure that lawmakers spent way too much time debating this year.”

Ending the funding puts the state at risk of losing $4 million per year in federal family planning funds.  None of the federal or state money is used for abortions. 

A federal judge in Indianapolis ruled on May 11 that the new law may go into effect – another hearing is scheduled for June 6.

Among other contentious items approved by the GOP-controlled legislature this year are House Bills 1002 and 1003 which expand the state’s charter schools and voucher programs, and Senate Bills 1 and 575 which create an annual performance review for teachers and limit collective bargaining for teachers’ unions to wages and wage-related benefits. 

GOP lawmakers also cut unemployment benefits for laid-off workers by 25 percent – the average benefit payout of $283 will drop by about $70 per week – while at the same time cutting the amount business has to pay into the state’s unemployment fund.

Business tax cutting continued as Republicans approved legislation to reduce the state’s corporate income tax from 8.5 percent to 6.5 percent phased in over 4 years, an effort to make Indiana more attractive to new economic development.

Lawmakers also approved HB 1216, the Common Construction Wage bill, raising the price of government contracts which require the common wage structure from $150,000 to $250,000 in 2012, then to $350,000 in 2013, meaning fewer contracts will have to pay the higher common wage, hurting union workers.

House and Senate negotiators restored funding to the horse racing industry that was cut by more than half in the House version of the 2-year state budget.  The fund will receive about $60 million this year.

And the legislature expanded the governor’s power to create toll roads but not as much as originally proposed.  The governor now has the authority to designate new highways as toll roads without legislative approval, but not existing roads as in the initial plan.

These bills died in session:

• “right to work” legislation which would have allowed employees to decline union membership and dues

• a plan to let cities and towns declare bankruptcy and have the state take over

• a bill to make mortgage lenders care for foreclosed properties – cities and towns supported the measure; banks opposed it

• local government reform legislation also failed to win approval