Blue 812 News Issue 62 - March 29

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Early Friday morning, on the eve of yet another two-week vacay, the Senate unanimously agreed to fund the Department of Homeland Security ... well, minus ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, and some of Customs and Border Protection. Dems were asking for no blank checks for ICE/CBP without VERY BASIC reforms to their operations (no masks, and agents need judicial warrants for immigration raids, which is literally already the law). To be fair, Dems didn’t get those reforms, and ICE and CBP both have plenty of money in their budgets. BUT, Dems didn’t cave on their promise not to fund these horrendous operations. So, yay?

Now the DHS funding still needs to pass the House. The good news is Donald Trump is on board. The bad news is Republicans in the House are not into it. The House Freedom Caucus is pushing for a short-term 60-day extension that fully funds DHS and ICE, then pursue full funding through Reconciliation, which only has a 50-vote threshold in the Senate, meaning it can pass without Democratic support. There is no way the parliamentarian will allow the SAVE Act to be included in a reconciliation bill though - it has to be germane to spending.

Plus, there’s also the fact that hundreds of TSA agents have already quit, so getting the airports back to their former glory won’t be immediate, and Trump already said – before the bill passed the Senate – that the government would start paying TSA agents immediately. In the words of Rep Delia Ramirez (D-IL): “Let the record show: Trump could’ve signed the executive order to pay TSA day 1. TSA and federal workers did not have to miss a single paycheck.” It’s true, but then we wouldn’t have gotten that great video of Trump’s former AG, Bill Barr, getting stuck in security. According to TSA Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, the five-week DHS shutdown has caused “the highest wait times in history” at airports.

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Trump keeps insisting he won’t TACO out of his war of choice in the Middle East. The reality is that he might not be able to, given how easy it is for Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut and ramp up the economic pain in America, Europe and elsewhere. “They’re begging to make a deal,” Trump insisted on Thursday. “I don’t know if we’re willing to do that.”

The reality is, Iran rejected a 15-point ceasefire proposal from the United States, according to Pakistani officials. The key points reportedly focus on sanctions relief, rolling back Iran’s nuclear program, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz oil transit route. Iran’s counter proposal calls for reparations for the war damage and recognition of Iranian control over the strait. “We have already won this brutal war,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman told Zeteo’s Mehdi Hasan — echoing, with dry mockery, Trump’s favorite line

Dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the war is now a bipartisan issue. In a closed-door congressional briefing last week, lawmakers from both parties were pissy about the lack of clarity on, like, the whole situation start to finish. In particular, the lawmakers weren’t happy about the prospect of ground troops. As one official said, “There was no plan, no strategy, no end game shared, and they didn’t give any answers. It’s unclear if there isn’t a plan or if there is a plan and they wouldn’t share it with members.” My guess is “no plan,” but I have no inside information. Just like the majority of Congress members. Well, maybe they just need to watch the same 2-minute sizzle reel that Trump is getting…

In news that will definitely assuage all those lawmakers’ fears, the Pentagon may send 10,000 more ground troops to the Middle East, amid rumors of a looming U.S. invasion. Since the war began, the American military has reportedly used more than 850 Tomahawk missiles, a whopping number that’s left Pentagon officials concerned about dwindling supplies. Reminder: Those things cost up to $3.6 million each. The Pentagon is also reportedly planning a massive “final blow” if peace talks don’t work.

As if fuel costs aren’t already high enough, Indiana drivers will soon be paying a few more cents per gallon in taxes at the pump. Indiana’s 7 percent sales tax on gasoline will ring in at 17.2 cents a gallon on April 1. That rate is calculated each month, based on the statewide average gas price. Gas sales tax prices had been trending down since October, when drivers paid 18 cents a gallon. March’s sales tax came in at 15.3 cents. Hoosiers pay some of the highest gas taxes in the country. Drivers in Indiana will pay a total of about 72 cents per gallon in tax at the pump through April.

Still have money in your pocket? Well, not for long! A renewed federal order is keeping two aging Indiana coal plants running months after their planned retirement — and utilities say the price tag is quickly climbing into the hundreds of millions.

The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday issued new emergency orders requiring Northern Indiana Public Service Co (NIPSCO), and CenterPoint Energy to continue operating coal units at the R.M. Schahfer and F.B. Culley generating stations through at least June 21, extending an initial 90-day order issued in late December under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act.

At a Tuesday hearing before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, NIPSCO President and Chief Operating Officer Vince Parisi said the mandate will require significant new spending to keep the aging coal units running, including major capital investments on top of day-to-day operating expenses. CenterPoint officials additionally described similarly steep expenses, telling regulators the federal order is driving daily operating costs into the seven figures.

Other estimates — including from the Sierra Club — suggest the combined cost of keeping the plants running could total hundreds of thousands of dollars per day across both Indiana coal facilities. Keeping NIPSCO’s Schahfer plant online has an estimated net cost to consumers of about $174,000 per day, according to the Sierra Club analysis, and net costs for running CenterPoint’s smaller Culley plant could tally approximately $21,000 per day.

Utilities have not yet said how or when they might seek to recover the additional costs, though similar filings in other cases have proposed spreading expenses across customers in multiple states within the MISO region.

The Vigo County School Corp.’s “Option 6” facilities plan, the variant that would consolidate the district from 23 buildings to 16, with 10 elementary schools, four middle schools and two high schools, remains the preferred choice of the school district as its own budgeting processes and a related county process play out. Option 6 “is the plan we believe maximizes future flexibility with immediate cost savings and opportunities for kids and puts us in the best position to move forward,” Himsel told the Vigo County Oversight board Thursday. “As of now, our plan is to let the Oversight Board complete its work and see what the result is with the County Council,” said Carey LaBella, Vigo County School Board president and member of the Oversight Board.

Not everyone is happy with the reorganization plan, especially the two high school aspect. Vigo County Councilman Steve ‘Top Guns’ Ellis has been a critic. On his Facebook page called Holding Vigo County Accountable, he takes issue with school district officials saying they are moving forward with Option 6. If that decision has already been made, “Why did we set up an oversight committee?” Ellis asked. “If you were going to move forward, regardless of what anyone thought, why did we go through all this?” Ellis, who is the current County Council president, said the majority of people he has heard from favor three smaller high schools.

In other school funding news, the school board must decide whether to seek an extension of the operating referendum, which ends after 2027, and put the question before voters in the general election this year. The operating referendum, helps fund teacher salaries, transportation costs like fuel, school protection officers, nurses and behavior interventionists.

When put before voters in 2019, the operating referendum was described as a “bridge” to maintain much-needed services until the district could right-size its budget in response to declining enrollment. If the referendum is not extended beyond 2027, “It would mean $8 million in cuts,” Superintendent Chris Himsel said after the meeting. “If you have less revenue, you have to reduce expenses.”

If a public question to extend does not go on the ballot this fall, then the earliest it could go before voters again would be fall 2028. Because of changes in state law, the referendum can only be placed on the ballot in even-numbered years. A decision to move forward would have to be made in the next few months. Ultimately, voters would decide whether the operating referendum is to continue.

Last week was the State Legislature forum for opposed candidates only, so it was just the Republicans. We heard from House districts 45 & 46, plus State Senate district 38. You can watch the livestreamed video here if you’re interested in trying to determine which one is the least crazy, or if you are into punishing yourself.

The latest episode of As the Vigo County GOP Turns opened in Clay County Circuit Court, where two attorneys immediately began throwing verbal punches over whether Alexandra Wilson is allowed to appear on the May 5 Republican primary ballot.

Nationally-known, nationally-reviled attorney James Bopp kicked things off by declaring Wilson “pleaded guilty to a felony.” Samantha DeWester, Wilson’s attorney, objected with the legal equivalent of “absolutely not,” insisting her client never pleaded guilty to a felony and the characterization was false and defamatory. DeWester clarified the charge was reduced before the plea, making it a Class A misdemeanor, therefore Wilson is eligible to run for office.

When DeWester interrupted him with her objections, Bopp snapped “Do not argue over me,” prompting her to gesture toward the judge and deliver the line of the day: “You’re not the judge. Talk to the judge.” The judge, Charles Bridges, newly assigned to this circus, quietly listened and occasionally asked questions, likely silently regretting his decision to ever apply to law school.

To complicate things further, Wilson had the conviction expunged over the weekend, and received notification that it had been granted before the hearing began. DeWester argued that makes the whole debate moot because the criminal case no longer exists. Bopp took his turn objecting, countering that the court was limited to reviewing the record as it came from the Election Commission and the expungement was not part of that record. Also, he said, in order for the expungement to apply to this case, Wilson should have received it before she filed her candidacy on Feb. 5.

At the conclusion, Bridges gave the attorneys seven days to submit their proposed orders after which he said he would issue his ruling.

From the City of Terre Haute Facebook page:

Spring is here—and so are yard signs

We support everyone’s ability to share information, advertise, and communicate through signage. We just ask that signs are placed in the correct location so we can keep our community safe, accessible, and looking its best.

Here’s the simple rule:

If your sign is in the public right-of-way, it may be removed (Terre Haute, Indiana, Municipal Code § 10-141) (IN Code § 9-21-4-6 (2023)).

The right-of-way includes areas such as:

Even if it looks like part of your yard, it often is not.

The safest place for your sign is:

Please note that signage permits issued by Vigo County do not apply within the City of Terre Haute and do not allow signs in city rights-of-way.

Keeping these areas clear helps prevent blocked sight lines for drivers, ensures ADA-accessible paths remain open, avoids obstruction of fire hydrants, and reduces debris that can clog storm drains and contribute to flooding.

Signs placed in the right-of-way may be removed without notice under Indiana law. We are not regulating what your sign says—only where it is placed.

Thank you for helping keep our streets safe, clear, and welcoming.

Indiana’s voter registration deadline is Monday, April 6!

Every eligible Hoosier voter needs to double-check their voting status before next Monday’s deadline. Even if you’ve registered and voted before, it is possible that your registration is no longer active.

Double-checking your voter status is a 30 second process that will ensure that you’re vote ready for the primaries coming up on May 5.

Recently changed your name? Moved (even within the same city)? Turning 18 on or before November 3, 2026? It’s especially important that you complete your voter registration so that you’re eligible to vote on May 5!

The No Kings protests were the biggest yet! Nationwide, organizers have estimated that 8 million Americans turned out on Saturday. Here in Indiana, at least 63 cities and towns organized demonstrations, attended by tens of thousands of Hoosiers all across the state.

Now what? It’s time to eb working for the 2026 election, starting with the primaries on May 5. MADVoters will be launching a voter guide soon. In the meantime, you can check your voter registration at IndianaVoters.com, and preview your ballot and see voting locations at everyvotevigocounty.com.

HoosierDataLab is a free, open research platform covering economics, health, crime, education, agriculture, and more — for all 92 Indiana counties, built for researchers, journalists, planners, and curious citizens.

I took a look and it’s pretty interesting, though the Election Lab section still listed Larry Bucshon as the district 8 rep. According to the builder, this is still a work in progress, but it’s still really interesting!

visit the Blue812News Local Events calendar to see all upcoming events

Thursday, April 2nd at 6pm: Terre Haute City Council Meeting at City Hall.

Thursday, April 2nd at 6pm: Nasty Women of Vigo County. 6 pm in meeting room C, VCPL Main Branch.

Sunday, March 29th at 4pm: ICE OUT with Indivisible Wabash Valley Clay County Detention Center 611 E. Jackson St, Brazil, IN Every Sunday 4–5PM

Tuesday, April 7th at 5pm: Vigo County Council Meeting in the Council Chambers in the Vigo County Government Center, 127 Oak Street

Thursday, April 9th at 6pm: Terre Haute City Council Meeting at City Hall.

The nomination of Casey Means, Trump’s crackpot surgeon general pick, remains stalled in Congress, a month after she tried to convince senators that she isn’t a loopy psychedelics-loving anti-vaxxer. She would likely need full GOP support for her nomination to move out of committee, and that isn’t happening.

A Lyme disease vaccine showed over 70% efficacy in a clinical trial.

Another win for the ACLU! ICE is now required to provide detained individuals at the Florida facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” with access to legal counsel.

A new Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll finds 13% of Americans who cast ballots for Trump in 2024 say they regret how they voted in the last election.

A federal judge is allowing the re-release of deposition videos of two former DOGE staffers, ruling that the risk of "embarrassment and reputational harm" is not enough to overcome the public interest in the videos. (If you haven’t yet seen these videos, they’re insane/infuriating. Insanurating. Infuriane.)

In a humiliating defeat for Trump, Democrat Emily Gregory flipped Florida House District 87 — Trump’s home district, which he won by 11 points in 2024. Democrats have now won or overperformed in 258 out of 289 key elections — a rate of nearly 90%.

A Republican-backed attempt to repeal Utah’s voter-approved ban on partisan gerrymandering failed after the measure fell below the required signature threshold to reach the ballot.

Helen Keller was one of the co-founders of ACLU. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.