GOP staffers report thaat Mike Cline has departed as the communications director for Indiana House Republicans.   Cline reportedly returned to Marion for a job closer to home.

Cline was a former newspaper man.  Look for Brian Bosma and the Republicans to find a replacement with more of a political slant as they head into the last session before an election that will determine control of the House.

Senate GOP budget negotiator Luke Kenley just left the House Speaker’s office headed back to the Senate. 

Meantime, House Minority Leader Brian Bosma just informed fellow members of the need to return to a private caucus.

Senate President Pro Tem David Long announced to the Senate this afternoon that he would appoint members to a House/Senate conference committee and that the minority would be included in final budget negotiations.  (Government)

Then he joined with House Minority Leader Brian Bosma to demand that House Democrats accept the budget as is, eliminating the need for a conference committee.  (Politics)

I asked Sen. Long what changed from one announcement to the next.  He said nothing, but also indicated that there is little to negotiate over, as little as $10 million.  He also said that Senate Republicans will take part in negotiations.  (Confusing)

House Minority Leader Brian Bosma used his property tax cap countdown clock as a prop in a media availability again today.

Maybe that’s why House Speaker Pat Bauer felt the need to come up with a prop of his own.  Bauer had a My Man Mitch bobble head doll on his desk for his availability. 

At one point the Speaker said, “The governor’s with us here and he agrees with me almost all the time.” 

That’s when he hit the bobble head so that the doll would nod.

(BTW, the My Man Mitch bobble heads were sent to the 2008 Daniels campaign by a donor.  The campaign deemed them inappropriate.  How Bauer got one, I don’t know.)

When Indiana House Minority Leader Brian Bosma’s media availability began this afternoon his Property Tax Cap Countdown Clock showed 6 days 11 hours 14 minutes and 50 seconds remaining till next week’s 3rd Reading deadline for action on bills passed by the state Senate. 

During the availability, Bosma suggested that he will reset the clock when it hits zero to reflect a new deadline, the end of the 2009 session of the General Assembly.  (That’s a move that would seem to contradict the purpose for the original deadline and the clock.)

Bosma also stated that he sees “no reason” for a Special Session this year.  That would eliminate a need to reset the clock a second time.

Regardless, when the availability ended the clock showed 6:11:05:20 meaning that the availability lasted just 9 minutes and 30 seconds.  (See the clock does serve a purpose.)

Curious sight of the day in the Statehouse:  Indiana Pacers executives Jim Morris and Greg Schenkel standing outside House Minority Leader Brian Bosma’s office.

There is no bill before the General Assembly addressing the budget shortfall at the Capital Improvement Board but there is lots of talk that lawmakers will seek ways to cover the operating deficits at Conseco Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium before they go home (can you say downtown casino?)  There can be no better explanation for Morris and Schenkel to be on the third floor.

For the record, Morris said the purpose of the visit was simply to pay courtesy calls on legislative leaders.

Indiana House Minority Leader Brian Bosma confirmed today that he received a “note of protest” from House Speaker Pat Bauer over the clock projected on a wall outside the House chamber.  The clock counts down to the deadline for passing permanent property tax caps this year.

“He (Bauer) didn’t think having holograms in the Statehouse was OK,” said Bosma.  The clock is not a hologram, he pointed out, but facetiously said he has technicians working on one.

“I responded by keeping the clock up,” said Bosma.

Democrats labeled Rep. Brian Bosma’s Republican countdown clock outside the Indiana House chamber “partisan silliness.”   But that didn’t stop Rep. Scott Reske (D-Pendleton) from attempting to add his own message to the new wall decoration (intended to count down to the moment when a proposed Constitutional amendment on property tax caps will die this year.)

Reske wrote “Plus 365 days” on a piece of paper and taped it next to where the clock now shows 37 days remaining.  Reske said, “The Republicans aren’t good at math,” because the measure can also be considered next year.  Of course, Reske isn’t very good at math, either, because next year is a short session and, therefore, that adds only an additional 320 days or so.

Regardless, a House doorkeeper simply took the paper down and threw it away.

This was resolution day in the General Assembly, a day when lawmakers honor those deserving of statewide recognition.

On the list today, among others:  Harlem Globetrotter great Hallie Bryant, the Ball State football team, and former WISH-TV news photographer Jim Hester.  Jim was recognized in a resolution authored by Rep. Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) for his coverage of lawmakers over the last 23 years or so.

Rep. Bill Crawford (D-Indianapolis) called him ”an appropriate role model who understands the necessity of gaining knowledge.”  Rep. Brian Bosma (R-Minority Leader) said he was “just as much a public servant as the rest of us.”

For his part, Hes addressed the body saying, “What started as an assignment became a journey.” 

He got a standing ovation by members of the House.

Rep. Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville) created a buzz and earned a rebuke from the Speaker with his speech during the budget debate in the Indiana House. 

Brown said that the unusual one year budget proposal would permit a new budget in an election year and, with it, the opportunity for the majority Democrats to garner more campaign contributions.  Said Brown, “A vote for this budget is a vote for pay-to-play.”

Minority Leader Brian Bosma, from his seat, said loudly that the comments were not endorsed by Republican Leadership.  House Speaker Pat Bauer took to the mike to lecture Brown saying, “You are not to impugn the ethics of any member!”