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Indianapolis Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana Democrats need a moral comeback to stage a political one
I'm not a cynical person. I believe deeply in the power of people, relationships, and community to make things better. But when it comes to politics, especially right now, cynicism can feel like the only rational response. The most generous possible description of the current occupant of the White House is that he's a self-dealing narcissist with a mysterious charisma and an emotionally resonant economic critique of the last 40 years. The previous administration, by many credible accounts, functioned as a shadow presidency with an unelected cabal of aides and lackeys pulling the levers of power as the incumbent's mental deterioration accelerated in plain view. The state level, at least here in Indiana, doesn't offer much consolation. Many of our elected officials are unserious about governing; some are actively harmful. There's not a lot to justify even a shred of idealism. In other words, the moral high ground in politics, circa 2025, doesn't count for much. Unless, of course, the moral high ground is all you have. I've been writing this column for about six months now, and most of my ire has been directed at Indiana Republicans. They hold 85%–90% of the power in this state, so it seems only fair they receive a commensurate amount of scrutiny. I could pick more on Democrats, but why? The most coherent argument Indiana Dems have offered over the past decade is: 'Look at those crazy Republicans! At least we're not them!' It's an argument built almost entirely on outrage and a vague sense of moral and intellectual superiority. Yet, in just the past five years, several prominent Indiana Democratic officeholders (of the few that still exist) have been credibly accused of various creepy and distasteful acts. Most of these probably don't rise to the level of criminal offenses, but they are, without question, the acts of morally bankrupt individuals. The only thing worse than the individual acts is the top-to-bottom institutional complicity. The state party refuses to act. Party officials sweep credible allegations under the rug. The City-County Council orders a third-party investigation, which is then immediately hamstrung with lawyerly hair-splitting over 'legality,' when the real question should be about propriety and public trust. And Mayor Joe Hogsett, the de facto moral leader of the party, shrinks from the spotlight and shirks his responsibility. Briggs: Todd Young's political survival means never fully crossing Trump As much as it pains me to say it, this stands in stark contrast to the last time a prominent Hoosier Republican faced a similar scandal. When former Attorney General Curtis Hill was accused of unwanted sexual advances, the GOP replaced him at its convention. When Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor faced (arguably) more serious accusations, the caucus initially voted to keep him in leadership. This might all sound like holier-than-thou primping and preening. After all, as previously established, modern politics is a cynical, zero-sum game. That's why my point isn't really about moral propriety, but about political ineptitude. Indiana Democrats seem to think that because they have so little power, they have to protect what scraps they do have. But I think they're getting it backwards. The question isn't 'how do we hold on to the little we've got?' The question is: 'What exactly are we sticking up for?' To illustrate — because, apparently, I'm the tortured sports metaphor guy — let's talk Bobby Knight. When he was leading undefeated teams and raising banners in the 1970s and '80s, he was untouchable. By all accounts, he was the same guy in 2000 when he was fired for an altercation with a student. But, by then, the program had been mired in mediocrity for years. The glory days were long gone. Knight was expendable, so he was canned. Opinion: I was dragged out by sheriff's deputies. Indiana Democrats stayed silent. Back to the Dems: What banners have their harassing and complicit officials raised? What accomplishments justify the tolerance of such behavior? They hold no meaningful state power. Even their grip on Indianapolis is routinely undermined by the legislature. What exactly are they defending, other than personal relationships and individual careers? I want a credible Democratic Party in Indiana. Yes, I agree with them on many of the big issues. But more than that, I want a real competition of ideas and a political landscape that generates better policies to improve Hoosier lives. Here's the bottom line: The moral high ground isn't worth much in politics these days, unless it's all you have. If Indiana Democrats want to make a political comeback, it begins with making a moral one.
Indianapolis Star
22-07-2025
- Indianapolis Star
'We can't tout this as a success.' Youth leaders want curfew progress to continue, expand
The first floor of the City-County Council building was full of activity this past weekend. IMPD officers and at least seven community organizations were prepared to implement a first-time process for handling youth breaking curfew. Under the plan to help curb downtown gun violence after a deadly start to July, youth out after curfew would be taken to the downtown hub. Officers would collect their information, contact parents to come pick them up, and organizations would provide food while connecting with them to resources. If parents don't pick them up within an hour, they would be taken to the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center. In the hub's first weekend, which featured the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and Indiana Black Expo downtown, officials said they accounted for zero kids taken to the detention center for breaking curfew. "That's in addition to the fact that we had no significant violent crimes or public safety incidents downtown this weekend," IMPD Deputy Chief of Operations Tanya Terry said. "It took all of us to come together to get to this point and show what downtown Indy can be a fun, safe place for residents and visitors alike." Only six people have been cited for a youth curfew violation in the past two years. Five youths were cited in October 2023, and one was cited this July 2025, according to city records. While the weekend has been deemed by some public safety leaders as progress, community leaders say there's more work to be done. They want to make sure this type of response can sustain well beyond downtown when there are large events like Black Expo, the WNBA All-Star Game, and Fourth of July. The organizations that volunteered to be a part of the hub collaborating with police were Firefly Children & Family Alliance, Eskenazi Health, VOICES, Inner Beauty Program, Inc., Let Them Talk Indy, and New B.O.Y. Kareem Hines, the founder of New B.O.Y (Breed of Youth), leads one of the organizations represented at the hub over the weekend. He said he hopes that police and city officials look at the early success and push the pilot program to the rest of the year. "And not just downtown, 'cause that's a minimal space," Hines told IndyStar. "We need this all over the city if other organizations can collaborate. 'Cause we see kids out all over, not just downtown. We need this at Post Road, 30th and MLK, Lawrence, or wherever. Go where the hotspots are." Following the mass shooting that left seven young people shot and two dead over Fourth of July weekend, Keith "Wildstyle" Paschall went downtown to observe the problem. He feels youth should have more controlled spaces where they can gather and have fun. Reunification site for youth: City to open 'safe and secure' site with resources for youth found out past curfew "We need to audit our relationships with promoters, venue organizers, and people who used to host events for teens and young people," Paschall said. "A couple of years back, rolling rinks, for example, used to be open later, but they'd shut down because of a lot of youth fighting, and they felt pressure to." Pascall also said there needs to be more resources for parents that aren't punitive. He wants them to have more support beyond pouring money into mentorships or community organizations that don't consider them in their mission to help. In a statement, Fraternal Order of Police president Rick Snyder said this past weekend "proves it can be done." "When accountability and consequences for criminal behavior are clearly articulated and understood, it works," Snyder said. "It also turns out we didn't need to restrict the rights of the law-abiding to get adults and juveniles to not shoot one another in downtown Indianapolis." Snyder also said the city didn't need a change to curfew or gun laws; just a willingness to enforce existing laws. "Time will tell if Indy's politicians in charge choose to sustain this path or return to failed policies and misguided agendas," he said. IMPD's Terry said the department has community organizations, including Ten Pointe Coalition, that try to target hotspots of youth violence throughout the city. "While it's not as visible as the downtown events and incidents, they are ongoing in the background, and our hope with IMPD is we're happy to continue to be a conduit between the kids and families that need the services, and those community-based service providers" Terry said. She said IMPD is in the early stages of creating written guidance for organizations that are willing be part of the solution. The ideal situation for everybody, Terry said, would be that a family or child in need of extra support has access to services regardless of the presence of a major event downtown, Hines said this should be something the city invests in. Whereas IMPD is paid to work all hours of the night to ensure curfew is being met, the city's service organizations are not. "We had like five to six mentors and we asked them to volunteer from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m," Hines said. "But that's volunteering, and we can't tout this as a success after one weekend. We need to extend that same grace, manpower, and more for the rest of this year."
Indianapolis Star
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indy Council Democratic leader is 'closely monitoring' allegations against Councilor Keith Graves
A top Democrat on the Indianapolis City-County Council, Maggie Lewis, said she is "monitoring" allegations of domestic abuse being made public against another council member, Keith Graves. IndyStar reported earlier this week that Graves, 59, faced domestic violence claims by two women. One woman, Laurin Embry, 29, told IndyStar Graves sexually and physically abused her when they were in a relationship and after they broke up. Another woman who requested anonymity filed and was granted a domestic abuse protective order against Graves last year, before later dropping it to preserve her privacy. Graves has denied all of the allegations, saying he never "jeopardized anyone's safety, comfort, or dignity." "I am deeply disappointed by the allegations being made against me," Graves previously told IndyStar. "I unequivocally deny the false and hurtful claims that are now being shared." However, Lewis, the council's majority leader, said in a July 11 statement that she was "made aware and am closely monitoring allegations being made against one of our caucus members and am committed to confirming their validity." "If information emerges that negatively affects the integrity of the caucus, we are dedicated to taking all necessary actions to do what is right," Lewis said. "We urge the community to respect the privacy of everyone involved and to be patient as we work to address this issue with council leadership and the caucus." More: Indianapolis City-County Council Democrat accused of physical and sexual abuse The Indianapolis City-County Council has investigated how Mayor Joe Hogsett's administration handled harassment and assault claims against his former Chief of Staff Thomas Cook. But the legislative body has increasingly faced scrutiny, particularly after a June 9 incident where City-County Council President Vop Osili ordered sheriffs to forcibly remove a woman, Lauren Roberts, who was trying to express concerns about the council's investigation. Osili later said he "failed" when removing Roberts. Four members of the 25-member City-County Council have called for Hogsett's resignation and in June the whole Democratic caucus released a statement chastising his leadership but stopping short of calling for his resignation. Lewis' statement on July 11 referenced that statement, which read in part that "the residents of Indianapolis deserve a city government that is accountable, honest, and reflective of the community's highest aspirations. Public trust is a sacred obligation continuously earned through principled moral leadership and responsible governance.' "This statement also applies to members of the Indianapolis City-County Council," Lewis said in the July 11 statement. Following IndyStar's reporting on Graves, most individual councilors and elected Democrats have been silent on the matter regarding their colleague, though Democratic socialist Jesse Brown called for his resignation and for the council to censure him. Marion County Republican Party Chair Natalie Goodwin released a statement criticizing Democratic leadership of the council. 'It's becoming clear why the Democrats on the City-County Council refuse to hold Mayor Joe Hogsett accountable for the sexual harassment scandal he permitted under his watch,' Goodwin said. "The Council now faces its own allegations, and the lack of leadership from the Council Democrats is appalling. ... The victims deserve respect, dignity and justice, and our current Democrat leadership is failing them." There have also been responses in support of the women who made allegations against Graves from some former Hogsett administration workers who have been critical of the administration. For example, Maggie Adams-McBride, a former project manager for Hogsett, posted on social media that Embry showed "immense courage in telling her story." "At what point is enough enough for Democrats in Indianapolis?" Adams-McBride wrote.
Indianapolis Star
08-07-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Mother loses 3 sons to gun violence. Most recently in Indy's downtown mass shooting
Back-to-back calls filed into Xiyya Jackson's cellphone while she was sleeping at her Tennessee home. Family and Indianapolis police started calling about 1:44 a.m. July 5 because they needed to deliver heartbreaking news: her 16-year-old son was gone. Xavion Jackson, the youngest of six, was one of two teens killed during a mass shooting in downtown Indianapolis. Five more people between the ages of 16 and 21 were also injured. 'He said, 'I'm coming home after the Fourth, mama, I promise,'' Xiyya Jackson told IndyStar. 'This is my baby boy, and this is my third kid who has died of gun violence. It's not fair.' The 42-year-old mother of four boys and twin girls lost another son to homicide when he was shot in January 2024 at Stanley Strader Park. His case remains unsolved. Her oldest son was shot and killed in 2021 outside a Waffle House on Pendleton Pike. An arrest was made. Xavion Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene of the mass shooting that has caused city-wide outrage The problem of youth with guns downtown has circulated between City-County Council, Mayor Joe Hogsett, Prosecutor Ryan Mears, law enforcement, and community leaders since the shooting. Parents and guardians have been asked to step up and get better control of their kids, but for Jackson and her family, the noise of now comes a little too late, especially when there's been a family history of violence that has plagued them for generations. A 1992 Indianapolis Recorder news headline reads, 'ex-boyfriend confesses to pre-Thanksgiving killing.' A man told police he became upset while he and Rosa Pearl Jackson, 42, were walking along the edge of a river because she no longer wanted to be with him. He confessed to choking and leaving her to drown. Her body was found in 1993. That was Xiyya Jackson's mother. She was 10 years old at the time. Years later, that type of fatal generational trauma would plague her again when she got into a decade-long relationship with a man who would father some of her children. 'I killed their dad,' Jackson told IndyStar. 'I was a victim of domestic violence. I was defending myself from their father and murdered him.' Jackson shot Vincent Lanking Sr. at a Budget 8 Inn motel in March of 2017. She would sit in jail for a year and a half until being found not guilty of voluntary manslaughter and aggravated battery in 2018. She wrote a book about the ordeal called No Vacancy: My Story of Domestic Violence, Murder, and the Children Caught in the Crossfire. 'The day after I was released from jail, my sister was stabbed over 50 times,' Jackson said. On Aug. 19, 2018, Vickie Jackson, 45, was stabbed with a broken wine bottle by another woman during a fight, according to court documents. Surveillance footage captured the killing in an apartment hallway on the north side. Her oldest son, Robert Howard Jr., 22, was shot and killed in 2021 following a dispute in the Waffle House parking lot on Pendleton Pike. After he died, she moved to Tennessee and hoped the change would be better for her remaining children. 'But my boys kept running back to Indianapolis,' Jackson said. 'They said Tennessee was lame, and they wanted to be with their friends, plus we still had family in Indy. There were times when they'd just up and leave, and I had no idea where they were.' Police reports reveal Jackson made numerous runaway reports from 2019 to 2023. When the kids were found, police would bring them back across state lines to their mother. Her other son, Rondre Jackson, 19, was shot and killed in a neighborhood near Keystone Avenue and Stanley Strader Park in 2024. Xiyya Jackson believes one of his friends set him up, but police have released few details and no arrests have been announced. 'I'm just here. I'm trying to get some strength,' Jackson said. 'I feel empty. I just don't understand why this keeps happening to me. I wasn't hard enough on them.' Brother and son, Robert Howard Jr.: Man dead in shooting following 'disturbance' at Lawrence Waffle House parking lot Aunt and sister, Vicki Jackson: Woman arrested in fatal stabbing on north side of Indianapolis, IMPD says Her remaining son, the namesake of the man she killed eight years ago, was with his brother downtown. The 17-year-old was arrested along with three other teens and charged with dangerous possession of a firearm, resisting law enforcement, and obstruction of justice. Vincent Lanking Jr. was waived to adult court on July 8. 'We don't even know what happened. I've heard so many stories, and it was just a big mess downtown. We have to see and review the cameras,' Jackson said. She'd let them visit Indianapolis to be with her goddaughter and enjoy the holiday. 'One story I heard is that Xavion was hit by a stray bullet,' Jackson said. A probable cause affidavit for Lanking's arrest reveals that 20 minutes before the mass shooting on July 5, Indianapolis police officer Christopher Kaleel noticed the teen in all black clothing, with black gloves, and stopped him for looking suspicious. Lanking started running, and while pursuing, Kaleel watched him pull out a tan Glock 19X from around his waist. The officer thought the teen was drawing the handgun to use against police and ordered him to drop it while pointing his department-issued firearm during the chase. Lanking threw the gun into the air, tossing it aside, and Kaleel took him to the ground to place him into custody. Kaleel said he called the teen's mother, but said she was uncooperative and did not provide any additional necessary information. 'There's no point in going to get him now, so we're leaving him in there,' Jackson told IndyStar of her jailed son before he was waived to adult court. Jackson acknowledges that her boys have been affected by a lot of the choices she made. She knows that their father's death and her incarceration caused trauma. While others ponder the issue of kids roaming the streets with guns, she is getting ready to bury another son while facing criticism for the decisions they made and the outcome it's caused. Beyond the reality of his death, Jackson said her youngest son was a happy kid who loved music. 'Sometimes I'm shaking, and then the emotions come up, but then I'm just empty,' Jackson.
Indianapolis Star
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
The Hogsett-must-resign case is weak
The case against Mayor Joe Hogsett is devolving into factional grousing among people who want a different mayor but don't know how to accomplish that through the course of regular politics. Hogsett is no doubt worthy of condemnation. A year of sexual harassment investigations, in which I have played a role, revealed Hogsett infused his campaigns and administration with a toxic culture. Staffers were subject to harassment while working under his authority. Hogsett had opportunities to fix it and prevent further harm. He failed. Women who experienced trauma while working under Hogsett are justified to continue pushing for accountability. The City-County Council's forcible removal of Lauren Roberts on June 9 is a stomach-turning illustration of what it's like for women to tell their stories. Roberts deserved the opportunity to address the council with dignity. Instead, she was treated like an intruder. The ongoing spectacle has emboldened Hogsett's preexisting enemies to shoot their shot at a weakened mayor. Four City-County Council members and many other notable community voices, including the Indianapolis Business Journal, have called on Hogsett to resign. I'm willing to listen to those arguments. So far, though, they have been underwhelming. Democrat Crista Carlino delivered the most explosive call for Hogsett's resignation during a June 17 committee meeting. She didn't stop at Hogsett. She also called for Council President Vop Osili and Vice President Ali Brown to step down, alleging they delivered unspecified "marching orders" to Fisher Phillips, the Chicago law firm that investigated the Hogsett administration on behalf of the council. The Fisher Phillips report did leave out details that should have been considered relevant. But Carlino chaired the council committee that led the investigation. She did not express concerns about a cover-up at any point during that process or immediately after the law firm issued its report. People who want to speak truth to power need to bring … well, truth. Carlino later acknowledged she had "no claim or proof" that council leadership "personally and directly impacted the investigation." That's something you might want to have before publicly alleging a conspiracy to protect the mayor. Andy Nielsen, a council Democrat who did speak up immediately after seeing the Fisher Phillips report, has called on Hogsett to resign because he has demonstrated "a profound lack of judgement and disregard for fundamental ethics." Opinion: Why won't Republicans call on Joe Hogsett to resign? While that may be true, the leap from "lack of judgment" to "resign now" relies more on vibes than logic. No one calling on Hogsett to resign has presented a convincing argument that he violated an objective standard of conduct in ways that should trigger immediate removal from office — nor have they even attempted to explain how this standard could be equally applied to all other office-holders. They just want Hogsett gone. It's easy to nod along. We know Hogsett presided over organizations permitting rampant sexual harassment and abusive behavior. We know Hogsett sent text messages that veered into inappropriate levels of intimacy with young women who worked for him. But there's also a lot of gray there as it pertains to the mayor himself. Based on what we know 100% to be true today, Hogsett has not even been accused of behavior that would typically force an elected official out of office. That lack of evidence is forcing Hogsett's longtime critics, who have always struggled to prosecute a case against him, to overreach in hopes that the bad vibes will be enough to push him out. Consider the IBJ's editorial calling for Hogsett's resignation. The IBJ wants Hogsett out because he skipped a press conference for a homelessness initiative amid his swirling controversy and because the "Hogsett administration has never been able to articulate a clear strategy for the city, a message or a plan through which business and community leaders could rally." Well, former Gov. Mike Pence wasn't exactly a sought-after guest for ribbon cuttings during his RFRA era. Yet, he was as unmoved by the ensuing "Pence Must Go" yard signs as Hogsett is by calls for him to step down. As for a lack of vision, that judgment is reserved for the Marion County voters who have overwhelmingly elected Hogsett three times. Whatever you think of Hogsett, no one — not Republicans and not competing Democratic factions — has mounted effective opposition based on an alternative vision for Indianapolis. Briggs: Hogsett's texts to women show Indianapolis mayor embodied toxic culture Republicans have forgotten how to talk to people who enjoy living in Indianapolis since the days when former Mayor Greg Ballard championed bus rapid transit, electric car sharing and urban trails. Jefferson Shreve's dour $14.4 million all-crime-all-the-time campaign in 2023 showed just how far out of touch Republicans have fallen. Meanwhile, Democrats on Hogsett's left have failed to grapple with the mayor's enduring popularity among people who aren't constantly online. Political frustrations are likely fueling the Hogsett-must-go bandwagon. A lot of people want Hogsett out of office, but no one has been able, or willing, to directly challenge him. It's curious that a chronically inept executive, or so the criticism goes, wields such prohibitive power. The calls for Hogsett's resignation amount to a wish that he would just go away — and that he could be replaced through a Democratic Party caucus vote instead of a more difficult countywide election. Hogsett is not going away. There's a stronger chance that Hogsett runs for reelection — and wins — in 2027 than resigns before the end of his third term. While the City-County Council turns itself into a sideshow and the mayor's opponents make futile calls for him to self-deport, Hogsett is raising money and no doubt looking on like Logan Roy in "Succession," thinking, "You are not serious people." Anyone who wants a different future for Indianapolis needs to start thinking less about Hogsett's past sins and more about how to either defeat him or win a mayoral campaign without him. IndyStar's Hayleigh Colombo recently wrote about the shadow campaign underway for 2027. The most striking thing to me about the article was that the strongest mayoral contenders are moving tepidly, afraid to go all in. Osili, who has been preparing for years to run for mayor, is dealing with the aftermath of removing Roberts from the council chamber. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears says he's running for reelection to his current job in 2026. State Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, also plans to run for reelection in 2026. Opinion: I was dragged out by sheriff's deputies. Indiana Democrats stayed silent. Hogsett, awash in scandal and having pledged not to run in 2027, is the only person who appears prepared to run. Every person complaining about Hogsett's lack of leadership needs to hold up a mirror. Who in Indianapolis is demonstrating strong political leadership right now? Hogsett is a deeply flawed person whose mistakes have harmed people. That's a good reason to want him out of office. But it's not going to happen through wishing him away or cathartic calls for resignation. It's going to happen when someone mounts a viable campaign anchored in a compelling new vision for the future.
