Indiana News Roundup

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Governor-elect Holcomb picks Jim Shellinger for Commerce Secretary position, Carrier Union President not backing down from Trump….

 

 

HOLCOMB NAMES SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

Governor-elect Eric Holcomb has named Jim Schellinger as Indiana Secretary of Commerce for his administration. Schellinger currently serves as president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and previously served as a member of the IEDC board of directors. Schnellinger has played a key role in critical economic development successes for the state, including DowDuPont and Salesforce. As president, Schellinger has been an integral part of leading the Regional Cities Initiative as well as the state’s $1 Billion Initiative for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Prior to joining the IEDC in July 2015, Schellinger served as the chairman and chief executive officer of CSO Architects. A South Bend native, Schellinger earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from of Notre Dame. (story from Network Indiana)

TRUMP/CARRIER FLACK CONTINUES

A local union president slammed by Donald Trump on Twitter says he won’t stop saying the president-elect is inflating the number of jobs being saved in a deal with Carrier Corp. to stop the closing of an Indianapolis factory. United Steelworkers Local 1999 President Chuck Jones says he finds Trump’s barbs amusing and that won’t back off despite harassing phone calls since Trump criticized him on Twitter Wednesday night. Jones tells The Associated Press he’s grateful Trump intervened to stop about 800 jobs from being outsourced to Mexico. But Jones says Trump gave workers false hope by saying 1,100 jobs were being saved. That figure includes positions which the company had always said would remain in Indianapolis. Trump tweeted that Jones “has done a terrible job representing workers.” (story from AP)

CITIES PETITION THE APPEALS COURT CONCERNING ANTI-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCES

Four Indiana cities have asked the Indiana Court of Appeals to overrule a judge’s ruling allowing conservative groups to go ahead with a lawsuit challenging anti-discrimination ordinances.
The (Bloomington) Herald-Times reports the cities of Indianapolis, Bloomington, Carmel and Columbus say the appeals court should take the case because it will cost the cities substantial expense arguing the lawsuit on its merits and because the case involves substantial questions of law that have broad implications. The ordinances include protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The cities are appealing a decision by Hamilton County Superior Judge Steven Nation rejecting their requests that the lawsuit be dismissed. The ordinances are being challenged by the Indiana Family Institute, Indiana Family Action and the American Family Association of Indiana.