'Rudy' joins Hoosier Democrats at DNC in Chicago

There are (at least) two lenses through which to watch the former mayor of South Bend give a primetime speech at the Democratic National Convention.

The first is Brittany, who stayed up late to watch and write about Pete Buttigieg 's remarks so the rest of us could go to bed early. Buttigieg's speech to a raucous DNC crowd contained swipes at Republican "darkness" as well as a message about how his family is the result of a hopeful political movement.

Oh and he had fighting words for Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance , the U.S. senator from Ohio: "At least Mike Pence was polite." 😲

The second way to watch was Hayleigh: who was also awake watching the speech and particularly appreciated Buttigieg's reference to chaotic weeknight dinners when "the dog is barking and the air fryer is beeping and the mac and cheese is boiling over." All toddler parents felt that viscerally.

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THE MAIN EVENT: Hoosiers in Chicago

It seemed like a pretty good week in Chicago for Hoosier Democrats at the 2024 DNC, even with a few bugs. Literally.

Indiana had more than 80 delegates in the Windy City this week to celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris ' selection as the party's nominee for president. The Hoosier State's delegation included elected officials like U.S. Rep. André Carson , state Rep. Cherrish Pryor , Indianapolis City-County Councilor Nick Roberts and Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun. (Kayla has a full breakdown of the entire delegation here .)

We also spoke this week with Black Hoosier women among Indiana's delegation to Chicago, who told us it's "powerful" to be a part of history in helping nominate the first Black woman for president.

The one bump in the road? Indiana made national headlines Wednesday when media reported the FBI was investigating bugs — potentially maggots — placed in the breakfast buffet at the Chicago hotel housing our state's delegates along with those of Minnesota, Ohio, Missouri and South Dakota. While IndyStar does not have a reporter in Chicago this week, our colleagues at USA TODAY talked to some Hoosier delegates about that ... situation .

AT CITY HALL: Hogsett signs executive order

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett is still dealing with the fallout of sexual harassment allegations raised against his former chief deputy mayor, Thomas Cook .

Hogsett's latest move was to mandate annual sexual harassment training be completed by thousands of city employees. But will it work to curb future harassment cases? We spoke with an expert in workplace harassment from IU and an Indianapolis sexual harassment lawyer about the proposal and its potential effectiveness. The bottom line? Changing a "toxic culture" that allowed harassment is key. Read more here .

ELECTIONS 2024

It’s an uphill climb for the Democratic and Libertarian candidates in the U.S. Senate race as they face Republican Congressman Jim Banks later this year, but are there other challenges plaguing Democrat Valerie McCray ’s campaign?  Her campaign director, Charrie Stambaugh , was removed from a local role with the Johnson County Democrats and prohibited from running or being appointed to office for two years following a party hearing in late July.

McCray says none of that impacts her campaign or her staffing decisions leading up to November. Read more here .

THE CHECKBOOK

At an Indiana State Budget Committee meeting Thursday, state lawmakers pressed the Indiana Economic Development Corp. on its proposal to get an additional $101 million to augment their $500 million so-called " deal-closing fund ." The IEDC says the money will support the state's commitment to "Project Fusion," otherwise known as the electric battery plant project in Kokomo.

The money will come from the state's $2.3 billion surplus. Democratic Sen. Fady Qaddoura pressed the IEDC to provide more transparency about the ROI on the incentives the agency provides companies. He also said he was "personally uncomfortable with augmenting projects on the fly" when there are other "crises and priorities" in the state, such as what's happening in the state's Medicaid program .

Most of the toughest questioning was from Democrats, but Republican state Sen. Chris Garten of Charlestown also told the IEDC to "lean into transparency" and "get this paid back as fast as humanly possible."

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

The Hamilton County Republican Party announced this week that Tulsi Gabbard , the former U.S. representative from Hawaii, is scheduled to headline the party’s annual fall dinner on Oct. 1 . Landing such a big name was the result of early planning, Hamilton County GOP chair Mario Massillamany said.

Gabbard, who previously ran for president and is widely known for her subsequent departure from the Democratic Party , can hopefully speak to Republicans in Hamilton County about her move to the GOP and support for Donald Trump , Massillamany said. Gabbard is reportedly helping Trump prep for debates against Vice President Kamala Harris .

The former congresswoman is Hindu, he noted, and can connect with the growing Southeast Asian population in the suburban community.

“I’m always trying to reach out and try to get some of the best speakers and also a diversity of speakers, in the sense that we’re not a monolithic party,” Massillamany told us. Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy , for example, spoke at the party's May Lincoln Day Dinner . “I want to make sure that when somebody’s looking from the outside in, that they see that we’re a very diverse party.”

TLDR

• The Judicial Nominating Commission reappointed Chief Justice Loretta Rush to her leadership role on the Indiana Supreme Court on Wednesday. She received support from her four other fellow justices during the process.
• Indiana lawmakers this week questioned Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration on several key issues, including a lawsuit over whether to charge premiums to Medicaid recipients, and the state's Indiana Pathways for Aging managed care program.
• Indiana government is already using artificial intelligence, and it might increase that use soon, state officials told lawmakers this week. One known use includes the Department of Workforce Development recommending training, education and education resources to people who submit unemployment insurance claims. One lawmaker called it "wonderful and scary." Indiana Capital Chronicle has more .

WHAT WE'RE READING

Evansville Courier & Press' Jon Webb and Sarah Loesch: Our colleagues in Evansville published a fascinating story this week about the ongoing "Honest" Gabe Whitley saga. That's the perennial Republican office-seeker who has been connected with possible campaign finance violations and whose Indianapolis home was recently searched by federal agents.

The latest intrigue is that Whitley may have an alter ego by the name of Spencer McDaniel , an Internet personality who bills himself as a political consultant. McDaniel is being sued for defamation but does not appear to exist in real life. This story will have you reading until the last word.

TAKE OF THE WEEK

Sofia Craiutu , a senior at Bloomington High School North, writes in an opinion for IndyStar this week that she is worried Indiana's new proposed high school diplomas , which have an increased focus on work-based learning, will limit the mindsets of students and what they can achieve in higher education. Craiutu said students need critical thinking, which is why she founded Global Learners, a program she said helps bring world news to Hoosier students.

• "We have young generations that must grow up feeling encouraged to learn about their world through in-school studies," she writes. "Not a school system pushing them into work environments when they are 15 and discouraging them from taking important classes."

SEEN ON SOCIAL

Sean Astin , of "Goonies," "Stranger Things" and "Rudy" fame, made a fun appearance among the Indiana delegation in Chicago during the DNC roll call on Tuesday night, with a grinning André Carson and Mike Schmuhl alongside him.

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Checks and Balances is compiled and written by Brittany Carloni, Hayleigh Colombo, Kayla Dwyer and Kaitlin Lange on the IndyStar politics and government team. Send us tips or let us know what you think of the newsletter by emailing IndyStarPolitics@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 'Rudy' joins Hoosier Democrats at DNC in Chicago