{"id":16032,"date":"2011-01-01T08:18:53","date_gmt":"2011-01-01T13:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/?p=16032"},"modified":"2011-01-01T08:18:53","modified_gmt":"2011-01-01T13:18:53","slug":"banks-proposal-would-make-precinct-committeemen-lists-public-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aroundfortwayne.com\/news\/2011\/01\/01\/banks-proposal-would-make-precinct-committeemen-lists-public-record\/","title":{"rendered":"Banks’ proposal would make precinct committeemen lists public record"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jim<\/p>\n

Press release from Republican Indiana State Senator Jim Banks:<\/p>\n

Banks’ proposal would make precinct committeemen lists public record<\/strong>
\nColumbia City senator wants more transparency in precinct committeemen process<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

(STATEHOUSE, December 29, 2010) – In northeast Indiana alone, they put two congressional candidates on the November ballot, selected a pair of new Indiana House members and one for the Indiana Senate.<\/p>\n

And yet, in some cases it was difficult to find out exactly who these political officials – known as precinct committeemen – actually were. State Sen. Jim Banks (R-Columbia City) believes it’s time for transparency in the precinct committeemen process.<\/p>\n

Banks has filed legislation requiring the county chairmen of each major political party to submit the names and addresses of precinct committeemen and vice committeemen to the county election board each year by July 1.<\/p>\n

“With as much power as precinct committeemen have in situations like we’ve seen this year, the public has a right to know who are making these key decisions,” Banks said. “Precinct committeemen are enormously powerful during a caucus. As a precinct committeeman myself I believe there is room here for more transparency to preserve this process.”<\/p>\n

In 2010, precinct committeemen decided what Republican and Democrat would be on the November ballot to fill the unexpired term of U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, a race ultimately won by then State Sen. Marlin Stutzman (R-Howe). Precinct committeemen then selected Susan Glick (R-LaGrange) as Stutzman’s successor. They also filled Indiana House seats vacated by State Reps. Matt Bell (R-Avilla) and Randy Borror (R-Fort Wayne) with Kathy Heuer (R-Columbia City) and Bob Morris (R-Fort Wayne), respectively.<\/p>\n

Senate Bill 151 would also put the following safeguards in place where precinct committeemen are concerned:<\/p>\n