STATE WIDE–Indiana’s attorney general says the governor is out of line suing the state legislature and he’s trying to take it to the state Supreme Court. Holcomb sued the state legislature over a bill that would allow them to call themselves into session.
Atty. Gen. Todd Rokita took Holcomb to court to stop him from using an outside lawyer to sue the state’s lawmaking body. Rokita was unsuccessful.
Now he’s making another attempt, this time with the state’s highest court, calling Holcomb’s actions “gubernatorial overreach”.
IN A NUTSHELL:
- The state legislature passed a bill that would allow them to call themselves into session to check the governor’s actions.
- Gov. Holcomb said it was unconstitutional and sued the legislature.
- Atty. Gen. Rokita sued to keep the governor from using an outside attorney in the matter, saying Holcomb is wrong and the legislature is right.
- Rokita was denied in Marion County court.
- Rokita is taking the matter directly to the state Supreme Court.
“We are asking the Supreme Court to stop the executive branch power grab underway by preserving the constitutional protections that are meant to preserve Hoosiers’ individual liberty and that have served Indiana well for more than 100 years,” said Rokita.
“Allowing the Governor’s lawsuit to continue confers power on the judiciary, the branch of government that, by design, is least representative of the people. This power grab by the Governor and the authority it would give to the courts to interfere with political decisions should scare us all,” he said, in a Monday news release.
Rokita filed the papers Friday night. He said taking the matter directly to the Supreme Court would save several steps and taxpayer money.
The state Democratic Party accused Rokita of promoting himself.
“Todd Rokita is willing to take the Indiana Republican Party’s civil war and his 2024 gubernatorial campaign to the Indiana Supreme Court, and frankly, it’s a waste of time, taxpayer dollars, and abuses the trust voters gave him last fall,” said Drew Anderson, spokesman for the Indiana Democratic Party.
“Rokita is once again exposing a Republican Party as lacking an identity or direction, because it doesn’t solve today’s problems facing Hoosier families. Indiana Democrats will continue to deliver these solutions – through the American Rescue and Jobs Plans – while it appears Republicans like Rokita only view their jobs as an extreme partisan platform,” he said.
