Last modified: Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Indiana candidates for governor to participate in forum hosted by IU Public Policy Institute
Gregg, Pence will take part in separate, back-to-back conversations
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana's major-party gubernatorial candidates will join retired Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard for an Aug. 21 public conversation about key issues facing the Hoosier state. Hosted by the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, the Policy Choices for Indiana's Future Gubernatorial Forum is free to the public, but seating is limited.
Democrat John Gregg and Republican Mike Pence will appear separately in back-to-back conversations with Shepard, the executive in residence at the Public Policy Institute, which is a part of IU's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. The discussions will focus on the policy options developed by the Policy Choices for Indiana's Future project by its commissions on Education and Workforce Development, Energy and the Environment, and State and Local Tax Policy.
"This unique format will let voters hear the candidates discuss serious issues in a focused setting," PPI Director John L. Krauss said. "This will offer a helpful complement to traditional debates, which sometimes become more focused on back-and-forth arguments than on substantive discussion."
Both Gregg and Pence agreed to the public conversations after meeting with the Policy Choices for Indiana's Future commissioners for briefings on the commissions' reports. Libertarian candidate Rupert Boneham did not respond to invitations to participate in briefings or the forum.
The Policy Choices for Indiana's Future Gubernatorial Forum will begin at 7 p.m. at the IUPUI University Place Conference Center, 850 W. Michigan St. in Indianapolis. Although the event is free and open to the public, tickets will be required for entry. Tickets may be obtained by sending an email to coemarti@iupui.edu or calling 317-278-9670 by Aug. 14.
Parking will be available for a fee in the University Place Garage, beneath the Conference Center.
The IU Public Policy Institute is a collaborative, multidisciplinary research institute within the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. It serves as an umbrella organization for research centers affiliated with SPEA, including the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment and the Center for Criminal Justice Research. The institute also supports the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.
Policy Choices for Indiana's Future is an IU Public Policy Institute initiative focused on critical questions Indiana must address to secure the state's success now and in the future. Chaired by former Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard and Central Indiana Corporate Partnership CEO Mark Miles, the initiative seeks to inform policy makers and candidates for state office about issues that will affect Indiana's economy over the long haul. In February 2012, PPI released the results of an 18-month study with reports and recommendations in three subject areas: education and workforce; energy and the environment; and tax policy. The objective, nonpartisan recommendations were researched, analyzed and prepared by a team of 50 volunteer leaders from throughout the state.
