INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Don’t look for Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita to hand out birth announcements on the floor of the Indiana Senate anytime soon.
As Rokita and his wife, Kathy, celebrated the birth of their second son, Ryan, on Wednesday, the Senate went out of its way to skewer the politically ambitious Republican for using more than $1.5 million from an investment fraud enforcement fund to pay for TV and radio ads in which he appears.
The Senate voted 50-0 in a highly unusual roll call vote to reject a bid by Rokita’s office to rewrite a banking bill to remove language that bars a state officeholder from using the fund to buy advertising that identifies the official.
Some lawmakers felt Rokita is using the fund he controls to build name recognition as he pursues other elective office. He’s seeking the Republican nomination in the 4th District congressional race against 12 other candidates — including state Sens. Brandt Hershman of Lafayette and Mike Young of Indianapolis.
Hershman and Young joined the parade of senators from both parties to speak against the amendment that author Sen. Richard Bray, R-Martinsville, said was sought by a lobbyist for Rokita’s office.
“We should not use the public’s dime to let people advertise on TV, whether running for public office or not,” Young said.
Hershman said Rokita was seeking a pass at a time when the state, to balance its budget, is making “painful cuts” to necessary programs.
Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington, noted the investment fraud fund had a balance of $5.3 million last June that now stands at $3.8 million. It’s funded from securities fraud settlements.
Normally amendments receive only voice votes, but Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman, the Senate president, granted a request for the roll call vote, which ended 50-0 against the amendment — and Rokita. Even Bray voted against his own amendment.
“The motion to amend is defeated in a big way,” Skillman deadpanned.
Rokita spokesman Jim Gavin said the fund supports all of the work of the Securities Division, including law enforcement and educating Indiana residents about investment fraud.
“It’s really education and enforcement that the secretary of state’s office feels makes up the formula for successful securities enforcement,” Gavin said.
