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About Us
The Indiana Debate Commission, or IDC, was formally established in the fall of 2007 to promote debate at the state level with the goal of “putting voters first.” The IDC is a diverse group of 13 state and local affiliates that pledge to promote fair and open-minded consideration of social, political and governmental questions through public forums.
Why Debate In Indiana?
Imagine inviting a candidate running for political office into your home
for a chat. Politics should be intimate, not distant. In 1858, Abraham
Lincoln, a Republican, and Stephen Douglas, a Democrat, had seven
debates and traveled to seven cities corresponding with congressional
districts—each debate lasting three hours in length. The format was
simple. The first candidate spoke for an hour; the second for one and
a half hours; the first then replied for a half hour. The focus was slavery
and the Union. In today’s online world, there should be no limitations
on access to candidates seeking your votes to run your government.
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2010 Board of Directors
President: Dennis Ryerson, Editor/Vice President, The
Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis
(President@IndianaDebateCommission.com) Vice President: Phil Meyer, Station Manager, WTIU-TV,
Bloomington
(VicePresident@IndianaDebateCommission.com) Treasurer: Gerard Lanosga, Associate Instructor, Indiana University, Bloomington
(Treasurer@IndianaDebateCommission.com) Secretary: Max Jones, Editor, Tribune-Star, Terre Haute
(Secretary@IndianaDebateCommission.com) Executive Commitee Chairperson: Randy Wheeler, News Director, WIKY Radio, Evansville
(Executive@IndianaDebateCommission.com) -
Amos Brown III, Radio Talk Show Host and Director of Strategic Research for Radio One Indianapolis, and Columnist for The Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis
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Dan Byron, Attorney, Bingham McHale, Indianapolis
Thomas E. (Tom) Carroll, President/CEO, Lakeshore Public Television, Merrillville Alan Cloe, Executive Vice President, WFYI, Indianapolis Marco Dominguez, President/CEO, IndyvisionTV, Indianapolis -
Kevin Finch, Writer/Producer, Calamari Productions, Indianapolis
Tim Harmon, Managing Editor, South Bend Tribune, South Bend Diane Hayes, Managing Editor, Post-Tribune, Gary Bob Jackson, AARP, Michigan City Terri Jett, Chairwoman of the Political Science Department, Butler University, Indianapolis -
Barbara King, Publisher, North Vernon Plain Dealer & Sun, North Vernon
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Deb Lawrence, League of Women Voters of Indiana, Indianapolis
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William Nangle, Executive Editor, The Times of Northwest Indiana, Munster
Kyle Elyse Niederpruem, President, Kyle Communications, Indianapolis Keith Robinson, President, Indiana Coalition for Open Government (ICOG), Indianapolis Cathleen Shrader, Attorney, Barrett & McNagny LLP, Fort Wayne Mizell Stewart III, Editor, Evansville Courier & Press, Evansville Tracy Warner, Editorial Page Editor, Journal-Gazette, Fort Wayne
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2010 Committees
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Audit and Finance Committee, Chairman Gerry Lanosga
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Development Committee, Chairwoman Deb Lawrence
Executive Committee, Chairman Dennis Ryerson Governance Committee, Chairman Phil Meyer Nominations Committee, Chairman Bill Nangle Public Relations Committee, Chairwoman Kyle Niederpruem -
Rules and Standards Committee, Chairman Randy Wheeler
Venue and Logistics Committee, Chairman Keith Robinson
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IDC Timeline
2008
The commission is approached by CNN in April asking to partner in hosting debates between Democratic primary candidates. After an already exhaustive debate schedule in the primary with multiple candidates, Barack Obama declines to another debate with Hillary Rodham Clinton. State campaign representatives of the three gubernatorial candidates agree in August to debate formats, venues and general rules for the debates decided upon by the commission. The agreement is signed at the Indianapolis office of WISH-TV in Indianapolis. By September, three venues are selected for the debates and the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System offers to post the debates online. Viewers can watch the debates online for 30 days after each debate is taped live. The first debate of the election season is held at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, Ind., on Sept. 16. While more than 3,000 tickets were distributed, attendance is reduced dramatically due to unprecedented flooding in Northwest Indiana that closes Interstate 65 as well as countless local roads. The largest live crowd attends the final of three debates in Bloomington, Ind., at the Indiana University Auditorium in October. This is the only debate where the majority of tickets are distributed online. By December, the non-partisan commission closes out its first election season to sponsor, host and produce three gubernatorial debates in Indiana.
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2007
The IDC holds its first meeting in February 2007 at the Indianapolis office
of WFYI. Participants review and discuss debate guidelines from Pew’s
Debate Advisory Standards, Commission on Presidential Debates, and
the League of Women Voters. The IDC planning group has six meetings between February and October
to discuss ideas, create three working committees and develop
governance and membership standards. Committees include:
Governance and Membership; Venues and Logistics;
Rules and Standards. IDC representatives meet with political parties in July to inform them of
the IDC’s goals and mission. Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians
are asked for feedback and input. The IDC unanimously approves articles and bylaws to establish a formal
board of no less than 13 people in September. Language includes a
prohibition on registered lobbyists from serving as board directors. The IDC files incorporation papers with the Indiana Secretary of State’s
office in October. The IDC’s first annual meeting will be in January to elect its 2008 board
of directors. Affiliates to the IDC will be solicited for nominations to
the board.
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IDC Affiliates
Indiana Coalition for Open Government Indiana Associated Press Managing Editors Indianapolis Association of Black Journalists Indiana Associated Press Broadcasters Association Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations The Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations (IPBS) The Indiana Broadcasters Foundation Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists League of Women Voters of Indiana Radio Television Digital News Association Hoosier State Press Association Indiana State Bar Association AARP Indiana
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Recent Gubernatorial Debates in Indiana
2008 – Republican Mitch Daniels, Democrat Jill Long Thompson, and Libertarian Andy Horning 2004 – Republican Mitch Daniels, Democrat Joe Kernan, and Libertarian Kenn Gividen 2000 – Democrat Frank O’Bannon, Republican David McIntosh and Libertarian Andrew Horning 1996 – Democrat Frank O’Bannon, Republican Stephen Goldsmith and Libertarian Steve Dillon 1992 – Democrat Evan Bayh and Republican Linley E. Pearson 1988 – Democrat Evan Bayh and Republican John Mutz 1984 – Republican Robert Orr and Democrat W. Wayne Townsend 1980 – Republican Robert Orr and Democrat John Hillenbrand
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