State Chair Sam Goldstein gives us a preview of the LPIN State Convention this weekend. He discusses the candidates seeking our nomination, and the new standards the State Central Committee has put in place for vetting purposes. Learn more at: http://lpin.org/events/2012convention/
The Libertarian Training Center brings you a video presentation on running for office as a Libertarian in Indiana for the 2012 candidate cycle. The presentation was recorded on February 11, 2012 in Lafayette, IN. DISCLAIMER: Opinions and advice offered by the presenter is not necessarily that of the LPIN, and is that of the presenter exclusively.
We sent out a press release this afternoon with a memo regarding a Constitutional ban on gay marriage. After further investigation we have determined that we were the victim of a similar hoax as the one that befell Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett last week. Our party cares deeply about accountability and transparency, so we want to be the first to confirm to you that this email was not sent from a state government email address.
This email was sent to us February 9, 2011, but we released it today. We wanted to take the time to hear the other side of the story before sharing it with our membership and the media. Unfortunately, answers were never provided.
The person working on our social networking sites at the time received the email first. We called the Indiana State’s Senate Office to speak with Senator Lawson about the email’s contents immediately after we were made aware of its contents. We were never able to get through to the Majority Leader for clarification.
We also reached out to the Indiana Republican Party last week, and provided them with a hard copy of the email. After no response, we felt it was time to make the public aware of this information, and hopefully get some answers that way.
We do not know where the email came from, or what motives were behind the hoax. We have and will cooperate with any authorities that wish to pursue this matter to get answers. We also apologize to the other victim of this hoax, State Senator Connie Lawson. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
In Liberty,
Sam Goldstein
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – State House Democrats imitated their counterparts in Wisconsin by fleeing the state and failing to do the job Hoosiers hired them to do: Meeting Indiana’s challenges head on. Instead of exercising bipartisanship they pulled a political stunt to kill HB 1468, or the Right to Work bill.
“Legislators are hired to serve the public, not special interests,” said State Chairman Sam Goldstein. “By ignoring the State’s business today, the House Democrats are serving a large campaign contributor, not Hoosiers. This is another reminder that Democrats are lacking on principles and leadership. Unacceptable political stunts are why principled people are investigating the Libertarian Party in historic numbers.”
Indiana legislators make an annual salary of $22,616, as well as $155 per diem in session or at a committee hearing. They receive $62 in expense pay every other day. (Source: Indianapolis Star)
“House Democrats should refund their per diem to the taxpayers for any days that are missed,” said Chris Spangle, LPIN Executive Director. “The message from taxpayers to lawmakers is clear: This was not an excused absence, and it should not be a paid vacation day.”
Despite the Governor’s call to avoid wading in to divisive issues, The Indiana Republican Party has ignored the head of their party by trying to make discrimination a permanent part of the Indiana Constitution. HJR-6 is a bill that will define marriage between one man and one woman. It is co-authored by two Republicans and two Democrats.
The Libertarian Party of Indiana affirms that personal relationships are an individual’s choice and government has no authority to define, license or restrict marriage. This Constitutional amendment increases the power of the government over the lives of all Hoosiers, and is designed to discriminate against homosexual couples.
“The very first section of the Indiana Constitution states that all people are created equal,” said Sam Goldstein, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Indiana. “All consenting adults should have equal protections under Indiana law when making a personal and private decision to share their life with someone. Its mind boggling that Republicans would campaign on personal liberty, and then seek to add discrimination to the Constitution. Democrats should also be upset that their legislators are co-sponsoring this bill, and the Indiana Democratic Party has been silent through this process. Where are their principles?”
Goldstein continued, “Employers that are looking to relocate their business will have a hard time choosing Indiana over other states if we allow our government to force those business owners to deny benefits for ALL of their employees. This is a very bad bill for jobs as well.”
In this current session of the General Assembly, both parties have sought to “strengthen marriage.” One Republican idea is adding a pre-marriage class to the license process (HB 1248).
“It’s clear that the Republican Party of Indiana has failed in its promise to stop the tide of government control brought on by Democrats,” said Executive Director Chris Spangle. “They have a super majority in the Senate and close to 60 votes in the House. If they were serious about a small government, they have the ability to bring it about. We’re almost halfway through the session, and there has been a limited discussion of budgetary issues.”
Media Contact: Chris Spangle, 317-920-1994
The Libertarian Party of Indiana will maintain ballot access for four more years because of their achievement of six percent in the Secretary of State race. Libertarian Mike Wherry earned 100,847 votes which is the highest number of votes cast for a single candidate in the LPIN’s history.
Automatic Ballot access is granted to a political party that reaches two percent of the vote while the ten percent mark enters a political party in to the primary system. In 2006, Mike Kole received 54,381 votes (3.3%). Rebecca Sink-Burris was the party’s candidate in 2002, and received 60,937 votes or (4.1%).
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As Election Night early returns rolled in, Libertarian Party of Indiana State Chair Sam Goldstein commented on the numbers- thus far, the highest seen for Libertarian candidates in the history of the LPIN.
Listen Here: LPIN State Chair Sam Goldstein
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
State Chair Sam Goldstein offers his observations of the recent State Convention of the Libertarian Party of Indiana, highlighting elements of the event that made it among the most successful the organization has ever staged.
Sam referenced radio ads produced for the Mike Wherry campaign for Secretary of State during the convention. A 30-second ad is run at the beginning of this podcast for the first time.
For more info on the Wherry campaign, go to www.mikewherry.com
Listen to the new podcast here: LPIN Podcast: 042 – Sam Goldstein’s Post-Convention Notes
The LPIN podcast is a feature of the LPIN, highlighting candidate and member efforts through direct interviews. The program is hosted by Libertarian Party of Hamilton County Chair Mike Kole. You can also subscribe through iTunes by clicking here. You can also search for this podcast in the iTunes directory.
Audio can be used freely if attributed to LPIN and www.lpin.org.
The second-most important event in the LPIN’s annual calendar, the state convention, approaches. Delegates from all across the state meet to do the business of nominating candidates to statewide office (Secretary of State, Auditor, etc.), Indiana legislative office (Indiana House and Indiana Senate), and Congressional office (US Senate and US House of Representatives). In addition, fun, informative, and fellowship events take place.
The convention will be held at the Drury Inn & Suites on the Northeast side of Indianapolis. For more information or to register, visit www.lpin.org/convention.
Listen to the new podcast here: LPIN Podcast: 040 State Chair Sam Goldstein on upcoming state convention
The LPIN podcast is a feature of the LPIN, highlighting candidate and member efforts through direct interviews. The program is hosted by Libertarian Party of Hamilton County Chair Mike Kole. You can also subscribe through iTunes by clicking here. You can also search for this podcast in the iTunes directory.
Audio can be used freely if attributed to LPIN and www.lpin.org.
State Chairman Sam Goldstein, Executive Director Chris Spangle, and Hamilton County Chairman Mike Kole appeared recently on Abdul in the Morning to discuss the importance of third parties and the growth of the Libertarian Party in the last year. Spangle used to serve as producer to Abdul’s show before taking on his role Executive Director.
Listen Here:
(Editor’s Note: Jame Goldstein, wife of State Chairman Sam Goldstein, passed away Saturday after a long battle with breast cancer. Jame was a long time Libertarian activist, candidate and loved member of our Libertarian Party family. Please support her favorite charity in an effort to ensure that other loving mothers and wives are not taken too soon: The Weekend to End Breast Cancer benefiting St. Vincent Foundation.)
Jame Stuart Goldstein was born in Oakland, CA on October 20, 1957, the second daughter of Commander Charles Harnden (U.S. N. Ret.) and Loraine Harnden. As a Navy brat she grew up in Albuquerqe, New Mexico, Corpus Christi, Texas, Sunnyvale and Alameda California, Atsugi, Japan and Memphis, Tennessee.
Jame moved to Indianapolis in her early 20s and helped manage her parent’s fitness center for several years before deciding to attend Indiana University School of Nursing where she graduated with Highest Honors. While a staff nurse at Methodist Hospital, Jame decided to further her education at the Indiana University School of Law and graduated Cum Laude. She practiced law as an attorney at Caplin, Park, Tousley and McCoy for over 16 years even during her first bout with breast cancer in 1997. She began feeling ill again in early 2005 and received the horrible news that her cancer had returned and was now metastatic.
Following her initial treatments for metastatic breast cancer she felt well enough to open her own law office which she was able to maintain for several years until the fall of 2009. She was a meticulous and caring advocate for her Social Security Disability clients.
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Friends,
It is with great sadness that I have to write of the passing of Jame Goldstein, wife of LPIN Chair Sam Goldstein. Jame was a long time Libertarian Party activist, candidate, lawyer, loving friend, and above all, a loving mother and wife. She has battled breast cancer for many years, and passed away yesterday.
Jame’s funeral will be on Wednesday, March 10th at 2:00pm at Aaron-Ruben-Nelson Funeral Home located at 11411 N. Michigan Rd, Zionsville, IN. It will be followed by burial at Crown Hill Cemetery at 700 West 38th Street Indianapolis, IN. After the burial, anyone who wishes to join in a celebration of Jame’s life is welcomed to Sam’s home at 8074 Claridge Road, Indianapolis, IN following the burial Wednesday evening and Thursday, March 11th at 6:00pm for a memorial service in Jame’s honor.
Notes of encouragement and remembrance can be sent to the address above or via email at SAM8074@aol.com.
Over the coming weeks, please send all Libertarian Party related business to our Vice Chairman, Dan Drexler at vicechair@lpin.org or to myself at lpinhq@lpin.org.
Dear Fellow Hoosiers,
In light of recent events, the Indianapolis International Airport, by order of Transportation Security Administration, has implemented the use of full body scanners. Many are unaware of the nature of this machine. We need all Hoosiers that care about their privacy to contact their Congressmen, Senators, the Indianapolis Airport Authority, and the TSA.
We have written two form letters that you can use to attach your name and send off. You can download them here and here.
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