Short Session Shapes Up with a Leadership Dosey Doe
Presumably you’ve finished or frozen the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers (if not, they are well beyond the four-day maximum, so toss in the trash immediately) and are focusing on the last 21 days of the year. It’s a fantastic time to set your sites on the future, not bemoaning what you didn’t get done this year, but what you CAN get done next year. (Though you may want to limit your goal list to three, according to Forbes .) Speaking of threes, on to 3 for Thursday …
GOP Ripple Effect . Earlier this week, the Indiana House Republican Caucus announced that Rep.  Todd Huston  (R-Fishers) will serve as Speaker-Elect during the 2020 legislative session to prepare to become speaker in 2021 as current Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) will be retiring after 34 year at the General Assembly. And that opened the opportunity for Leah McGrath – who recently announced she would be leaving her post as Fishers deputy mayor -- to announce that she is running for Bosma’s seat, which includes the northeast portion of Marion County and parts of Hamilton and Hancock counties. Prior to serving as deputy mayor, McGrath worked for the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns (now known as Accelerate Indiana Municipalities) and serves as vice chair of the Indiana Republican Party. 
Not-So-Great Expectations . While Governor Eric Holcomb won’t release his legislative priorities until next Tuesday, he is setting a “don’t expect too much” tone for the upcoming short session of the Indiana General Assembly. While Hoosier teachers are looking to the General Assembly to boost salaries, it doesn’t appear to be in the cards for this non-budget session, according to Holcomb. Regardless, the governor’s two-year teacher compensation commission, created earlier this year, is in the midst of its work and will deliver recommendations next year lawmakers can use in the 2021 budget-writing session. 
School-Trade Partnership Gets a Boost . Earlier this year, the proposed Hub & Spoke project was in the news with its innovative partnership between the City of Fishers and Hamilton Southeastern Schools to connect students with trade professionals and provide work- and project-based learning experiences. This week, the Fishers City Council gave preliminary approval to a 10-year tax abatement for the developers of the building and approved $3.125 million in road project bonds. Construction on the $15.65 million, 85,000 square-foot building (which will house retail showrooms, cooperative work and shop space, dedicated office space, maker’s space, a training facility and community connect space) has already begun and is anticipated to be completed in April. 
Plus One : It’s that time of year … the OneZone Business Excellence Awards are set for next Wednesday ( get your reservation today before it sells out !). Meanwhile, for those of you seeking the inside scoop on the upcoming session of the Indiana General Assembly, the first “Legislative Breakfast” is scheduled for Friday, December 13. Reserve your spot here .