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Indiana Supreme Court Rejects Rokita Appeal In Emergency Powers Lawsuit

Lauren Chapman/IPB News

The Indiana Supreme Court denied Attorney General Todd Rokita’s effort to halt a lawsuit between the governor and the General Assembly over emergency powers.

Gov. Eric Holcomb sued lawmakers over a new law that allows the legislature to call itself into special session during a public emergency. He argued the Indiana Constitution only gives the governor that power.

Rokita tried to intervene. Rokita said the governor can’t sue the legislature without Rokita’s say-so – and since the AG supports the legislature on this issue, he didn’t give it.

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But a county judge rejected Rokita’s argument, calling it “absurd.” The attorney general tried to get the Supreme Court to weigh in, which it won’t do. The justices denied Rokita’s request for appeal without further explanation.

Now, the case moves forward to arguments in the trial court next month over the fundamental issue: is the new emergency powers law constitutional?

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.