Whack! Indiana legislature trying to keep Daniels from $

One day. One damned day after his State of the State speech, and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is faced with House Bill 1656, which would strip the governor of the power to decide how to spend stimulus green coming to Indiana.

Indiana's commissioner of the Indidana Dept of Transportation, Karl Browning, is catatonic:

"There’s better than an even chance that this could cost jobs, not create jobs."

And the governor's office called 1656 "the bill to nowhere".

Of course, Democrat Speaker Patrick Baur sees things quite differently:

"This bill is proactive. This bill shows respect for the legislative body. This bill says put this money to work now."

The bill passed in a party line vote, and next heads to the House Ways and Means Committee. Spring's first flowers are, indeed, at risk in Indiana.