FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Government Resources Used to Threaten Viability of Indiana's Third Largest Party

Government Resources Used to Threaten Viability of Indiana's Third Largest Party

On February 9th, the office of State Senate Majority Leader Connie Lawson sent an email to a leader in the Libertarian Party of Indiana demanding silence on the Constitutional ban on gay marriage (HJR-6 and SJR-13). The email was sent from a government account and available for FOIA request. It is also copied below.

The letter was received by a volunteer posting articles against HJR-6 on the state party's facebook page and website. It demands that the posting cease or "structural adjustments" may need to be made.

"When a State Senator or their staff demand that a political organization remain silent on any issue, I consider this a very serious problem," said Sam Goldstein, the Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Indiana. "If we aren't silent, then what "structural adjustments would be made? I have personally reached out to Lawson's office and the Indiana Republican Party to give them an opportunity to explain these statements, but we did not receive any response back. We have also been trying to confirm if this was a staffer using government time and resources or if these are the thoughts of the Senator herself. Either way she is accountable for these statements."

Goldstein continued, "We are a bona fide political party. We are not servants of the Republican Party or the General Assembly, and we will proudly speak out against discrimination being amended into our State's Constitution. Days after this email, we put out a press release denouncing HJR-6 and SJR-13. The desire to control the relationships of all Hoosiers is clearly spelled out in both Lawson's email and these joint resolutions. Someone should remind Republicans that their legislative duty is to defend rights, not control behavior."

Media Contact: Sam Goldstein, (317) 850-0726 or lpinhq@lpin.org.

Email Text:

From: <senator.lawson@iga.in.gov>

Date: Wed, Feb 9, 2011 at 9:18 AM

Subject: LGBT Issues and Rights in Indiana

To:

Dear ____,

It has been quite some time since we have last spoken. I appreciate your continued concern about LGBT rights here in Indiana. As you know, we have taken recent strides to assist the state in strengthening marriage. Our state boasts one of the highest rates of divorce in the nation and we are seeking to help reduce these issues through marriage counseling programs and by constitutionally changing the way that marriage works here in Indiana.

I have come to realize that you have helped drive the Libertarian Party of Indiana's most recent views against HJR-6 and SJR-13. While you do understand that I appreciate and respect your views on this issue, I do request that you keep these posts to a minimum. The Republican Party of Indiana does not wish to cause issue with the Libertarian Party of Indiana in any way, but should these oppositions continue to occur, we may have to make some structural adjustments.

I do appreciate your views and think that you have done a magnificent job in articulating an adequate viewpoint on these issues. While they are viewed as the most basic civil rights issues of our day, it should also be noted that continual political polarization in Indiana and in the United States could result in serious consequence should we not provide support and coalition together for the greater good of all Hoosiers.

I will keep you informed of the bills that are passing through the Senate this year and will continue to have open dialogue. I do request that you cease postings in this issue and help them die slowly so that the State House will be able to see the true nature of the people of Indiana and not of politics as usual.

Sincerely,

Senator Connie Lawson

Majority Floor Leader

200 West Washington Street

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

S24@in.gov