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Investigating the Indiana Family Institute
The Indiana Society of Professional Journalists gave Andy Kopsa its 2012 award for Best Investigative Reporting for a newspaper under 40,000 in circulation. And it is well deserved.
The judges wrote: "The writer does a good job of connecting the dots to show the cozy intersection between religion and politics in Indiana. [S]He highlights the lack of accountability and transparency on the state's part, raising legitimate questions about whether public money is being spent properly. This is the kind of watchdog journalism that can make a difference, giving readers useful information to become more engaged in how their tax dollars are being spent."
Her story Separation Anxiety: Limited religious mindset takes broad root in Indiana politics appeared in the altnerative weekly, NUVO. |
Here is a sample:
The Indiana Family Institute, described on its website as "a 16-year-old non-partisan, public education and research organization," supported both the aforementioned pieces of legislation. The state supports IFI, as well, with a federal Medicaid waiver grant aimed at increasing paid child support obligations through a Healthy Marriage Demonstration Project.
Though it pitches itself as non-partisan, IFI's other core project involves running the Hoosier Congressional Policy Leadership Institute meant to "inform citizens of pro-family, pro-life and pro-marriage policy and issues."
The IFI website counts as a legislative victory passage of HJR 6, which seeks to have Hoosiers vote on whether to amend the state constitution to define marriage as an institution between a man and a woman. And at a $75-per-plate fundraising dinner last year in Carmel, IFI honored Gov. Mitch Daniels for signing the defunding of Planned Parenthood bill, which it celebrated as "the nation's strongest pro-life bill and the strongest in our state's history."
Questions remain unanswered about whether IFI is capable of setting aside its political and moralistic underpinnings as it engages in a $1.5 million collaboration with the Department of Child Services to promote "healthy marriage."
In the face of multiple requests for information, the state has been unable to produce any evidence that oversight and accountability measures are in place and functioning. Multiple calls and emails to the Indiana Family Institute remain unreturned.
The story that can be pieced together through public documents serves to illustrate the depth of connection between IFI and Indiana politicians at the state and federal level, as well as highlight the potential for ethics violations and need for greater government transparency.
Keep on reading this award-winning piece of investigative journalism.
IFI is part of a national network (PDF) of three dozen similar state level "Family Policy Councils" affiliated with the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family. Many of these groups are best known for having taken the lead in opposing marriage equality in their respective states. It is likely that similar too cozy relationships exist between these groups and state and local governments in many states. I hope others will follow Kopsa's lead.
Give @andykopsa a shout out on Twitter and/or retweet this post @fredclarkson |
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