Vanderburgh County Democratic Chairman Rob Faulkner today took issue with Mayor
Lloyd Winnecke’s silence on the City Council’s passage of a resolution opposing the controversial
Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
He suggested the upcoming visit to Evansville by a key RFRA proponent might be motivating the Mayor.
The Council Monday approved the resolution 9-0, taking a strong stand against the controversial
measure that was pushed through the Indiana General Assembly by Winnecke’s fellow Republicans.
“A day after the council spoke with a unanimous voice, the Mayor hasn’t been heard from,†Faulkner
said.
He pointed out that Section 4 of the resolution reads, “The Mayor is invited to join in this resolution by
affixing his signature hereto.â€
Winnecke has given no public indication of whether he intends to join in the resolution, which the city
clerk is directed to send to the Governor, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate,
Assembly members representing Southern Indiana, and other legislative leaders as deemed appropriate.
Faulkner tied Winnecke’s hands-off posture on the resolution to the planned visit to Evansville by
Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma on April 22.
“It might be that Winnecke wants to avoid a lot of discomfort when Bosma comes to town to share the
stage with him at the Lincoln Day Dinner,†Faulkner said. “It appears he is siding with Bosma rather than
taking a stand to protect all the citizens of Evansville from discrimination.â€
