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PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. Criminal-sentencing reform proponents in Congress are hopeful that Vice President Mike Pence will be an ally, helping them towork with thenew law-and-order administration to pass legislation to cut mandatory minimum sentencing for drug-law offenders.

Ive got reason to be hopeful, House Oversight Committee ChairmanJason Chaffetz told reporters at a morning session of the Seminar Network, a large group of wealthy libertarian and conservative donors gathered in Palm Springs by Charles and David Koch.

Pence and President Donald Trump ran a campaignwith a frequent law and order theme, includingpromises to crack down on violent crimeandto help communities hit by the scourge of opioid addiction. His pick to lead the Department of Justice, Sen. Jeff Sessions, has been a stanch congressional opponent of federal-level reform, maintaining thatthe problem of over-criminalization is at the state not federal level.(RELATED: Three Republican Senators Kick Off Kochs First Massive Donor Conference In Age Of Trump)

Speaking to reporters alongside Sen. Mike Lee, also of Utah, Chaffetz said, Gov.Pence, having been a governor,he understands this. In the end, hes done some wise things. And Ialso think you you will see concertedsupport from conservative governorswho will buoy up any support in the White House.

If youregoing to be toughon crime, you better be smart about it. And there are hardened criminals who do need tospend the rest of their lives in prison.

But, he added, we need to fix the problem of repeat offenders spending years in prison for drug crimes.

Doug Deason,aSeminar Network donor with an interest in sentencing reform, highlighted the White Houses new legislative director, Marc Short, as anotherreason to be hopeful. Before joining the administration, Short was a longtime adviser to Pence and a lead deputy in the libertarian Koch network. He cares passionately about criminal justice reform, Deasonsaid.

Deason, a Texas businessman who is president ofDeason Capital Services, was lessenthusiastic about Sessions, telling reporters,Im glad they got him out of the Senate, they got him out of the way!

Chaffetz defended Sessions, however,pointing to the Fairness in Sentencing Act the Alabama senator shepherded through in 2010, reducing the difference between sentencesfor crack cocaine and powder cocaine.

Ithink last year we were caught up in presidential politics and Ithink hes in a different position now, Chaffetz said.

Criminal-sentencing reform isa tricky business with no guarantees. Right now, the prospects for such legislation seem good, given that lawmakers from both parties have been wrangling with a reform bill for months, Politico reportednearly two years ago, in July 2015.(RELATED: Mike Lee Is Certain The Senate Will Confirm TrumpsSupreme Court Nominee)

We were so closelast time, Lee, a member of the SenateCommittee on the Judiciary, lamented toreporters at the seminar.

Aclose friend of Sen. Ted Cruz, Leeurged Trump to quit in October and declined to endorse him throughout the election. Chaffetz went back and forth, endorsing, then withdrawing afterthe publication of a video showing Trump making lewd sexual comments, then deciding to vote for him without endorsing.I will not defend or endorse [Trump], but I am voting for him, Chaffetz tweetedat the end of Octover. [Hillary Clinton] is that bad. [Clinton]is bad for the USA.

Both menrepresent Utahs quieter, more conflict-adverse, Mormon Republican electorate.

Held twicea year, the seminars are a gathering place for the Seminar Network,a large group of wealthy donorsinterested in libertarian causes. This weekends seminar, held in thetemperate desert outside of Los Angeles, will be the first since Trumps election and inauguration. The network spent hundreds of millions on advertising and advocacy for limited-government politicians namely, Republicans running forthe U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, but notablystayed out of the presidential primaries and race. The network is co-chaired by Charles Koch Institute President Brian Hooks and Mark Holden, generalcounsel for Koch Industries.(RELATED:As Trump Presidency Dawns, Kochs Plan To Bring Hundreds Of Millions To Bear On Next Two Years)

Called A Time to Lead, the meeting is hosted at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort and Spa, and is focused on local, grassroots initiatives Americans can take inwhat Hooks called the key institutions of society education, community, business and government.(RELATED:Charles Koch Calls For Action: We Might Not Have An Opportunity Again Like We Have Today)

There are around 550 individuals included in the principals network meeting, which requires at least $100,000 donation to the network. In addition to these invited people, there are approximately 150 staff and speakers, Seminar Network spokesman James Davis told reporters. There is also a larger press presence than any previous conference has allowed.

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Editors Note: Christopher Bedford was a fellow at the Charles KochInstitute in 2010.

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Want Drug-Sentencing Reform? Look To Mike Pence, Congressman Says - Daily Caller

The Bicentennial Plaza at the Indiana State House is ready to be enjoyed by the public. The plaza is centered on the intersection of Senate Avenue and Robert D. Orr Plaza. The new Plaza creates a public space that can be used by government center employees, along with all citizens and visitors to Indiana. The design is intended to make the Plaza an engaging space that includes a water feature and two public art pieces, one representing elements of the Torch and another as a figurative interpretation of a time capsule. (Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar)Buy Photo

Vice President Mike Pence has a new home in Washington, D.C.,and an office in the White House, but back in Indiana, state officials are still scrambling to figure out how to pay for several bicentennial construction projects Pence initiated as governor without a solid financing plan.

At issue are $53.5 million in new projects Pence sought as part of the states 200th birthday celebration last year. They included a new $2 million Bicentennial Plaza at the Indiana Statehouse, a $2.5 million education center at the neighboring State Library, a new $25 million state archives building and a $24 million inn at Potato Creek State Park in St. Joseph County.

Construction on the plaza with its two large sculptures and water features and the education center already are complete. Some design workfor the archives building also has occurred. So far, the state has spent more than $5 million.

Skeptical lawmakers allowed Pence to spend taxpayer money on the projects as part of the state's 200th birthday celebration after he assured them he could pay for projectsby leasing excess space on the Indiana's 340 state-owned cell towers.

But two years after those assurances were made,a cell tower deal has yet to materialize.

Now, Gov. Eric Holcomb, Pence's successor and fellow Republican,is trying to find a way to fill the $5.5 million hole thoseprojects left in the state budget.

He initially proposed dipping into a fund traditionally reserved for public health initiatives, but is now reworking that plan after questions from IndyStar.

The need to find $5.5 million for the bicentennial projects comes at a time when Holcomb is already grappling witha $378 million revenue shortfall compared to what lawmakers had originally budgeted for this year.

"We did the projects. We have to pay for the projects," said Stephanie Wilson, Holcomb's spokeswoman.

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A Pence spokesman did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

In the two-year state spending plan Holcomb sent to lawmakers earlier this month, he sought to use money from the state's Tobacco Master Settlement fund to pay for the projects.

Money in that fund comes from a 1998 multistate lawsuit settlement with big tobacco companies over the health impact of their products. Indiana receives about $128 million a year from the settlement.Other states have used their share of the settlement for unrelated purposes, but Indiana traditionally has reserved the funds for public health initiatives such as childrens health insurance, community health centers, mental health treatment and programs to combat HIV and AIDS.

Holcomb's proposal to use the fund to pay for bicentennial projects raised concerns among public health advocates given the states HIV outbreak last year, a sharp uptick in opioid abuse and deathsand the state's12th-highest-in-the-nation smoking rate.

That money was intended for health-related programs and thats where it should go, said Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis. Our governor talks about having an honestly balanced budget with no gimmicks. I think this would be a nice gimmick.

He and other lawmakers raised concerns when Pence first proposed funding the projects with a cell phone tower deal. Even Republican fiscal leaders expressed doubts about Pence's proposed funding mechanism after IndyStar exposed last year that any cell tower deal likely wouldfall short of fully funding the projects.

Im going on faith," Senate Appropriations Chairman Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, said last year."They assured me they can get this done.

Amid such concerns and in the heat of the presidential campaign Pence announced in September that a cell phone tower deal had been reachedwith Ohio-based Agile Networks. The deal would provide the state with $50 million upfront and more during the life of the 25-year lease, his administration said.

This agreement, if approved, will put underused assets into full play, enhance Indianas communication capabilities throughout the state and fund the states bicentennial projects, Pence said at the time.

What Pence didn't say was that the deal with Agile Networks was far more expansive than advertised. Not only would it have given Agile control over the state's cell phone towers, it also would have allowed the company to use the state's vast fiber network.

That stirred fierce opposition from the state's cable and broadband trade groups, which represent companies such as AT&T, Comcast and Time Warner.

A spokesman for Agile declined comment for this story.

The deal was supposed to go before the state budget committee for final approval in December, but it did not end up on the agenda amid the behind-the-scenes controversy.

Now, the fate of the deal is uncertain.

Wilson said the governoris reviewing "the entire deal."

"Its not done," she said."We dont know if or when it will be done."

In the meantime, Holcomb is backingoff his initial proposal to pay for the bicentennial projects with money from the tobacco settlement fund.

Wilson said Tuesday that Holcomb is now asking House lawmakers to change the funding source for the projects to the general fund.

The tobacco settlement money will instead be used to support a planned increase in funding for the states adult protective services, which an IndyStar investigation found last year is woefully understaffed and ineffective in protecting vulnerable adults exposed to abuse and neglect.

This is in keeping with the governors commitment to using health-related funds for health-related purposes, Wilson said.

When asked about the bicentennial funding problem, fiscal leaders in the General Assembly tried to cast it in diplomatic terms.

"Lets say we had some friendly jousting going on between me and the (Pence) administration over the bicentennial projects," Kenley said. "At one time I said, 'Im not sure I can afford to celebrate our bicentennial.' But we went ahead and celebrated. Now that weve celebrated, weve got to pay the bills."

Call IndyStar reporter Tony Cook at (317) 444-6081. Follow him on Twitter:@indystartony.

The state has spent about $5.5 million of the $53.5 million in planned bicentennial projects under then-Gov. Mike Pence. Here are the projects, their expected cost and their status:

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Elusive funding for Pence's bicentennial projects dogs state - Indianapolis Star

Yesterday (January 27), President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would ban immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries (Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen). In addition, the order will halt the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for the next 120 days. According to CNN, while signing the executive order, Trump said, "I am establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America. We don't want them here."

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump spoke of a total Muslim ban. On December 7, 2015, the Trump/Pence campaign website released a statement that read, "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." The statement went on to say that there is a "great hatred towards Americans" from a "large segment of the Muslim population." (This is not true.)

Incidentally, one day after Trump released that statement, Vice President Mike Pence took to Twitter to disavow Trump's call for a Muslim ban. Pence tweeted, "Calls to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. are offensive and unconstitutional."

His tweet is still available today, and with Trump's latest executive orders on immigration, people are quick to remind Pence of his former beliefs.

For the record, many believe that Trump's order that would target Muslims for "extreme vetting" is unconstitutional. The ACLU released a statement yesterday explaining, "Identifying specific countries with Muslim majorities and carving out exceptions for minority religions flies in the face of the constitutional principle that bans the government from either favoring or discriminating against particular religions. Any effort to discriminate against Muslims and favor other religions runs afoul of the First Amendment."

However, others have noted that there are laws that work in Trump's favor. As Sarah Harvard at Mic points out, the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act says that the president can ban "any aliens or any class of aliens," as long as he can prove that they are a threat to the United States. Harvard also notes that challenging Trump's executive order on the basis of religious discrimination might be difficult to prove.

That said, this latest executive order from Trump is not being taken lightly and there are ways to challenge it. The same day that the president signed this decree, The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) began to take the necessary measures to file a lawsuit in response. According to CAIR's litigation director, the lawsuit will "challenge the constitutionality of the order which very clearly is designed to target Muslims."

Related: President Trump Says Persecuted Christians Will Be Given Priority Status as Refugees

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Mike Pence Called Donald Trump's Muslim Ban Unconstitutional - TeenVogue.com

Pence is the highest ranking government official to ever speak in person at the event. USA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence listens as his wife Karen Pence speaks at the March for Life on the National Mall in Washington, Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ORG XMIT: DCMC105(Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP)

WASHINGTON Vice President Pence marked a big moment Friday in his decades-longfight against abortion, simplyby walking on stage.

A week after taking the oath of office, Pencebecame the highest ranking official to appear in person at theannual March for Life demonstration.The significance of his presence wasnt lost on the cheering crowd.

Vice President Pences appearance here is huge, said David Etters, a high school theology teacher from Jackson, Mich. Its an endorsement for this agenda for life.

Debra Maddrell, a retired naval officer from Vienna, Va., said It says that he walks the walk as well as talks the talk.

In introducing her husband, Pences wife Karen reminded the audience, This is not our first March for Life.

Vice President Mike Pence took the stage at the anti-abortion March for Life rally in Washington, DC on Friday. He declared that "life is winning again" following the election of Donald Trump. (Jan. 27) AP

Pence said he was deeply humbled to be the first vice president to attend the gathering and added that President Trump actually asked me to be here today.

In prior years, Republican presidents have addressed the March for Life by phone or video, but Trump sent Pence instead.

He asked me to thank you for your support, for your stand for life and for your compassion for the women and children of America, Pence said.

Some of those gathered here expressed uncertainty about Trumps personal beliefs. Nearly 20 years ago, he described himself as very pro-choice, but he has since said he has evolved.

But the attendees said they see Pence, an evangelical Christian, as a steadfast ally who can hold Trump accountable on an anti-abortion agenda.

In Congress, Pence was a leader in efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and co-sponsored personhood legislation calling for Constitutional rights at the moment of fertilization. As governor of Indiana, he signed several anti-abortion bills, including one that banned abortions solely because of genetic abnormalities legislation that was suspended by a federal judge.

We still need as voters to hold Trumps feet to the fire, but I feel like weve got an ally there (in Pence) and that feels like a first in my lifetime, said Anna Thomas, a kindergarten teacher from Tuckahoe, N.Y.

Read more:

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March for Life participants optimistic about Trump, Pence

During his speech, Pence highlighted Trumps move this week to reinstate a policy to prevent foreign aid from funding organizations that promote or perform abortions. He said the administration will work with Congress to permanently bartaxpayer funding of abortion and abortion providers. And he added that Trump next week will announce a Supreme Court nominee who will uphold the God-given liberties enshrined in our Constitution in the tradition of the late and great Justice Antonin Scalia.

Life is winning in America, he said to cheers. And today is a celebration of the progress that we have made in the cause.

Democrats, in a fundraising email, cited Pences statement as another one of this administrations trademark alternative facts. The email added that the administrations policies will lead to more abortions and more women dying from being denied life-saving care.

Thousands of demonstrators rallied and marched against abortion in Washington on Friday. Jarrad Henderson, USA TODAY

But at the march, his remarks were seen as everything were standing for, said Sheri Tharp, 48, a nurse practitioner from Howard, Ohio.

Tharp said Pence has been about life the whole time, and shes relying on him to bend the presidents ear toward our direction. She wants to "eliminate" abortion from the law.

I do think (Trumps) there, she said. I just think he needs the guidance to prudently get the laws passed. Hes pro-life but Im not sure hes been actively involved as Mike Pence has.

Of Trump, Anna Thomas said, I dont believe that he is personally pro-life at all. Hes made the most mealy mouthed comments about pro-life versus pro-choice issues.

But when he chose Pence for the ticket, she thought, He sees us and he hears us.

Follow @ngaudiano on Twitter.

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At anti-abortion rally, Mike Pence is a beacon of hope - USA TODAY

Vice President Mike Pence told Republicans gathered in Philadelphia Thursday that President Trump and Capitol Hill lawmakers are in the promise-keeping business and that he and the president have a profound respect for Congresss constitutional role in government.

Make no mistake about it: this president and this Congress are in the promise-keeping business, Mr. Pence said. Were going to show the American people that the Republican party has the principles and the policies that will make America great again.

He credited Mr. Trump for spurring on an unprecedented movement in last years presidential campaign.

My friends, this is our moment, Mr. Pence said. And we got this far because President Donald Trump marshaled a movement unlike any movement in American history.

He said he and Mr. Trump have a profound respect for Congresss constitutional role.

So I can say unequivocally that President Trump and I will forge a strong working relationship with the Congress and with all of you to enact the laws that will serve the interests of the American people as contemplated by the Constitution of the United States, he said to applause.

Many Republicans have criticized former President Obama for going around Congress with executive actions on issues such as immigration.

Mr. Pence said he hoped the Senate would move quickly on Mr. Trumps U.S. Supreme Court nominee. The president has said hell be making that pick next Thursday.

I can already tip you off. President Trump is going to keep his promise to the American people, and hes going to nominate a strict constructionist to the Supreme Court in the tradition of the late and great Justice Antonin Scalia, Mr. Pence said to applause.

This person will possess a top-notch legal mind and unwavering commitment to the Constitution, he said. We need this person on the bench as soon as possible given the vacancy thats existed on the court.

Mr. Pence also joked about the comparatively smaller crowds he attracted on the campaign trail compared to Mr. Trump, who spoke at the GOP retreat earlier in the day.

The vice president said hed attend rallies with Mr. Trump where tens of thousands people would come out.

Or Id speak at rallies of my own, where literally hundreds of Americans would come out to hear me campaign on his behalf, he said to laughter.

Link:

Mike Pence: President Trump, Congress are in the 'promise-keeping business' - Washington Times