https://progressiveindiana.net
SUMMARY:
Six days out from Indiana’s May 5 primary, Rev. Tony Alexander and Pastor David W. Greene Sr. open the program by responding to the day’s Supreme Court ruling allowing Louisiana to redraw its congressional maps and undoing major parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — a decision both hosts frame not as a legal matter but as a moral one, arguing it effectively dismantles the practical enforcement mechanisms of the civil rights law. They connect the ruling to a broader pattern of voter suppression targeting minorities, women, and immigrants, and make the case that the primary is the most urgent available response. The hosts then shift to Indianapolis’s ongoing data center controversy, criticizing the city’s first Department of Metropolitan Development community listening session as a performative “check the box” exercise that left residents more frustrated than before. In the final segment, Pastor Greene — a candidate for Indiana Senate District 29 — makes his closing pitch to voters in Pike and Wayne Township and the district’s suburban reaches into Boone and Hamilton counties, framing his affordability-first platform as a moral response to Indiana’s $22 billion budget and the federal cuts bearing down on seniors and people with disabilities. The program closes with details on a Souls to the Polls bus effort departing from five Indianapolis churches this Sunday, May 3.
WHAT’S INSIDE
00:00:00 Open / Disclaimer / Station ID
00:00:43 Welcome & Introduction
- Rev. Alexander opens six days out from the Indiana primary; introduces Pastor Greene
- Pastor Greene offers opening prayer
00:02:11 Supreme Court Voting Rights Ruling — Overview
- Rev. Alexander summarizes the day’s Supreme Court decision on Louisiana redistricting
- Court ruled maps drawn along racial lines are impermissible but maps drawn along party lines are not
- Pastor Greene frames the ruling as a moral issue, not merely a legal one
- Indiana cited as already ranking near last in voter participation
00:05:24 What the Ruling Means — Urgency for the Primary
- Rev. Alexander argues this is the most critical moment for voters who feel their voice doesn’t count
- Two states had already announced plans to redraw maps within hours of the ruling
- Pastor Greene invokes “the urgency of now”; connects low turnout to political emboldening
00:08:12 Dismantling the Voting Rights Act — The “Third Leg” Argument
- Rev. Alexander describes the ruling as kicking out the third leg of a stool — the Act itself survives but its enforcement mechanisms are gone
- Pastor Greene warns of a return to pre-Voting Rights Act conditions
- Discussion of new documentation requirements targeting women who have changed their names
00:09:54 Who Stands to Lose Voting Rights
- Rev. Alexander tallies affected groups: Black voters, women, immigrants with prior voting rights
- Pastor Greene argues the endgame is a electorate reduced to predominantly white male voters
- Discussion of how manufactured difficulty — lines, documentation, eliminated early voting — functions as suppression
00:12:38 Caller — Guy
- Guy calls in with a historical perspective, noting the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
- References King Charles’s address to Congress the previous day on checks and balances and the Magna Carta
- Expresses optimism that overreach will backfire, citing Lincoln’s “you can’t fool all of the people all of the time”
- Predicts Congress flips back in the midterms
00:14:58 Response to Caller / Indiana Redistricting Risk
- Rev. Alexander thanks Guy, appreciates his optimism
- Raises prospect of Indiana revisiting its own maps now that Supreme Court has given cover
- Pastor Greene warns Trump will move urgently before November — redistricting, mail-in ballots, early voting all on the table
00:17:20 From “Possible” to “Probable” — Federal Election Infrastructure
- Rev. Alexander upgrades the threat from possible to probable
- Describes White House as effectively drafting model legislation for Republican states to follow
- Predicts a rapid cascade of state-level map challenges heading to the Supreme Court before November
- Pastor Greene argues Trump’s goal is controlling who votes, not just who wins; raises J.D. Ford vs. Victoria Spartz in IN-5 as example of a race that becomes unwinnable without voting access
00:20:00 Executive Order on Mail-in Ballots / Break Tease
- Rev. Alexander describes Trump’s executive order directing the post office to control mail ballot distribution while simultaneously cutting the postal budget
- Teases data center segment after the break
--- [COMMERCIAL BREAK] ---
00:21:19 Indianapolis Data Centers — DMD Listening Session
- Rev. Alexander reports on DMD’s first community listening session on data center guardrails, held the previous day
- Reaction was uniformly negative — attendees said nothing new was presented and no real input was taken
- Pastor Greene calls it a “check the box” meeting — the community was invited but not heard
00:24:24 City Council’s Missed Opportunity
- Rev. Alexander recounts how Councilor Jesse Brown’s earlier resolution to establish data center guardrails was voted down by council
- City then returned to the community asking for input after having already rejected a formal process
- Pastor Greene calls out the Black councilors who opposed Brown’s resolution and have not yet presented the “better plan” they promised
00:26:44 Political Stakes — Data Centers and the 2027 Mayor’s Race
- Pastor Greene argues data center frustration is compounding with gas prices and other economic pain
- Warns councilpersons that silence on this issue is being noted and will matter in 2027 municipal elections
- Rev. Alexander agrees: this is one of the most-watched issues in the city right now
00:28:16 Caller — Reverend Phillips
- Reverend Phillips calls in briefly on the Supreme Court ruling and voting rights
- Frames the moment in spiritual terms — calls on believers to pray and seek God
- Rev. Alexander closes the call warmly and takes the break
--- [COMMERCIAL BREAK] ---
00:30:34 SD-29 Candidate Segment — Pastor Greene’s Closing Pitch
- Rev. Alexander introduces Pastor Greene as a candidate for Indiana Senate District 29
- Pastor Greene frames his candidacy as a moral response to what he calls egregious conduct at the statehouse
- Describes Indiana’s $22 billion budget as a moral document; cites seniors choosing between medicine and meals, CCDF childcare voucher gaps, and underfunded public schools
00:33:27 SD-29 Candidate Segment — Federal Cuts Coming to the State
- Rev. Alexander raises proposed changes to Supplemental Security Income — benefit reductions for disabled people living with family members
- Pastor Greene confirms SSI cuts are coming and shares what he’s heard across his district: retired people who did everything right now facing impossible financial pressure
- Argues seniors and people with disabilities deserve to age with dignity and stay in their homes
00:35:40 SD-29 Candidate Segment — Cross-Aisle Optimism
- Rev. Alexander asks whether Indiana Democrats can find Republican partners
- Pastor Greene points to Governor Braun’s $200 million one-time childcare fund as evidence — driven by Republican business community pressure, not Democratic lobbying, after 311+ childcare closures statewide
- Argues a broad urban-suburban-rural coalition — chambers of commerce, United Way, women-led organizations, faith community — can move the needle on affordability in the 2027 budget
00:37:55 SD-29 Candidate Segment — Shared Economic Pain Across Party Lines
- Rev. Alexander argues school funding, disability care, and food prices affect everyone regardless of race or party
- Pastor Greene: “They don’t charge me any more when I walk in the grocery store because I’m Black”
- Raises rural voters whose hospitals have closed and who now travel 100 miles for care at $4+ gas
00:40:52 SD-29 Candidate Segment — Farmers and Tariffs
- Rev. Alexander reports Wisconsin and Michigan farmers are choosing not to plant this spring due to tariff uncertainty and product markets collapsing
- Pastor Greene argues those farmers didn’t vote expecting this outcome — and their pain may shift their politics
- Notes Trump is pushing federal fallout down to the state level, increasing pressure on the governor heading into his reelection
00:42:40 SD-29 Candidate Segment — Closing Argument
- Rev. Alexander asks Greene for his closing message to SD-29 voters
- Greene: affordability first, fighting to protect Eagle Creek, bringing a track record of coalition work from business to faith-based community
- Campaign slogan: “Don’t be mean, vote for Green”
- Distinguishes himself from opponents on experience — points voters to his public record on education, health care, and redistricting
00:45:51 SD-29 District Geography
- Rev. Alexander asks Greene to define the district for voters unsure if they’re in it
- Greene: formerly J.D. Ford’s seat — Pike and Wayne Township, east to I-465, south to Raceway Road, plus Zionsville (Boone County) and West Carmel (Hamilton County) up to 146th Street
- Describes it as a gerrymandered district the GOP never expected a Democrat to win
00:47:19 Souls to the Polls — Sunday, May 3
- Rev. Alexander asks about the Souls to the Polls effort
- Pastor Greene: five churches participating this Sunday; buses donated by Cameron Riddle’s bus company; departing from Purpose of Life at noon
- Participating churches: Purpose of Life, Antioch, Fountain of Grace, Eastside Baptist, St. John’s Missionary Baptist, Olivet Baptist
- Churches traveling to the City-County Building to vote early; no church membership required
- To join or add a church: contact Kara Johnson at 317-869-7367
- Greene commits to repeating the effort in November
00:50:11 Closing / Sign-Off
- Rev. Alexander urges listeners to bring elderly family members to a participating church for the bus
- Thanks Pastor Greene for his campaign labor; thanks listening and viewing audience
- Sign-off: Concerned Clergy Radio Show, Praise AM 1310 / 95.1 FM, Indy’s Inspiration Station
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