Gov. Mitch Daniels happened to be in Chicago on Friday, giving a speech to the Illinois Policy Institute, when that city failed in its bid to host the 2016 Olympics.

In fact, Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting, with Rio de Janeiro eventually winning.

Daniels was asked during the question-and-answer portion of his appearance for a reaction.

Quipped our governor: “What is the world coming to when Chicago can’t fix an election anymore?”

Ex-coroner, city settle suit

The City-County Council’s decision last year to withhold the pay of the Marion County coroner because of his failure to become certified ended up costing taxpayers — more than double.

Kenneth Ackles , an embattled one-term Democrat who left office at the end of 2008, settled his lawsuit against the city quietly, signing an agreement in May.

Ackles received twice the wages withheld over nine months in 2008 — totaling nearly $60,000, minus taxes and other withholdings, making for $25,000 in net pay, said Jon Mayes, the city’s chief litigation counsel. The city also paid $12,500 to cover Ackles’ attorney’s fees.

Had the city lost in state court, Indiana’s Wage Payment Statute would have required double wages and attorney’s fees anyway. City officials decided not to fight.

“Rather than litigate and risk paying significant attorneys fees, the matter was settled,” said Robert Vane , deputy chief of staff for Mayor Greg Ballard . “We think that was the lowest cost resolution for the taxpayers.”

The council’s Republican majority and four Democrats, acting on news reports that Ackles had failed to pass three sections of a newly required 10-part exam, directed the county auditor to withhold Ackles’ pay in March 2008.

Ackles, paid an annual $38,501 salary for part-time duties, argued the new requirement — mandated by a 2007 state law — couldn’t be applied retroactively to coroners in office.

“Once a person’s doing a job, you’ve got to pay him,” Paul Ogden, one of his attorneys, said last week. “That’s just how the law is.”

A flu shot for Daniels

The governor will be exposed to the flu next week. On purpose.

Daniels will be getting the flu vaccine (the regular one, not the H1N1 vaccine) Wednesday in his office from a nurse from the Visiting Nurse Service.

Jane Jankowski , the governor’s press secretary, said Daniels gets the shot — which contains inactivated or “killed” flu virus — annually, both to encourage Hoosiers to get the inoculation and for his own health.

No one can recall Daniels calling in sick in his five years in office. He even came in for half a day when he had outpatient surgery for a hernia.

“The governor’s a pretty healthy guy,” Jankowski said.

3 interested in Rokita’s job

It’s only October, but the next secretary of state race is going strong.

One Republican — Hamilton County GOP Chairman Charlie White — and two Democrats — Tom McKenna , a Carmel resident who headed the Department of Commerce under then-Gov. Joe Kernan , and Vop Osili , an Indianapolis architect — have filed papers with the Indiana Election Division forming exploratory committees for the office.

Voters will pick the next secretary of state in November 2010. The incumbent, Republican Todd Rokita, cannot seek a third term.

But it’s Rokita that has spurred the interest, at least on the Democratic side.

Osili, 46, and McKenna, 63, cited the voter ID law that Rokita helped push into state law as a factor in their decisions to run.

“We all want to make sure our process of voting is protected,” Osili said.

But, he added, Indiana’s law — the strictest in the nation and recently overturned by an appeals court — goes too far in putting up barriers to voting.

McKenna also singled out the voting ID law, which requires people to present a government-issued photo ID that has an expiration date. Some have argued that discriminates against students at private colleges, whose college ID is not accepted, and elderly people who do not have a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license.

While Indiana must make sure that only those qualified to vote do so, the state also must be sure that anyone who is qualified gets to cast their vote, he said.

And, of course, the candidates have embraced the Web to get their message to voters.

McKenna said he has a Facebook page to begin publicizing his campaign, soon will have a blog and, after his official announcement, a Web site.

Osili, who also has a Facebook page, has a Web site, VopIndiana.com, which helps people remember his first name by turning it into a campaign slogan: “Vision. Opportunity. Progress.”

White also has a Facebook page and web site, www.charlieforindiana.com.

Cracking down on smokers

Smokers, beware.

The Daniels administration is cracking down on you again.

In 2006, the governor implemented a smoke-free policy on the grounds of the Statehouse and state office buildings, in addition to state-owned vehicles and parking garages.

However, state employees standing outside these buildings, puffing on cigarettes, has become a common sight.

That explains why Department of Administration Commissioner Mark Everson , Indiana State Police Superintendent Paul Whitesell and state Personnel Department Director Daniel Hackler issued a memo to all state employees recently that urged them to quit lighting up on the state’s property.

“Due to continued violation of this policy, effective Oct. 1, 2009, the Indiana State Police will request that all individuals found smoking on Indiana Government Center property . . . extinguish their tobacco product or leave state grounds. All state employees and visitors to the Government Center campus are expected to comply with this policy.”

Then, just in case the threat of police presence was not enough to force state employees to give up smoking, there was this line at the end:

“State employees who are interested in receiving free help to quit smoking should call the Indiana Tobacco and Prevention Cessation’s toll-free quit line, (800) QUIT-NOW to talk with a trained quit coach.”