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Governor intervenes to preserve intern tradition

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The governor is stepping in to preserve a tradition for interns in the General Assembly.

It comes after a WISH-TV story several days ago about the cancellation of a Statehouse tour that includes a walk up a secret staircase.

Interns were told 13 days ago that the Statehouse dome was off limits to them for liability reasons. It’s a tour, however, that the governor has taken and Mike Pence wants the interns to have the same experience.

And so, when the interns took part in another tradition, posing for pictures with the governor earlier this week, Pence told them he would come up with a liability waiver to make the tour possible.

It’s a tradition that has been in effect for more than a generation. It involves a walk up a circular staircase to a place above the stained glass that serves as a ceiling for the Statehouse rotunda.

Interns often leave their initials on the walls or in the dust and, for many, it’s an unforgettable experience.

Those interns can’t talk to the media but an intern supervisor reacted for them.

“After pointless meanderings by bureaucrats for no reason whatsoever,” said House Democratic Communications Director John Schorg, “it appears sanity has prevailed and thanks to the governor the interns will get the full experience they deserve when they work here at the General Assembly.”

There’s no word on when the tour might take place but the internships end in two weeks.

A spokeswoman for the governor confirmed his involvement but declined further comment.