Indiana News Update

Legislative commission coming to Kokomo
Since January, citizens in Kokomo, Marion, Tipton and other central Indiana cities have been experiencing drastic changes in their Medicaid and food stamp services. For many senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and low-income families, this has meant going for long periods of time without medical care and food.  On July 31, the Select Joint Commission of Medicaid Oversight will hold a 1 p.m. public hearing in Room 130 of the Kelly Student Center on the Indiana University at Kokomo campus. According to representatives of the Indiana Home Care Task Force, the hearing will provide an opportunity for citizens and local social service agencies to tell their stories regarding the impact of Medicaid and food stamp modernization.
http://www.kokomoperspective.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=6943&TM=23632.47
Rivals agree on one thing: Kill gas tax
The Republican seeking to oust House Speaker B. Patrick Bauer in the fall said this week he supports eliminating Indiana’s gasoline sales tax and that he hopes Bauer will do the same. Bauer, as it turns out, has – many times over the last four years. Republican Kevin Mitschelen said eliminating the 18-cent-per-gallon gasoline sales tax will offer relief to Indiana motorists. And at the end of a news release issued Tuesday, he asks: “Will B. Patrick Bauer join Kevin Mitschelen in the elimination of the gas tax for the residents of the 6th (District) and the State of Indiana?”
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/NEWS07/807310327/1052/News01

One color unites Governor’s race
The governor’s race will be decided in just less than four months.  The incumbent, Mitch Daniels, is taking on a Democrat challenger, Jill Long Thompson. The two candidates may have different stances on different issues, but one color seems to unite them:  green.  That represents the importance of the environment in this campaign.
http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=8762778&nav=menu32_2

Sam Turpin

Indiana News Update

Arts Commission to start new grant plan
The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced last week the implementation of a new regional funding formula designed to more equitably distribute public arts funding throughout the state. “This new funding formula was developed with the input of all 12 of our Regional Arts Partners, and represents their joint recommendations,” explained Lewis C. Ricci, IAC executive director. “The purpose was to adjust our regional block grant distributions in such a way to more fairly reflect the geographic size and population of each region, as well as its unique cultural needs.”
http://www.browncountyindiana.com/main.asp?SectionID=7&SubSectionID=7&ArticleID=11560

 
Lucas Oil Stadium Flooding Adds $5.6M to Cost
Flooding in Lucas Oil Stadium is expected to add more than $5 million to the cost of the new home of the Indianapolis Colts, officials said. The Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority unanimously approved a resolution Monday that creates an allowance of $5.6 million to pay for the extra work and repairs caused by the flooding. John Klipsch, executive director of the authority, said the allowance would allow contractors to be paid until insurance payments come through.
http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=46904

Redirect public funding from roads to mass transit
A new Federal Highway Administration report has found that in May drivers in Indiana reduced their mileage by 5.3 percent, or 336 million miles, from a year ago. Only three states recorded bigger declines. Clearly the public mind-set has shifted. Driving an automobile, even in the month of May, is no longer seen as a hardcore Hoosier birthright. A gallon of regular at $4 a pop has a way of clarifying what’s truly important.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080730/OPINION08/807300317/1291/OPINION08

Sam Turpin

Indiana News Update

Federal clean fuel incentives could fire Hoosier economy
Partisan games are holding up the renewal of federal energy and energy-efficiency tax incentives that expire at the end of this year. At risk for Hoosiers are investment in clean energy, thousands of new jobs and insulation from rising fossil fuel costs. Many Indiana businesses are affected. Companies such as SunWind Power Systems in Floyd Knobs, ECI Wind and Solar in Fairmount, Morton Energy in Evansville and Home and Mobile Energy in Middlebury could be creating more jobs in renewable energy. These businesses, along with ordinary citizens, formed the Indiana Renewable Energy Association (www.indianarenew.org) to support federal and state incentives to promote renewable energy resources.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080723/OPINION01/807230317/1002/OPINION

Right to Life support may swing Indiana House control
An Indiana anti-abortion group has endorsed the Republican candidate in a Southwestern Indiana legislative race that has the potential to decide political control of the state House of Representatives next year. At events Tuesday in Jasper, and Washington, Ind., the Indiana Right to Life political action committee endorsed Mark Messmer, the Republican running for the open Indiana House District 63 seat.Both Messmer and his opponent, Democrat John Burger, are members of the local Dubois County Right to Life, and both are seeking the seat being vacated by state Rep. Dave Crooks, D-Washington.
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/jul/23/support-may-swing-ind-house/

Give state leaders credit for all-time high rating
State legislators and then-Gov. Joe Kernan had churned through nearly every budget gimmick at their disposal by the fall of 2004. Payments to public schools, universities and local governments — $715 million worth — had been delayed indefinitely. A one-time dose of $250 million in federal aid, thrown into the budget gap, already had been expended. The state also had dipped into Teachers Retirement Fund reserves, pulling out $380 million to meet current obligations. Yet, despite running through maneuvers that bordered on desperation, the state still faced a budget shortfall of more than $800 million. Analysts also were pessimistic about the state’s ability to grow its way out of the budget mess because of an old-school economy, dependent on a traditional manufacturing sector long in decline.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080724/OPINION08/807240362/1291/OPINION08

Sam Turpin

Indiana News Update

IN jobless rate up half-percent in June
Indiana’s jobless rate jumped a half percentage point in June – the biggest increase in the nation – as the state weathered layoffs in the auto and RV industries and a construction slowdown caused by heavy rains and flooding. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that Indiana’s June unemployment rate grew to 5.8 percent. The state’s 0.5 percent jobless rate increase from May was the nation’s highest, trailed by Arizona and Illinois, which saw increases of 0.4 percent.
 http://www.heraldbulletin.com/local/local_story_203080925.html

Dillon named to serve on various committees
Indiana Senate President Pro Tem David Long (R-Fort Wayne) recently appointed State Sen. Gary Dillon (R-Columbia City) to serve on the Health Finance Commission. Long also tapped Dillon to serve on the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Senile Dementia Task Force, the Interagency State Council on Black and Minority Health, the Commission on Social Status of Black Males and the School Property Tax Control Board. During summer and fall months when the legislature is not in session full-time, lawmakers utilize bipartisan interim study committees and commissions to conduct in-depth research into complicated, complex issues facing Hoosiers. Often their work results in solutions and legislation that might otherwise go unaccomplished during the fast pace of the winter- and springtime legislative session, Long said.
http://www.h-ponline.com/articles/2008/07/21/news/003dillon.txt

Sam Turpin

Indiana News Update

Ind. wins higher S&P rating on $3.46B debt
Indiana won higher ratings on $3.46 billion of municipal debt from Standard & Poor’s, citing improved management of state government that is expected to produce budget surpluses. A report by Bloomberg News says S&P raised $3 billion of debt subject to annual appropriation to AA+, its second-highest level, from AA and $460 million of moral obligation debt to AA, its third-highest level, from A+. The credit rating company also raised Indiana’s issuer credit rating to AAA from AA+, S&P said in a press release. Under state law, Indiana doesn’t issue general obligation debt.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/BUSINESS/80721007/1003

Will state’s financial picture remain sound?
When Republican state Auditor Tim Berry announced the closeout of Indiana’s fiscal year finances last week, he began by ticking off the names of states that faced big money troubles. Indiana could be proud, he said, because it ended the fiscal year on June 30 with its third consecutive balanced budget and a surplus that had grown to $1.4 billion. Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels bragged about it, too, and even suggested the possibility of seeking tax cuts during the next legislative session if re-elected.
http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/NEWS03/80721002/1001/NEWS

Indiana BMV’s customer satisfaction up
The Bureau of Motor Vehicles used to be the butt of jokes when it came to Indiana government agencies, with a reputation for low morale, long waits and scandal. Even efforts to improve things drew scathing criticism. Thousands of people were outraged when more than 20 license branches were closed in 2005. A conversion to a new computer system in 2006 resulted in weeks of problems and hourslong waits at some branch offices. State officials now say the agency has turned a corner.  The average wait time at the state’s 140 branches has declined from 28 minutes in 2006 to less than nine minutes now. And through thousands of surveys of BMV customers, about 97 percent so far this year have rated their experience at a BMV branch as either excellent, above average or satisfactory.
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/News01/807210305/1052/News01

Sam Turpin

Indiana News Update

Indiana ends fiscal year in the black
Despite a sour economy, Indiana’s state government will finish the 2008 fiscal year with a $321 million budget surplus after state agencies slowed the growth of their spending, State Auditor Tim Berry said today. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, Indiana collected $13.05 billion in revenue and spent $12.73 billion to fund government operations, leaving a balance of $321.4 million. It is the third consecutive year of a state budget surplus.
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/jul/17/state-ends-fiscal-year-black/

 

3 congressional challengers raise nearly $400K
Three congressional challengers in Indiana have raised about $400,000 or more for the fall elections, although only one had more campaign funds at the end of June than the incumbent he wants to displace. Democrat Michael Montagano had $351,701 in the bank compared with the $323,339 for Republican Rep. Mark Souder, R-Fort Wayne, according to campaign disclosure reports released this week. Montagano has raised $468,157 and Souder $558,616.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/NEWS05/807160490/1008/LOCAL19

Sam Turpin

Indiana News Update

Hoosiers await impact of latest cuts at GM plants
Just how General Motors’ 4,300 workers in Indiana will be affected by sweeping cuts remained unclear Tuesday after the company announced it would whack salaried jobs, salaried retiree health care and 300,000 units of truck production. Responding to plummeting sales driven by a shaky economy and high gas prices, the Detroit automaker also disclosed it would suspend its dividend and borrow $2 billion to $3 billion to weather a severe downturn in the U.S. market.  GM said the moves will raise $15 billion — including $10 billion from internal cost-cutting and $5 billion from selling some assets and borrowing against others — to help cover losses and turn around its North American operations.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/BUSINESS/807160369/1003/BUSINESS

Cash race for governor’s office tightens
Campaign reports released Tuesday showed that Long Thompson raised about $1.6 million from April 1 through June 30 as Daniels took in about $1.83 million. But Daniels began the reporting period with nearly $5.3 million, while Long Thompson had just $484,000. And despite prepaying for TV ads through August, Daniels reported having more than $2.8 million cash on hand as of June 30. Long Thompson had about $1 million.
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/LOCAL/807160315/1002/LOCAL

Sam Turpin

Indiana News Update

Legislative summer work
Interim study committees of the Indiana General Assembly sometimes serve as the burial grounds for unpopular legislation, and sometimes for good reason. This year’s committee work, however, demands serious study before some legislation resurfaces – notably an immigration bill. Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, and Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, will co-chair the committee, which will look at the financial effects of illegal immigrants on government services, wages and jobs, and – importantly – federal limits to state measures regarding immigration.
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080715/EDIT07/807150350/-1/EDIT

Write-ins don’t sway Hoosier elections
Kevin Brown’s filing as a write-in candidate for superintendent of public instruction has prompted some speculation regarding how he might affect the race between Republican nominee Tony Bennett and the Democratic candidate, Richard Wood. He won’t. And it has nothing to do with last week’s revelation, first reported on Indiana’s News Center, that Brown, a Fort Wayne Community Schools board member, has a conviction for driving while under the influence in 2001.
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080715/EDIT0502/807150378/-1/EDIT

Retirees in Indiana may be worse off financially than others across U.S.
The study found that 77 percent of Indiana’s middle-income households that are nearing retirement won’t have the financial assets to maintain their standard of living for the duration of their retired lives. That compares with 74 percent nationally. The state has about 800,000 people older than 65.  While retirement finances are looking grim for most Americans, they’re even worse for minorities, women and working families without corporate or government pensions, the study says.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080714/LOCAL/80714060/-1/NEWS

 Sam Turpin

Indiana News Update

Without long-term fixes, protests will pop up again
A year ago, thousands of Marion County residents were marching in the streets, firing off angry comments to elected leaders and demanding substantive relief from a sudden and painful rise in property taxes.  The summer of 2008 has brought a much calmer tenor to the city, although the promised tax relief has yet to arrive in Marion County in major form. The relative quiet, however, should not be mistaken for general satisfaction. Homeowners in Indianapolis and elsewhere continue to be wary of whether the tax package approved this year by the General Assembly and the governor will provide true, lasting cuts in property levies.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080714/OPINION08/807140314/1291/OPINION08

‘Buck’ing annexation
Attendees to annexation meetings might have noticed a familiar face in the background. That is because state Sen. Jim Buck’s home is one of the properties in the westside annexation.  Given the seat Buck currently holds was recently vacated by Jeff Drozda, who was known for opposing annexation, we recently sat down with Buck to talk about his stance on annexation as a homeowner and state senator.
http://www.kokomoperspective.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=6864&TM=22618.51

Democrat-turned-Republican running against Herrell
After an exhaustive search, the Howard County Republican Party has officially selected a candidate to run against Democratic incumbent Ron Herrell.  Jason Miller, 28, is an assistant manager of the Kokomo Country Club and has run as a Democrat in the past. Miller was officially selected at a June 30 caucus and said his reception so far has been warm.
http://www.kokomoperspective.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=6865&TM=22618.51

Sam Turpin

National Alliance on Mental Illness

 

NAMI Indiana’s

(National Alliance on Mental Illness) 

 

Mental Health and Criminal Justice Training

 

Thursday, August 14, 2008

9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

(check-in beginning at 8:30 a.m.)

 

Small Auditorium

LaRue Carter Memorial Hospital

2601 Cold Spring Rd.  Indianapolis, IN  46222

(near intersection of 30th and Cold Spring Rd.)

 

Topics covered: 

Categories of Mental Illness 

(A discussion of which psychiatric orders are common in jail & prison and how these disorders affect behavior)

The View from Inside

(A brief overview of the services, activities, and treatments provided by the staff of a state hospital)

Biological Basis of Mental Illness

(A discussion of the complexities of the brain and how our behavior is under the control of the nervous system)

Interacting & Communicating with Persons with Mental Illness

(An examination of how to communicate better with a person suffering from a mental illness.  Included in the topic is a short personal talk coming directly from a consumer of mental health services.)

 

 

Registration cost is $65 per person (lunch on your own). 

Accreditation by ILEA and CEU credits for social workers and family therapists are available.

Pending approval, CLE credits for attorneys also will be available. 

 

 

For more detailed information, agenda and registration,

 CLICK HERE

Call Carmela Rosner or Kellie Meyer at 317-925-9399 or 1-800-677-6442 with questions.