116 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(02/21/11 1:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana may not currently have much in common with California, but that could change due to recent legislation that would place the Hoosier state one step closer to decriminalizing marijuana.Senate Bill 192 successfully passed through the Senate Committee on Corrections, Criminal and Civil Matters on Tuesday with a vote of 5-3. The bill would require an existing committee to research the effects of marijuana’s current illegal status.According to the Indiana General Assembly’s website, the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee would study marijuana’s possible medicinal usage, its effect on the Indiana justice system and whether or not it should be controlled and regulated like alcohol. The bill is now on its way to the Indiana Senate.“This is not a legalization bill,” said Joseph Padgett, political director and co-founder for Re-Legalize Indiana. “This is a study committee that would look at legalization and try to determine what is the best way forward for Indiana.” Re-Legalize Indiana was launched last year to advocate the repeal of marijuana prohibition, Padgett said. “Last year if you said the word ‘marijuana,’ most people would run away from you. Then (California’s) Proposition 19 came along and changed everything,” Padgett said. “All of a sudden we found people who were willing to talk about marijuana.” Padgett is also a cannabis therapy patient and has been for years. He said it is the best treatment for the diabetic neuropathy in his legs. Provided it passes the Senate and the House and is signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels, the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee would begin the marijuana investigation in the interim legislative session this summer. Bill author Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Portage, emphasized that the legislation would not have any fiscal impact to the state because the bill is not creating a new committee but rather allowing an existing committee to conduct the research. After the bill was drafted, Tallian said she received hundreds of e-mails from individuals and organizations offering advice. However, she said the bill’s language and intent was solely her doing.“I’ve seen over the years way too many people being prosecuted for marijuana possession, being sent to jail for marijuana possession,” Tallian said. “I just thought it was time.” Despite claiming she has widespread support from Hoosiers, she said some cautioned her against authoring the legislation.“I’ve had people discourage me from doing this because they thought it might hurt me politically,” Tallian said, “I believe that won’t happen.” She said she does not know when or if marijuana will be decriminalized in the near future but insisted this bill is primarily to get people to talk about the issues.“It’s pretty bipartisan in its support,” Padgett said. “It’s hard to argue against a bill that establishes a debate.” Morgan Fox, communications manager for Marijuana Policy Project, said 15 states and the District of Columbia currently have laws in place protecting medical marijuana patients from arrest under certain qualifying conditions. Additionally, Fox said 12 states have some sort of decriminalization law under which the penalty is a fine rather than jail time.He said despite increased support, lawmakers are still hesitant to initiate marijuana reform.“A lot of it is just being afraid of political backlash,” Fox said. “We see in polls that national and state level support for marijuana reform is increasing every day.” As far as marijuana being illegal on the national level, Fox said the federal government usually will not take a proactive stance in enforcing marijuana laws as long as individuals follow their state by state rules.“Attorney General Eric Holder released a memo to U.S. attorneys across the country warning them not to extend resources in prosecuting or investigating people that are operating within their individual state laws,” Fox said.It is impossible to know how effective this bill, if passed, would be in bringing marijuana reform to Indiana. But for now, Senate Bill 192 could be a way of determining if a revision of Indiana marijuana laws is the right move for the Hoosier state.“It’s time to talk about it, I want to hear what the people of Indiana think,” Tallian said. “I believe in accumulating information, and I’ll get it wherever I can.”
(02/15/11 6:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the event that Indiana Senate Bill No. 290 becomes a law, it would go against the 1973 Supreme Court Ruling of Roe v. Wade by mandating a statewide ban on abortion.The “Abortion Prohibition Bill” is authored by Senate Republicans Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville, and Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn. It states that any person who performs an abortion would commit a Class C felony. However, an abortion would be allowed “after the physician has determined, based on sound medical practice, that there is a medical emergency and the abortion is necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman,” according to the bill.Although other states have attempted to pass similar bills, Tomes’ and Kruse’s bill would violate a ruling from the most powerful court in the country.“The bill on its face is unconstitutional,” said Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana. “There would very likely be an immediate lawsuit filed.” If a lawsuit did occur, it would come at the expense of Indiana taxpayers. She said Kruse’s agenda is larger than just simply outlawing abortion in one state. “Senator Kruse is on the record saying he would be interested in Indiana being the case that took a Supreme Court review and cause them to overrule Roe v. Wade,” Cockrum said. The bill is currently sitting in the Committee on Health and Provider Services and it is unlikely it will advance any further, Cockrum said.“They had hopes, with the outcome of the November election, this might be an opportunity to move it,” she said. Senate Bill No. 290 is one of more than a dozen pieces of pro-life legislation currently in the Indiana General Assembly.“We wish we would have support of legislators for medically accurate sex-ed and access to birth control, rather than having to spend their time, when they have other more important things to do, putting up barriers to abortion,” Cockrum said. Tomes and Kruse were unavailable for comment.INDIANA'S CURRENT ABORTION-RELATED LEGISLATIONSenate Bill 50 At least 18 hours prior to an abortion, a pregnant woman seeking the abortion must obtain fetal ultrasound imaging, hear the fetal heart tone and receive a copy of the ultrasound image.Senate Bill 116 Prohibits qualified health plans under the federal health care reform law from providing coverage for abortion. Senate Bill 241 Prohibits a policy of accident and sickness insurance or an individual or group contract from providing coverage for elective abortion.Senate Bill 328 Requires a physician who performs an abortion to have admitting privileges at a hospital in the county, or in a county adjacent to the county, where the abortion is performed; and notify the patient of the location of follow-up care.Senate Bill 457 Requires women be informed orally and in writing about the physician, risks involved, information concerning the fetus, available assistance and existing legislature. Senate Bill 522 Sets public policy findings concerning when a fetus can feel pain; prohibits abortion after 20 weeks.House Bill 1205 Prohibits state agencies from entering contracts with, or making grants to, any entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed.House Bill 1474 If an abortion is performed on a female who is less than 14 years of age, the physician shall transmit the information form to the state Department of Health not less than three days after the abortion is performed.
(02/14/11 2:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana Senate Gun Purchasing Bill (Bill No. 94)Summary: Makes it a Class C felony for a person to give false information or false evidence of identity in purchasing a firearm. Repeals a provision that states (1) a resident of Indiana may purchase a rifle or shotgun in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan or Illinois;(2) a resident of Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan or Illinois may purchase a rifle or shotgun in Indiana.Author: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, and Sen. Jim Tomes, R-WadesvilleLatest Action: Passed in Senate 48-1 on Feb. 8, referred to House of Representatives Call Holdman or Tomes to comment on their bill: 317-232-9400Cell Phone Bill (Bill No. 18)Summary: Prohibits using a handheld personal communications device while operating a motor vehicle. Exempts emergency situations.Authors: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, and Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-ValparaisoLatest Action: Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, added as eighth co-author Jan. 27. Call Holdman or Charbonneau to comment on their bill: 317-232-9400 Fuel Theft Bill (Bill No. 79)Summary: If motor fuel is stolen from a retailer, the owner of the vehicle is liable for the total pump price of the motor fuel pumped plus a service charge of $50.Author: Sen. Michael Young, R-Indianapolis Latest Action: Passed in Senate 41-6 on Jan. 20, referred to House of RepresentativesCall: Young to comment on his bill 317-232-9400
(02/10/11 5:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At 8 a.m. Thursday, Cameron woke up in the “drunk tank” of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department trying to reconstruct the previous night. Three hours earlier he was booked for OWI, Operating While Intoxicated.After an evening at a local bar, Cameron got behind the wheel of his SUV before he was pulled over. Two Monroe County Sheriff’s Department squad cars intercepted his vehicle. An officer approached his driver-side window and asked him if he had been drinking.Cameron was then asked to step out of his vehicle. He failed a field sobriety test and consequently was asked to turn around against the car where he was handcuffed. Generally speaking, if a driver refuses to comply with either a field sobriety test or a breathalyzer, a blood sample is taken at a local hospital, Mike Pershing, chief deputy of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, said.When Cameron awoke Thursday morning he was with three other men in a holding cell commonly referred to as the “drunk tank” or the “detox.” It has an exposed toilet, sink and a ledge mounted six inches above the tile floor.“That day I did a lot of thinking,” Cameron said. “Looking at these guys — repeat offenders — made me feel like garbage.” He said he tried to remain awake as long as possible by talking to his cell mates and even completing a set of decline pushups with the help of the ledge.Lunch consisted of a piece of pork that looked like a sausage patty, broccoli, peaches and an indiscernible concoction of what seemed to be rice and spinach, he said.“The guys in there said Monroe County jail food is the best jail food around,” Cameron said. “My dog wouldn’t eat that.” After having been detained for nearly 24 hours, Cameron was escorted out of his cell. He was about to be moved into the jail several levels above him called “A Block.”He took a shower with lice-killing soap and was given orange pants, orange sandals and an orange vest. He said the officers allowed him to keep his white T-Shirt, but he was forced to remove his black socks and black underwear.After he was given a knapsack with toiletries, Cameron and the escorting officer rode the elevator up to the cell block. When he arrived in his new cell at around 5 a.m. Friday, Cameron said he got more than five consecutive hours of sleep — something he hadn’t been able to do in more than a day.At 1 p.m. Friday he heard his name called on the intercom. After 32 hours, he had finally been bailed out. Although jail is in the past, Cameron will be paying his debt to society for months to come.“Every county is different in how they deal with convictions,” said Bob Miller, chief deputy prosecutor for Monroe County. The arrested individual will make a first appearance before the judge, where he or she will be advised of the charges and informed of his or her constitutional rights.Miller said, generally speaking, for the first OWI offense — a Class A misdemeanor — there is a 90-day suspension of the arrested individual’s license. First-time offenders will perform between 30 and 50 hours of road crew or volunteer work, attend alcohol education classes and be subjected to random drug testing and probation for one year, Miller said. Additionally, OWI convicts will go before a “victim impact panel,” consisting of family victims impacted by drunk drivers. Although the court costs associated with a first-time OWI offense are roughly $600, the lawyer fee is what racks up the bill.“The going rate for a lawyer in a drunk driving case is 2,000 to 2,500 dollars,” Miller said. He said most first-time OWI offenses are not taken to a jury trial.As Cameron reflected on his decision to drive that night, he said he wished he could redo his actions.“A 20-dollar cab ride is better than spending any amount of time in jail,” Cameron said. “Looking back, I could have seriously harmed myself or someone else, and I am very fortunate that wasn’t the case.”
(02/07/11 1:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>FROM IDS REPORTSIndiana SenateThe Tax Credit Bill (Bill No. 583)Summary: Reduces the number of qualified employees (from 10 to one) that a corporation must employ in order to qualify for new employer tax credit. Excludes seasonal workers from the definition of qualified employees. Extends the credit for one year.Author: Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, and Sen. Jean D. Breaux, D-IndianapolisLatest Actions: First reading 1/20/2011 Referred to the Committee on Commerce & Economic Development; 1/24/2010 Coauthors addedCall Sen. Taylor or Sen. Breaux to comment on the bill: 1-800-382-9467*Related Bills Senate Bill No. 430, House Bill No. 1428Indiana House of RepresentativesThe Retail Theft Bill (Bill No. 1544)Summary: Makes it commercial theft, a Class C felony, for a person to exert unauthorized control over another person’s property having a fair market value of at least $1,000 if the offense is committed at a location where business is regularly conducted and with the intent to resell the property.Author: Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-DanvilleLatest Action: First reading 1/20/2011 Referred to the Committee on Courts and Criminal CodeCall Rep. Steuerwald to comment on the bill: 1-800-382-9841*Related Bill Senate Bill No. 313The Disposable Bag Fee Bill (Bill No. 1521)Summary: A retail merchant furnishing disposable carry-out bags to customers shall collect a fee of 10 cents per bag used. Allocates 25 percent of fees to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation for the Green Industries Fund. Allocates 75 percent of fees to the Department of Education for distribution to school corporations.Author: Rep. Shelli VanDenburgh, D-Crown PointLatest Action: First reading 1/20/2011 Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Small Business and Economic DevelopmentCall Rep. VanDenburgh to comment on the bill: 1-800-382-9842Source: www.in.gov— Vince Zito
(02/04/11 2:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Five years after former president George Bush’s State of the Union address in which he claimed the United States “is addicted to oil,” Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., suggested the Obama administration adopt a policy of taking steps to ensure oil independence.“Senator Lugar, for many years, warned about America’s over-reliance on foreign oil,” said Mark Helmke, Sen. Lugar’s senior adviser. “It reduces our ability to act in the world and is costing us billions of dollars in defense spending.” Sen. Lugar, the most senior Republican in the Senate and the ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, addressed the issue in a speech at the First Annual Clean Energy Summit in Washington, D.C.“The president should say unequivocally that the United States is going to achieve a particular goal or goals related to overcoming our oil dependence,” Sen. Lugar said at the Summit. The senator was the leadoff speaker for the two-day event that gathered policy-makers, investors and utility owners from different parts of the country.In his address, Sen. Lugar warned against possible oil embargoes, continuous threats to America’s oil supplies in foreign lands and oil profits that fund anti-American regimes.He discussed the Practical Energy and Climate Plan Act of 2010, S. 3464, which he began drafting one year ago. Helmke said the act would “take steps to decrease our dependency on oil.”“The bill would reduce the need for imported oil by 40 percent by 2030, cut the average American household’s energy bill by 15 percent and cut overall U.S. power demand by 11 percent,” Sen. Lugar said at the Summit.Helmke said the bill would also spur economic development in Indiana around bio-fuels and electric vehicles. Although the senator’s plan can be interpreted as similar to Obama’s agenda to promote clean energy, Helmke said the president needs to get to the root of the problem.“All the political pressure that Obama put last year into climate change diverted attention from the real threats we faced: reliance on petroleum,” Helmke said. The difference between the stances of the senator and the president is their main priorities. Obama is focused on reducing carbon emissions through cap and trade policies. Helmke said the lower emissions that could stem from petroleum independence, through investments in clean energy, is an added benefit but should not be the motivating factor.“In so far that reducing petroleum use reduces carbon emissions, great. But let’s focus on what the public understands right now,” Helmke said. Sen. Lugar is currently pushing for “green” initiatives that will improve the likelihood of independence, but his adviser said he is not completely opposed to domestic drilling.“He’s in favor of efficiency,” Helmke said. “Create new jobs in Indiana and save the public money.”
(02/03/11 2:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>FROM IDS REPORTSInd. House of RepresentativesAnti-bullying Bill (Bill No. 1567)Summary Requires the Indiana Department of Education to develop guidelines to assist school corporations and safe school committees in establishing bullying prevention programs and investigation and reporting procedures.The bill modifies the definition of bullying to include acts which:1. Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or property;2. Have a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s physical or mental health;3. Have the effect of substantially interfering with the student’s academic performance; or4. Have the effect of substantially interfering with the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities and privileges provided by the school.Author Rep. Gregory Porter, D-IndianapolisLatest Action First reading (1/20/2011): referred to the Committee on EducationCALL Rep. Porter to comment on his bill: 317-232-9600Double Up for College Bill (Bill No. 1575)Summary Allows the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to set a cap on student fees for courses taken under the dual college credit program and taught by high school teachers in a high school setting. A state educational institution may grant financial assistance to a student for courses taken under this program based on:1. The student’s financial need,2. The student’s academic achievement, or3. Any other criteria.Authors Rep. Terri Austin, D-AndersonLatest Action First reading (1/20/2011): referred to the Committee on EducationCALL Rep. Austin to comment on her bill: 317-234-9047Related Bills House Bill No. 1296Ind. Senate Abortion Prohibition Bill (Bill No. 290)Summary Prohibits abortion in Indiana unless a physician determines, based on sound medical practice, that the abortion is necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman. Makes it a Class C felony if a person knowingly, intentionally or recklessly performs an abortion. Repeals current statutes governing the performance of abortions.Authors Sen. Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville, and Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-AuburnCoauthors Sen. Jim Banks, R-Columbia City; Sen. Scott Schneider, R-Indianapolis, and Sen. Jim Smith, R-CharlestonLatest Action First reading (1/06/2011): referred to the Committee on Health and Provider Services Call Sen. Tomes or Sen. Kruse to comment on their bill: 317-232-9400Related Bills Senate Bill No. 50, Senate Bill No. 522— Vince Zito
(02/03/11 2:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In an e-mail sent to supporters Jan. 27, six-term U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, R-6th District, who once had the third highest ranking position in the Republican Party in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced he will forego a run for the presidency in 2012.Last November, Pence resigned as House Republican conference chairman, a position that ranked him just behind John Boehner, former House minority leader and Eric Cantor, former House minority whip. Political pundits speculated that he stepped down in order to focus on a large campaign in the future — foreshadowing a possible run for the presidency. Pence disbarred those myths in last week’s e-mail.“In the choice between seeking national office and serving Indiana in some capacity, we choose Indiana. We will not seek the Republican nomination for president in 2012,” Pence said. With the dismissal of one rumor came the start of another, as many supporters now believe the Columbus, Ind., born and raised congressman may seek a shot at the governor’s mansion.“In the months ahead, as we attend to our duties in Congress, we will also be traveling across the state to listen and learn about how Hoosiers think we might best contribute in the years ahead,” Pence said. “After taking time to listen to Hoosiers, we will make a decision later this year about what role we will seek to play.”Although his e-mail is solely an interpretation of what his future plans may be, his popularity in Indiana’s 6th Congressional District is unquestionable.In last November’s midterm elections, Pence garnered 67 percent of the vote and won every county in his district. The 6th District comprises a large portion of eastern Indiana, including Columbus, Richmond, Anderson and Muncie. It is still possible that Pence will seek another re-election to Congress in 2012, said Matt Lloyd, communications director for Pence in an e-mail. Though Pence currently has a successful political career, this has not always been the case.In both the 1988 and 1990 elections, the IU School of Law graduate ran for Congress and was defeated — signaling a possible end to a political career.During the next 10 years, before he won his first election, he was the president of the conservative Indiana Policy Review Foundation and was the host of “The Mike Pence Show,” Lloyd said.Pence’s radio show was syndicated throughout the state of Indiana. It may be these former radio roots that prompted Pence to be the first congressman on the Hill to have a radio station in a congressional office. Although the congressman and his family permanently reside in Columbus, Ind., they call northern Virginia home when Congress is in session. On his website, Pence is self-described as “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.”Even though Pence is out of the picture for the presidency, rumors are still circulating that current Gov. Mitch Daniels may have his sights set on a White House run in 2012. Despite overwhelming encouragement from supporters, Daniels has yet to make a final decision and is not expected to until the conclusion of the 117th Indiana General Assembly.“Governor Daniels has said on many occasions that he has not made a decision about a possible presidential run in 2012," Daniels’ spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said. "He has an aggressive legislative agenda and is keeping his focus on Indiana. He is pleased that people around the country have noticed the positive changes that have been occurring in Indiana in the past several years.”
(01/28/11 2:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana Sen. Joe Zakas, R-11th District, recently introduced a bill that would allow the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to authorize a regional campus of IU or Purdue University to charge in-state tuition to residents of other states. Although his plans sound familiar to the common practice of reciprocity, his bill neglects to mention a reciprocal state-to-state agreement which would benefit out-of-state residents as well as Indiana residents mutually.Zakas’ bill, if turned into law, would let certain out-of-state (i.e. Michigan) residents pay in-state tuition at a regional campus of IU (i.e. IU-South Bend) or Purdue University. There are already certain permanent residents of Kentucky and Ohio who pay in-state tuition for attending certain Indiana colleges and vice versa. This concept is referred to as reciprocity.Zakas’ bill, however, does not mention in-state benefits for certain northern Indiana residents wishing to attend school across the border in Michigan. Zakas said his main purpose behind authoring the bill is to attract Michigan residents to IU-South Bend, many of whom spend much of their time in South Bend daily.“There are a bunch of people who work and do a lot of business activities in Indiana, but they live just over the border,” Zakas said. His reasoning is the logic behind Indiana’s existing reciprocity agreements with two of its neighboring states. The idea is to benefit individuals living in economic regions who cross state lines.“In terms of Indiana South Bend negotiating across the county (and state line) saying ‘Hey, we’re gonna give you in-state tuition rates,’ that’s fine, but we don’t call that reciprocity, it’s not a reciprocal agreement,” said Jon Gubera, associate commissioner for policy and planning studies at the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.The State of Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education negotiates with Kentucky’s Commission as well as Ohio’s to map out terms of the reciprocity agreements, including which schools to include. John Applegate, vice president for University Regional Affairs, Planning and Policy at IU, said Michigan lacks a governing body in which to enter into a reciprocity agreement. “We don’t have any way to have a relationship with Michigan,” IU Trustee Philip N. Eskew Jr. said. “We are trying to do something to solve this problem.” Eskew, who is the Trustee Liaison to IU-South Bend, said issuing scholarships to these Michigan residents may be the most feasible solution.Gubera said the Indiana Commission has no role in non-reciprocal agreements. For this reason it would be ultimately left up to the decision of the nine members of the IU Board of Trustees whether to grant certain Michigan residents in-state tuition.“This has gotten the attention of the IU Board of Trustees because I filed a bill trying to find a way to solve this problem,” Zakas said. “Now they are going to be more interested than they were without the bill.”The reason for state support is to subsidize the difference between the total cost of education and what the in-state student actually pays, IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said. The total cost of education is usually represented by the out-of-state tuition rate.In such a reciprocal agreement, neither state is losing money because Indiana is subsidizing just as many Kentucky students as Kentucky is for Indiana. Without a reciprocal agreement, there is no way to ensure this level of parity.“We can’t be at a position to be put at risk,” Applegate said. “Senator Zakas has been helpful but to make this possible, it would require more sweeping change.”
(01/27/11 4:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>College tuition for in-state students is often lower than for out-of-state students, but a concept called reciprocity allows individuals from certain counties of Kentucky and Ohio to pay in-state tuition when enrolled in nearby public colleges in Indiana.According to IU Southeast’s website, “State tuition reciprocity agreements are arrangements between two or more states where the citizens of a defined region in one state can enroll at identified institutions in another state for a reduced tuition charge.”Jon Gubera, associate commissioner for policy at the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, said the Indiana-Kentucky agreement allows Kentucky residents within 30 miles of designated Indiana state-run colleges to receive in-state tuition if they choose to attend school in the Hoosier state.Four schools in Indiana participate in the agreement with Kentucky, including IU-Southeast and Southern Indiana University. Six Kentucky schools participate, including University of Louisville and Northern Kentucky University.Larry MacIntyre, IU spokesman, said out-of-state tuition represents the total cost of education. In-state tuition rates, sometimes less than a third of out-of-state rates, as is the case with IU-Bloomington, are made possible by state government subsidies.A concern with reciprocity is the idea that an out-of-state student who is granted in-state tuition is using Indiana resident tax payer dollars to subsidize their education. Likewise, an Indiana student may be viewed as utilizing Kentucky or Ohio taxpayer dollars to finance their education.“The whole idea is to have parity ... that we have a one-to-one ratio of our kids going there to their kids coming here,” Gubera said. “Although there is almost the same number of Indiana students who attend school in Kentucky as Kentucky students attending school in Indiana, parity is not a requirement in current reciprocity agreements, but a goal of each state.”This notion is not as evident in Indiana’s agreement with Ohio, which began in 2004. Gubera said the University of Cincinnati was recently added to help level out a parity problem. There are currently nine Ohio colleges in the Indiana-Ohio agreement and four Indiana schools, including IU-East and Ball State University.“Historically, during this contract with Ohio, there are far more Ohio kids coming over here then Indiana kids going over there,” Gubera said. Even though Gubera said the parity was still far off, the addition of University of Cincinnati helped.Gubera said the Indiana Commission for Higher Education has attempted to establish similar reciprocity agreements with Illinois and Michigan.“Both of them (Michigan and Illinois) require their state legislator to allow it, and apparently neither one to date has the desire to do so,” Gubera said.Tomorrow’s story will discuss State Sen. Joe Zakas’, R-11th District, bill - No. 591 - on the topic.
(01/25/11 3:48am)
Every week the City/State section will introduce you to a few bills you probably don't know your state legislators are focusing on.
(01/20/11 3:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Members of the Indiana General Assembly are counteracting backlash from their constituents by introducing numerous bills to repeal or revise a current law requiring alcohol merchants to card all alcohol purchasers regardless of age.According to the Indiana General Assembly’s website, there are five bills listed in the Indiana Senate and two listed in the Indiana House of Representatives that would either repeal or revise the current law. Enacted July 1, 2010 the law states it is a Class B misdemeanor if a store is caught not carding a purchaser of alcohol.“We’ve all heard from people all throughout the summer how ridiculous the law is,” Sen. Johnny Nugent said. “It’s an embarrassment to everybody.”Nugent is a second author to Sen. Jean Leising’s bill and a co-author to Sen. Jim Merritt’s bill. Sen. Leising’s bill would completely repeal the current law, while Sen. Merritt’s would minimize the carding requirements to anyone appearing less than 40 years of age.“It (the law) was good intentioned,” Nugent said. “It’s on the ridiculous side to card somebody that is 60 years old.” Nugent said he believes the current law was inserted into a larger bill during last year’s session of the General Assembly.“There were many members that didn’t know it was in there,” Nugent said. “I for one admit I did not know it was in the bill. That’s my lack of responsibility.”Although authors of the bills suggest there is overwhelming support to revise the current legislation, Big Red president Wade Shanower said mandatory carding prevents his employees from relying on appearances to decide whether or not to card.“We like the law as it is now — with the mandatory carding,” Shanower said. “It takes all of the decision making off of us, off our employees.”He said if someone younger than 21 walks out of Big Red with alcohol and is caught, Big Red — not the employee — can be slapped with fines totaling more than $1000.Shanower admitted that even if the state overturned the current policy, Big Red could still easily protect its employees from making tough decisions on who to card by maintaining an in-store “card everyone” rule.“If the legislature overturns this, it doesn’t mean it will change our policy,” Shanower said. John Livengood, president of the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, said IABR likes the current law, too.“We and the other retail groups all testified in favor of the bill when it was before the legislature (last year),” Livengood said. IABR is a trade association that represents and lobbies for packaged liquor stores, such as Bloomington’s Big Red Liquors. Livengood said he believes the current law did what it intended to do.When asked if he thought it is necessary for an 80-year-old to be carded at a liquor store, Livengood said he does because consumers get carded all of the time — for using credit cards, voting, going on airplanes and going to banks.“It’s not a major inconvenience given the benefit that results from it,” Livengood said.He said he believes the main benefit of the law is to prevent store employees from having to make the decision whether or not the customer appears to be older than a certain age. Before the law was enacted — although liquor stores could get cited for selling underage — there was no state law requiring the checking of identification for anyone of age. Indiana Representative Greg Steuerwald introduced similar legislation to Sen. Leising’s bill.“You can have a customer for 30 years and every time he comes in there you have to card him,” Steuerwald said. “If you fail to card him one time, you commit a B misdemeanor.” He said he has not heard any of his colleagues object to the bill and said numerous people have asked to sign on.“I’ve not heard anybody opposed to it yet,” Steuerwald said.Of the five bills in the Senate — according to Livenwood, Shanower and Nugent — Merritt’s Senate Bill No. 78 seems to have the most leverage. His bill would not repeal the current law, but force venders to card individuals who look younger than 40 years of age.As of Wednesday, however, Leising’s bill has the most authors and coauthors. Her bill, if passed, would completely repeal the current law.“I think it’s agreed upon that we need to make a correction here,” Nugent said. “It’s almost like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer.”
(01/19/11 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Many repeals to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act were drafted after Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives last fall, and one of the bipartisan ones has overwhelming support from Indiana congressmen.Todd Young, R-9th District, has become one of 245 members of Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 4, the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011.The act would repeal the provision of the health care reform law requiring all businesses to file 1099 reporting forms if they purchased more than $600 worth of goods from another business in a year. It was introduced by Rep. Dan Lungren, R-3rd District of Calif., and subsequently referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on Jan. 12.“The purpose of the form was to report services performed by independent contractors that may not otherwise be reported ... to keep everyone honest,” said Brian Kaveney, communications director for Lungren, in an e-mail. The reporting forms have been declared potentially devastating to small businesses by critics because of the additional reporting needed to be done to comply with the new rules.Trevor Foughty, communications director for Young, said H.R. 4 should pass the GOP majority in the House of Representatives and the Democratic majority in the Senate with bipartisan support.“I think you would find most Democrats would agree the (health care) law isn’t perfect,” Foughty said. Unlike Young’s predecessor, former Rep. Baron Hill, Young took a sharp stance against the health care reform law during last year’s midterm elections.In addition to co-sponsoring H.R. 4, Young is co-sponsoring H.R. 2, Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act, a bill that would repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in its entirety.Although many of the newly elected GOP congressmen vowed to repeal health care reform altogether on the campaign trail, a bill like H.R. 2 would unlikely pass in the Senate and would probably be vetoed by President Obama, Foughty said. For this reason, Foughty agreed H.R. 4 is just one step of future actions to appeal certain amendments of the law that are looked upon unfavorably by the Republican Party and many Democrats.“While there are parts of it — or really all of it — that we would like repealed, we want to put emphasis on the goal of lowering the cost of health care,” Foughty said.All but two of Indiana’s nine U.S. Representatives have signed on to co-sponsor the bill.Rep. Peter Visclosky, D-1st District, is one of the remaining congressmen who has yet to co-sponsor the bill. When his office was contacted Friday, no one could comment whether or not he will join the list of co-sponsors. Rep. André Carson, D-7th District, is the other remaining congressmen from Indiana who has not yet showed support for the bill. However, Carson’s press secretary, Jason Tomcsi, said Carson will become a co-sponsor in the upcoming weeks. Although Carson voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act last year, Tomcsi said the congressman agrees this amendment may be too burdensome for small businesses.“The goal of the health care law was to make it more streamlined and easier for small businesses to provide health insurance for their employees,” Tomcsi said. “That’s why I think you are seeing such wide support — such bipartisan support — for removing this section of the health care law.”
(01/13/11 5:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Users of synthetic marijuana, which is commonly sold by many names including Spice and K2, should have all eyes and ears on Indiana’s Senate Bill No. 57, which may make the product illegal in a statewide ban that could be signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels as early as April.If it becomes law, Senate Bill No. 57 would make it as much a crime to possess or sell Spice-related products as it is to possess or sell marijuana, according to the Indiana General Assembly’s website.“All we did in the law, in about 20 something pages, is wherever marijuana is listed, we put this right next to it,” primary bill author Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette said regarding the newly proposed bill.The primary challenge with changing its legal status lies in the multitude of potentially countless number of chemical compositions that can be used to develop synthetic marijuana. Each of these compositions must be explicitly stated in the legislation in order to make synthetic marijuana illegal across the board. The current bill lists more than a dozen chemical compositions that would become illegal if it garners enough votes to pass the Indiana Senate and Indiana House of Representatives and is signed by Gov. Daniels.“We have listed in the bill what chemicals this applies to,” said State Sen. Patricia Miller, R. Ind., one of the authors of the bill. “And if we have to come back and add more chemicals we can do that.” Alting said he insists they have gone above and beyond to include as many of these chemical compositions as possible.“The federal government is looking at banning five components; our bill has 19,” Alting said. “So we are way above what most states and what the federal government recognizes.” He agreed with Miller’s statement suggesting amendments will most likely need to be added throughout time to close any loopholes.“We are under the understanding that without question we will need to come back and continue to add components ... we are willing to do that,” Alting said.On Tuesday, the bill was unanimously passed in the Committee on Corrections, Criminal and Civil Matters. Miller said she is optimistic the bill will have no trouble passing in the Senate— which can happen no earlier than next week, and eventually the House of Representatives in March — when the two chambers will swap each other’s bills before legislation heads to the Governor’s desk.Last August, a county ordinance banned the sale of synthetic marijuana in Morgan County. However, Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonnega said because the bans are currently not statewide, offenders will not go to jail or receive a criminal record for violations.“It is civil only, not criminal,” Sonnega said. “I have no enforcement authority over this.” The Morgan County law, which is similar to that of the other counties who have banned the substance, states that it is illegal to market, deliver and manufacture, making it directed toward the merchant more than the consumer, Sonnega said. The fine in Morgan County currently stands at a maximum of $2,500 for the first offense and $7,500 for subsequent offenses.Since its ban in Morgan County, Sonnega said business owners have been compliant in refraining from selling Spice-related products.Kocolene Marketing LLC., located in Seymour, Ind., owns and operates 19 tobacco stores and 12 convenience stores throughout Indiana and Kentucky — including a Smokers Host location in Martinsville and one in Mooresville, Ind. Until Aug. 17 of last year, the company carried the synthetic marijuana brand “Chill Spice” in their stores.Executive Vice President Andrea Myers said a corporate decision was made to pull the product from their shelves — although she claimed they were unaware of the Morgan County ban on synthetic marijuana that would take effect about a week later.“A couple of our managers called me and said ‘I think customers are not using this as incense.’” Myers said. “We made a corporate decision consistent with our 73-year history of being a good corporate citizen ... so we pulled it.”
(01/12/11 5:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Upon arriving at a small, dreary-looking club on Bloomington’s south side, visitors are greeted by an outdoor sign that reads “one dollar nose warmers.”At Night Moves, a strip club, women dance to earn money, bouncers protect them and the owners make sure the show runs smoothly every night. One of the bouncers — a middle-aged man in a plaid button-down shirt who is built like a former body builder, has been working at Night Moves for three years.Although he said many male patrons tell him, ‘man, you have the best job in the world,’ he said his job can be very stressful. He always has to have eyes in the back of his head.“When police show up, I have to deal with them outside,” he said. “It’s bad for business.”Indiana State Excise Police often enter Night Moves undercover and slap the bar with a 500-dollar fine when the dancers do not cover their nipples. “It’s been in the books for hundreds of years, and no politician will repeal it,” Night Moves co-owner Byron Fine said.Smirking, he said the law was written so a girl doesn’t lactate on the customers. In 1998, the owner of Third Base Lounge sold his business to Byron and his business partner, Rodney Domer, before the two turned it into Night Moves. Angel, one of the dancers, leaned onto the bar by Byron — topless. She graduated from Bloomington High School South in 2008 and has been working at Night Moves for about two years. She currently attends Ivy Tech Community College studying kinesiology.She said money is the reason why she got into the business.Angel said she earns up to 500 dollars on a good night and about 60 on a slow night.She also has a boyfriend, who Angel said puts up with her stripping job, even though it’s not uncommon for her to get asked out by the customers.“There’s always this shy guy during the week. He gets drunk, and I feel terrible,” Angel said. “He really wants to take me out.”Still topless, Angel was comfortable with her body, but she said it took her a month to be completely at ease.“The first guy I gave a lap dance to, I gave his money back,” Angel said.Although inappropriate touching of the dancers does occur, Angel said she has only had to walk away from a customer twice.“I’ll give you three warnings. One warning I wiggle off and don’t care. The third warning I just say ‘pay’,” she said. Gretchen, a waitress, said she also deals with inappropriate customers. “Of course you get perverts, but at a regular bar you do too,” she said. Gretchen also agreed that money was the primary motivator for working at the strip club.Angel said despite the money, she would be reluctant to encourage other girls from entering the business.“I will never wish this on anyone,” she said and left it at that.Rachel, another dancer, is 24, has three kids and also attends Ivy Tech, studying to be a chef. She mentioned the turnover rate for dancers is high, stating some last just a night.“Some girls make complete asses of themselves,” Rachel said. “I’ve seen girls fall off stage and hit their face on the pole.” She said she thinks there are roughly 50 girls employed by Night Moves between 18 and 25 years of age, but it is hard to be certain because many last such a short time. “A lot of people come in and don’t tip,” Rachel said. “They think we get paid hourly wages, and we don’t.”One of the bouncer’s responsibilities is to make sure patrons pay the dancers.The bar gets a 25 percent cut of the money taken in from each lap dance.“I do all in my power to get the money,” the bouncer said. “I’ve had guys try to fight me, but they never get a swing on me.”As far as the types of girls who are hired, Byron said there are no specific height and weight measurements he uses.“I let the managers do it. I give them some kind of guidelines,” Byron said. He said he’ll keep girls who aren’t traditionally attractive if they’re good dancers. “Last year, 190 girls got on stage,” Byron said. “Some last a day or two. Five to 10 girls leave in a month. A lot of girls think they can do it — then can’t.”Josh, a customer at Night Moves, sat with half a Heineken and a fist full of dollar bills. He wasn’t quite ready to leave yet as two dark, nearly naked young women took the stage, glistening under the pulsating strobe lights hanging from the ceiling.“One more song, dude,” Josh said to his friend.After the song was done, Josh had to nearly be dragged out by his friend.“One more beer, man,” he said.“Dude, you’ve had seven and spent a fortune,” his friend said.
(01/12/11 5:39am)
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels gave his State of the State address Tuesday at the Indiana General Assembly House of Representatives Chamber in
Indianapolis.
(01/07/11 2:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Not too long after he immigrated to Buffalo, N.Y., in the 1970s, Ivano Toscani was hired by Frank Bellissimo to work at his local Italian restaurant, the Anchor Bar. Appearing on the Travel Channel, Ivano gained celebrity status as the head chef of the establishment that invented the staple for every college student and sports fan — the Buffalo wing."This is the place where Teressa Bellissimo, back in 1964, created the famous Buffalo wing, which everybody has tried to copy and steal from the Anchor Bar,” Ivano said.Legend has it that Mrs. Bellissimo was in the Anchor Bar’s kitchen when she noticed a batch of oversized chicken parts too big to use for her soup stock. The following day, her son Dominic and his friends came into the bar and got hungry after several drinks. Upon their request for something unique and not on the menu, Mrs. Bellissimo remembered the unusable chicken meat.After deep frying the wings and developing a spicy, red hot sauce, Mrs. Bellissimo went to the bar and served her concoction to Dominic and his friends.The rest is history.Ivano, who has since taken ownership responsibilities of the Anchor Bar, said his establishment serves 2,000 pounds of wings a day and that their sauce is exported internationally. “We became famous for the wings, of course ... It’s still an Italian restaurant,” Ivano said. “We still have manicotti, we still have ravioli, we still have lasagna.” Although the Anchor Bar is more than 500 miles from IU, Bloomington has a respectable wing selection from which to choose.In 1987, former IU student Jay Lieser founded BuffaLouie’s after claiming he couldn’t find desirable wings near campus. After his father lent him money, Lieser opened BuffaLouie’s original location on 17th Street. Since moving the restaurant closer to campus several years ago, BuffaLouie’s at The Gables has become a popular spot for IU students.“When students return for homecoming weekend, we are always on their list of things they want to do,” said Ed Schwartzman, a manager at BuffaLouie’s. He said he believes the taste of the wings not only has to be good but also consistent.“If you like what you had here in 1995, you should still like what you have here in 2011,” Schwartzman said. Although he declined to mention the quantity of wings sold per day, he said the sweet barbecue sauce is their best seller. “We have a great rapport with the college students and the Bloomington residents as well,” Schwartzman said. He is aware of BuffaLouie’s competitors in the Bloomington wing market but said BuffaLouie’s does not concern itself with its competition’s sales.“There’s not a lot we can do to worry about what they are doing,” Schwartzman said. “Instead we just focus on what we can do and what we can control.”Bloomington’s Buffalo Wild Wings shares the same attitude.“We don’t look too far into BuffaLouie’s or wingsXtreme. We understand they’re in town,” said Buffalo Wild Wings manager Brittany Hill. Hill said because Buffalo Wild Wings is backed by nationwide advertising, it puts them at an advantage. However, in terms of their variety of sauces, the playing field is about even.“Our boneless wing with either Honey BBQ or Asian Zing sauce is our most popular,” Hill said. Buffalo Wild Wings’ 14 sauces are not made in store but rather shipped in from a supplier. This differs from wingsXtreme’s homemade approach.WingsXtreme has been in Bloomington for three and a half years, and like BuffaLouie’s, wingsXtreme’s sauces are made in store. He said the sauces have a consistent base.“Most of our sauces start out the same way,” Bearsch said. “They may vary in the amount of spices, garlic powder or Parmesan cheese.” He said wingsXtreme sells 800 to 1,200 wings a weekday and up to 1,400 wings on the weekend.Regardless of their differences, there is a general consensus between Bloomington’s wing joints — freshness. “The wings are fresh, never frozen,” Hill said of Buffalo Wild Wings. “We are highly against frozen foods.” BuffaLouie’s takes a similar stance.“Our wings come in fresh, that’s one of the reasons why they taste so good,” Schwartzman said.
(10/19/10 4:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This Friday, Oct. 22, the Indiana State Police will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint in an undisclosed location in Monroe County.ISP- Bloomington District, Public Information Officer Sgt. Curt Durnil, said in a press release “Motorists who are not impaired can expect only short delays of two to three minutes while passing through the checkpoint.”Friday’s checkpoint is one of several that have occurred recently; the most previous checkpoints in Monroe County occurred Sept.4 and Oct. 1.During their state crackdown initiative, that took place, from Aug. 20 to Sept. 19, Indiana State Police initiated 875 alcohol arrests statewide.ISP encourage all motorists to call 911 when they witness a fellow driver impaired; be prepared to give a description of the vehicle and direction it is traveling, according to the release.
(09/09/10 6:57pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Science, cocktails and charity will come together to benefit Bloomington's WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology with the Science Night Out: Sail the High Seas.Hosted by IU Women's Bsketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack and her husband, David Jack the gala begins at 6 p.m. Friday at the Bloomington Monroe County Convention Center. The evening’s entertainment will feature a cocktail reception, silent auction and cash bar. According to the press release, the purpose of the gala is to “raise $145,000 to help augment the museum’s earned revenues and make it possible for WonderLab to continue to offer its full complement of educational programs.”Tickets to Science Night Out are priced at $95 per ticket or $760 for a table of eight and are available at http://wonderlab.org or by contacting Heidi Frankson at 812-337-1337, ext. 14. The event is restricted to those 21 years or older.Live auction prizes includes a dinner with Coach Jack and Coach Crean and a Conseco Fieldhouse corporate suite for a Pacers game, among many others.WonderLab provides hand-on science experiences and is the only Indiana science museum to be ranked in the top 25 in the country.-Vince Zito
(09/02/10 3:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Today, Memorial Stadium will host IU Football’s first game of the season against The Towson University Tigers. Whether you are making plans to attend the game, visit the tailgates or continue with daily life as usual, one aspect of the event will affect all of us- the traffic.The event will be responsible for two alternate traffic patterns, one before the game and a different pattern following.The clockwise traffic pattern around Memorial Stadium should take affect at roughly 5:30 p.m., two hours prior to kickoff. Fee Lane, between the Bypass and 17th Street will turn into a one-way street, with traffic moving only southbound, toward 17th Street.Seventeenth Street, between Fee Lane and Dunn Street, will turn into a one-way, with traffic patterns heading in the west direction , toward Dunn Street. However, cars on 17th Street will head only to the east as it turns into a one-way street between North Walnut and Dunn Streets. Dunn Street will also turn into a one-way, with traffic headed in only the north direction, toward the Bypass. The 45/46 Bypass will continue to have traffic traveling in both directions,until the postgame traffic patterns take effect. However, only those heading east, away from S.R. 37, will be allowed to enter the Purple Lot on the north side of the stadium. The postgame traffic patterns will differ from the pregame routes in order to allow game attendees to exit the stadium as quickly as possible. Fee Lane and Dunn Street will remain one way streets, however both streets will have traffic flow in the north direction only, toward the 45/46 Bypass.The Bypass, between Fee Lane and Walnut Street, will become one-ways with traffic heading in the west direction, toward S.R. 37. Traffic on 17th Street will be one-way west, toward Walnut, from Fess Avenue to Walnut Street. Traffic on 17th Street will become one-way east, toward Fee, from Woodlawn Avenue to Fee Lane.For traffic maps and updated information visit iuhoosiers.cstv.com