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GAVEL GAMUT

By Jim Redwine

www.jamesmredwine.com

(Week of 19 January 2026)

HALLOWED HALLS OF LAUREL

It is kinda’ like how I felt when the sister and two brothers I grew up with became a college professor, a world-class musician and a leading legal scholar. Where did that come from? Gentle Reader, you probably have had the same puzzlement about the neighbor kid you played house or marbles with who is recognized later in life by others as brilliant. You most likely ask yourself, “Who snatched their body away and replaced them with this heroic icon?”

This Gavel Gamut could not be written until after Indiana University’s football team won the CFP semi-final game against Oregon on 09 January 2026; IU did! So, now the ultimate issue to be decided is, will IU beat Miami for the National Championship on Monday, January 19, 2026? In spite of the “rat poison curse”, I say they can and will have done so before you read this column. Miami is extremely well coached and talented, but IU is even better. Discipline and turnovers will decide the outcome. I submit no college football team is better disciplined nor as adept at causing and capitalizing upon their opponent’s mistakes as IU. Yeah, I cannot believe I am writing that either!

Now back to the theme of this column; where the devil did this come from to a program that was the first in college football history to lose over 700 games? What ironic quirk of athletic history brought the college I first saw lose in 1963 to, hopefully, the National Championship a lifetime later? I still remember countless games we lost in the fourth quarter, even in the last seconds of the fourth quarter, or because of some idiosyncratic football faux pas? Where is that team of hard striving ultimate losers who kept falling just short of glory only to be patted on the helmets as if they were incapable of being even average, much less victorious?

Fall 2024 to January 2026 seems as dreamlike as my surprising siblings or friends who found marvelous success and brought me joy in the process. So, has IU won the National Championship? I do not yet know. But I already know my Alma Mater is no longer the doormat of college football history. While I expect IU to beat Miami, I know they have already covered those hallowed southern Indiana limestone walls with laurel amidst all that ivy!

For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com

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WEEKLY DEATH REPORT DEC 15 TO DEC 21, 2025

STATEHOUSE (Jan. 15, 2026) – State Rep. Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville) recently proposed legislation aimed at supporting victims of violent crime bystrengthening notification requirements prior to the release of a violent felon.

House Bill 1250 would require the Indiana Department of Correction to notify law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney of the county or community where they’re releasing a serious violent felon as well as the same authorities of where their crime was committed at least seven days before the release. A court and prosecuting attorney would then notify any victims through Indiana’s Statewide Automated Victim Information & Notification(SAVIN) program of the felon’s release.

O’Brien said the legislation was prompted by a tragic situation that occurred in Evansville last fall when local real estate agent Susan Haynie was allegedly killed by a convicted violent offender who had been released from prison just six months earlier.

“No family should ever be left in the dark about the release of a violent offender,” O’Brien said. “In this case, both local law enforcement and some victims report they were unaware of the release of a violent felon, exposing a serious gap in our system. House Bill 1250 ensures victims, prosecutors and law enforcement receive timely notification so communities can be better prepared when violent offenders return.”

O’Brien said that he worked closely with Haynie’s family while crafting this legislation. They joined forces with a group of the perpetrator’s other victims to form the Susan Haynie Committee, advocating for stronger public safety measures and improved victim notification across Indiana.

The bill has been referred to the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee for consideration. To learn more about HB 1250 or follow session live, visit iga.in.gov.