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Senators Call On President Biden To Withdraw Nomination Of Dr. David Weil For Wage & Hour Administrator

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U.S. Senator Mike Braun, Senator Richard Burr, Senator Bill Cassidy, Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., Senator Tim Scott, and Senator Jerry Moran urged President Biden to formally withdraw the nomination of Dr. David Weil to be Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division, citing that the Senate’s HELP Committee was unable to report Dr. Weil’s nomination favorably when it was considered this year, and listing concerns with actions Dr. Weil took while serving as Wage & Hour Administrator during the Obama administration including implementing job-killing rules, arbitrarily constricting the standard for who is considered an independent contractor, and presiding over a 93% increase in litigation to due an expansion of the “joint employer” definition.

The Senators write, “Small business entrepreneurs in this country deserve a Wage and Hour Division Administrator that will work constructively alongside them. The Senate has spoken this year that Dr. Weil is not the right fit for this position. We appreciate your responsiveness to this request, and ask for prompt confirmation that the nomination of Dr. David Weil is formally withdrawn.”

Read The Full Letter Below:

Dear Mr. President,

We write to urge you to formally withdraw the nomination of Dr. David Weil, of Massachusetts, to be Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor, vice Cheryl Marie Stanton. Dr. Weil’s track record is hostile to employers, unproductive to the employees served by such employers, and the actions he took at the federal level were mired in costly litigation.

The United States Constitution divides the responsibility for populating top positions in the federal government between the President and the United States Senate. The appointments clause (Article II, Section 2) empowers the President to nominate “by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate”. The role of the Senate to give advice and consent is an integral part of the process for populating top officials in our government.

The Senate received Dr. Weil’s nomination on June 8, 2021. The Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) carefully considered the merits of his nomination, actions that included a full committee hearing. The HELP Committee was unable to favorably report Dr. Weil’s nomination to the full Senate during an August 3, 2021 business meeting, lacking the necessary votes to do so. In the nearly five months that followed this failed business meeting, no action was taken by the full Senate to discharge or otherwise consider his nomination. On December 21, 2021, this nomination was formally returned to the White House, as the Senate did not give consent to hold over Dr. Weil’s nomination.

The lack of sufficient support for Dr. Weil’s nomination is not surprising considering the actions he took during the Obama administration as Wage & Hour Administrator. Chief among the concerns with his record: promulgation of a job-killing overtime rule in 2016 that overstepped and was therefore struck down by the U.S. District Court; an arbitrarily strict standard for classification of independent contractors in 2015; and a destructive expansion of “joint employer” definition in 2016 that led to a 93 percent increase in litigation. Additionally, both Dr. Weil and the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have refused to provide all the documents regarding Weil’s actions with the Labor Advisory Board in Massachusetts. Requests to both by the Ranking Member’s staff have been stonewalled and public records requests have been unnecessarily delayed. These are not the actions of an individual committed to transparency and accountability in government service. His nomination has raised sincere concerns on behalf of many of the constituencies we represent.

Small business entrepreneurs in this country deserve a Wage and Hour Division Administrator that will work constructively alongside them. The Senate has spoken this year that Dr. Weil is not the right fit for this position. We appreciate your responsiveness to this request, and ask for prompt confirmation that the nomination of Dr. David Weil is formally withdrawn.

Gov. Beshear: $1.1 Billion Available Next Year to Support Hospitals, Advance Quality Care

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Gov. Beshear: $1.1 Billion Available Next Year to Support Hospitals, Advance Quality Care

Funding expands quality health care to the commonwealth’s 1.6 million Medicaid members

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 29, 2021) – On Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Kentucky hospitals that meet federal quality measures can receive up to $1.1 billion in increased payments next year.

The funding, available through a federally approved, state-directed payment model, helps deliver and expand quality health care to the commonwealth’s 1.6 million Medicaid members.

With over one-third of Kentucky’s population enrolled in Medicaid, the Governor said the payments are critical to building a better Kentucky by ensuring equal access to care in the commonwealth.

“Health care is a basic human right, and our people deserve the best care possible,” Gov. Beshear said. “This year, our state has faced so much tragedy and heartbreak from the pandemic, tornadoes and other natural disasters, and we are thankful to our hospitals for continuing to provide quality health care to our Kentucky families in need.”

Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) Secretary Eric Friedlander said this is the second announcement of additional funding to Kentucky hospitals in 2021. In January, the Governor announced Kentucky hospitals would receive an additional $800 million to $1 billion annually to help advance clinical quality care to Medicaid members and provide a stable base for hospitals financially stressed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) President Nancy Galvagni said: “On behalf of our members, KHA is thrilled the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved continuation of the Hospital Rate Improvement Program for the calendar year 2022. The ongoing partnership between CHFS and Kentucky’s hospitals made this application successful, and we are grateful to Secretary Friedlander, Medicaid Commissioner Lisa Lee and her staff for all of their work to achieve this outcome for the hospitals and our patients. We look forward to working with our members and the cabinet to further improve the care all Kentuckians receive.”

“Medicaid is the largest payer of health care services in our commonwealth and we must continue to think outside the box to bring this program further into the 21st century,” said Commissioner Lee. “This collaboration between Medicaid and KHA is an example of that type of innovative thinking, allowing us to reward our providers for delivering quality services to our members.”

Per Kentucky state law, university hospitals and state mental hospitals are excluded from this payment increase.

The state-directed payment initiative is in place for all of 2022 and would need to be renewed each year going forward.

To get the latest information on Kentucky’s Medicaid program, which provides benefits to one in three Kentuckians, including over 600,000 children, visit https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dms/Pages/default.aspx.

For information about the Kentucky Hospital Association, please visit this site:https://www.kyha.com/.

Every eligible facility must meet quality measures next year to receive funding. For information about the quality measures, visit https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/QualityMeasures.

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Democratic Candidate Filing Dates & Times – Week Of Jan. 3, 2022

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The following individuals are filing for office next week in Room 216 of the Civic Center Complex:
Wednesday, Jan. 5 – 8:00 am
Jason Ashworth, sheriff
Thursday, Jan 6 – 12:00 noon
Noah Robinson, sheriff
Thursday, Jan. 6 – 12:30
Kathryn Martin, Knight Twsp Trustee
Chris Cooke, Eric Wagemann, Stan Wheeler – Knight Twsp Advisory Board
Friday, Jan. 7 – 1:00 pm
Mariama Wilson – Pigeon Twsp Trustee
Shirley Baker, Ruby McGlown, Connie Robinson – Pigeon Twsp Advisory Board

May Your New Year And All The Days Beyond Be Filled With Joy!

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May Your New Year And All The Days Beyond Be Filled With Joy!

by MARIE WILLIAMS

December 30, 2021

Early in the morning on December 20, 2018, I sent my son a text message wishing him a happy birthday. Little did I know that when he responded, he was in the Charlotte airport waiting for a connecting flight to Evansville.  He wished me a happy last day of work before my retirement and said he hoped I could reflect on the joy that my 40+ year career in Catholic education had brought me. Later that day he surprised me in person when he appeared at the school gathering to wish me well – a special gift my daughter had arranged.

That day and many days since my son and I have discussed the difference between happiness and Joy.  We agree that happiness is temporary and circumstantial.  Joy comes from deep faith and is experienced even in the darkest of times.  Joy persists because faith, hope, and love are everlasting. If we did not love, we would not feel the pain.  But Love prevails.  And Faith and Joy prevail.

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The holidays bring a mix of thoughts and emotions to most people.  They are often a happy time.  But for many people, the holidays are filled with emptiness and pain.  The older one grows, the greater the mix of emotions, because of the greater likelihood that difficulties have been experienced.  I know many people who have experienced great hardships and yet are filled with joy.  One of these, in particular, lost a sibling who was very close in age and relationship at Thanksgiving time.  She has survived the loss of other loved ones, job losses, encephalitis, brain surgery, and cancer.  Yet she is one of the most joy-filled persons I have ever known.   One of my dearest classmates has spent this holiday time in hospice care, yet she too is one of the most joy-filled individuals I have had the privilege to know.  

This year my daughter and I flew to Orlando early in December to celebrate my son’s birthday and Christmas.  Every seat was filled on the 6:20 a.m. flight from Indianapolis.  A family of five was the last group to board.  The mother and children were seated together in the back, and the dad took the middle seat next to me near the front.  He seemed very stressed.  I rarely talk to strangers on planes, but I thought this man needed a smile and some kind words.  I asked if his wife and the children were seated together.  He said, “Yes, but my wife is going to have a difficult flight.  We were late because it took so long to clear my son’s medications through security. We are on a WISH trip.  My son beat cancer, but some of his organs have failed and he needs transplants.”  I told him I was so sorry to hear that.  My heart ached, but I told him that my niece had been on a WISH trip to Disney and it was a wonderful experience.  I shared many of the blessings that my sister had shared with me more than 10 years ago.  

When the pilot came on to tell us a radio was not working, and that we needed to wait and might even have to change planes, this courageous father told me that he had never flown before.  About twenty minutes later we were cleared for take-off, and we were on our way.  

As we neared the end of the flight, I told my seatmate that I would pray for him and his family.  He thanked me and then paused.  “The name is, Carl,” he said.  I assured him of my prayers, and I am still praying.  I am confident this family had a happy time at Disney World and I am deeply grateful.  My prayers for them are that their Love and Faith will sustain them with Joy in the difficult times ahead.  

Lessons from many loved ones, renewed by conversations with my son and seatmate, have caused me to often reflect on the difference between happiness and joy—especially this year.  The Christmas season gives us the opportunity to renew our love for family and friends and to reflect on the true joy of the season.  Happy holidays are transient, but Love, Faith. Joy and Christmas are everlasting.  

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New Indiana Body Camera Grant Program

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EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

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EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

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Update on Shooting @ Third/Oregon

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 UPDATE: A murder warrant has been issued for Fabian L. Bennett, 30. He is described as a 5’07, 245-pound black male. Bennett’s last mugshot and a recent image are attached to this press release; he currently has shorter hair and may have facial hair like the most recent image. Bennett is considered armed and dangerous. If contact is made with Bennett, please do not approach him and contact 9-1-1. 

This afternoon, December 28th, around 3:45 p.m. officers were dispatched to the area of Third Ave. and Oregon St. for shots fired. Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive male with gunshot wounds lying in the roadway near a vehicle. Officers began to render aid to the victim, until medical units arrived. Once medics arrived on scene he was transported to a local hospital. Numerous witnesses were in the area when the shooting occurred. 

While detectives were gathering witness statements, patrol units and members of the SWAT team set up a large perimeter around where the shooting occurred. Detectives were able to gather information pertaining to a potential suspect, who was known to reside in the 900-block of Oregon St. A search warrant for the residence was applied for and granted. At the time of this press release, the offender has yet to be located. The victim succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. 

If anyone witnessed this incident or has any knowledge of it, they are asked to call the Evansville Police Department’s Detective Office at 812-436-7979 or contact the WeTip Line at 1-800-78-CRIME. 

VANDERBURGH COUNTY RECENT BOOKING RECORDS

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Booked Last 24 Hours-Public

Vanderburgh County Arrest Warrants

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Vanderburgh County Arrest Warrants

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