Automatic Taxpayer Refund Bill Now Heading To Governor’s Desk
Automatic Taxpayer Refund Bill Now Heading To Governor’s Desk
Senate Bill 1, which would give a tax refund to Indiana citizens who otherwise would not be eligible to receive one, was authored by Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Mackle. Also known as the automatic taxpayer refund, this bill expands eligibility to Indiana citizens who did not make enough income to be required to file a tax return.
Created as the result of a surplus from 2021’s state revenue, excess money also was supplied to a retirement fund for Indiana retirees including teachers while the remaining $545 million will be given back to 4.3 million Hoosiers. Controversy regarding the usage of this money was addressed earlier in debate on the bill.
Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, speaks in support of Senate Bill 1 in January. If enacted, the bill would give Hoosier taxpayers a $125 return.  Photo by Isaac Gleitz, TheStatehouseFile.com.AG Todd Rokita Defends Catholic Institution’s Right To Uphold Church Doctrine On Same-Sex Marriage
AG Todd Rokita Defends Catholic Institution’s Right To Uphold Church Doctrine On Same-Sex Marriage
‘Religious liberty is America’s first freedom,’ AG Rokita declares
Attorney General Todd Rokita is defending religious liberty in a case involving the right of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis to uphold church teachings on same-sex marriage in hiring and firing decisions.
“Our founding fathers guaranteed religious liberty at the very beginning of the Bill of Rights,†Attorney General Rokita said. “That’s no coincidence. Religious liberty is America’s first freedom. Here in Indiana, I will do everything in my power to protect this liberty for Hoosiers.â€
Attorney General Rokita on Friday filed an amicus brief supporting the Archdiocese’s right to require Catholic schools under its authority to enforce a morality clause barring employees from same-sex marriages. A male teacher at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis sued the Archdiocese after getting fired following his marriage to another man.
Courts should not “permit litigation over whether and how the Archdiocese may recognize Catholic schools,†Attorney General Rokita writes in the brief. “The United States has a long tradition of preventing judicial entanglement in religious disputes — entanglement that can only lead to interference with church autonomy.â€
Last fall, Attorney General Rokita filed an amicus brief with the Indiana Court of Appeals supporting the Archdiocese in this case. At this juncture, he is supporting the Archdiocese in a petition to transfer deliberation to the Indiana Supreme Court.
In a separate but very similar case, Attorney General Rokita in January led a 16-state coalitiondefending the right of Roncalli High School in Indianapolis to uphold Catholic doctrine on same-sex marriage.
Ascension St. Vincent Evansville Foundation Welcomes Rob Henson as New Director of Foundation Development
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EPA Announces Availability of $20 Million to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water
WASHINGTON — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $20 million in available grant funding to assist communities and schools with removing sources of lead in drinking water.  This grant funding, and additional funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help make rapid progress on the goal of addressing lead and removing lead pipes across the country.
“A pillar of our work at EPA is ensuring that every person in every community has safe drinking water,†said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “This grant funding will help reduce exposure to lead in drinking water and should be used to support underserved communities that are most at risk for exposure.â€
Under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, EPA is announcing the availability of $10 million for projects to conduct lead service line replacements or implement corrosion control improvements and $10 million for projects that remove sources of lead in drinking water (e.g., fixtures, fountains, outlets and plumbing materials) in schools or childcare facilities.
EPA will award this funding in alignment with the goals of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which seeks to deliver at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain federal investments to underserved communities. The agency encourages applications that support equity by prioritizing underserved communities, those with lead reduction projects at drinking water systems with at least one lead action level exceedance within the last three years, as well as those with schools with at least 50% of the children receiving free and reduced lunch, in Head Start facilities, and/or in areas with additional environmental health burdens (e.g., areas with older buildings likely to have lead-based paint).
This WIIN grant will be competed through a Request for Application process. The funding opportunity will remain open for 60 days on www.grants.gov.
Core Speakers Series To Feature Nationally Recognized Epidemiologist Today At USI
The University of Southern Indiana will host Dr. Syra Madad, a nationally recognized leader and epidemiologist in public health and special preparedness and response, for the Core Speakers Series at 6 p.m. Tuesday, February 22 in the Screaming Eagles Arena. The University community and public are invited to attend.
Madad, a pathogens preparedness expert, has been featured in the Netflix docuseries “PANDEMIC: How to Prevent an Outbreak.†She will participate in a meet and greet with select students before the event and the public presentation, “From COVID-19 and Beyond: Lessons Learned and How to Pandemic-Proof Society Moving Forward,†will begin at 6 p.m., with a moderated Q&A following from 7 to 7:30 p.m.
Madad is currently the Senior Director of the System-wide Special Pathogens Program at New York City Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest municipal healthcare delivery system overseeing special pathogen preparedness and response effects across 11 acute care hospitals, in addition to post-acute/long term care facilities and ambulatory care sites. She is Principal Investigator of New York City Health + Hospitals Center for Global Healthcare Preparedness to Special Pathogens. Madad also serves as Core Faculty in the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) and as Assistant Professor in the Graduate Biotechnology/Biodefense Program at the University of Maryland.
Madad plays one of the lead roles in the Netflix docuseries “PANDEMIC: How to Prevent an Outbreak,†which follows a handful of leaders throughout the world on the frontlines to prevent the next outbreak. She is also featured in the Discovery documentary “The Vaccine: Conquering COVID†and was recognized on the Crain’s New York Business List Notable in Healthcare for 2021.
Doors for the event will open at 5 p.m. Masks are required to attend and in all buildings on the USI campus, and physical distancing guidelines will be in place at the event.
For more information, contact Kenneth Purcell, Director of Core 39, at kmpurcell@usi.edu or 812-461-5337.
EVPL Foundation Hosting Annual Spring Mini Book Sale March 5 & 6
 Evansville, IN, February 16, 2022 – The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Foundation will hold their annual Spring Mini Book Sale on Saturday, March 5 and Sunday, March 6.Â
The sale will take place in the Browning Rooms at EVPL Central. Hours of the sale are Saturday, March 5 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday, March 6 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.Â
Hundreds of items, including books, movies, and CDs, will be available for purchase from $0.50 – $2.00. All proceeds from this sale are used to support youth programs and services, the community lecture series, emerging technologies, collections, staff engagement, and special library projects and initiatives. New this year, a credit card payment option will be available with a minimum purchase of $10.Â
The EVPL Foundation Summer Book Sale will be held August 6 and 7 and the Fall Mini Book Sale will be held November 12 and 13.Â
The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Foundation is 501(c)3 established to support Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library. Foundation Board Members are engaged and activated community members. Working in partnership with Library Leadership and Library Trustees, Foundation Board Members support the Library through fundraising, volunteering, and advocacy.Â
The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library has served our community for more than a century. With eight locations throughout Vanderburgh County, immediate access to hundreds of thousands of digital resources, and a dedicated team of library professionals, EVPL strives to create opportunities for you to discover, explore, and connect with your library.
USI Women’s Soccer Releases Spring Schedule
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer announced its lineup of spring matches, headlined by a matchup against future Ohio Valley Conference foe Southeast Missouri State University.
The seven-match slate is comprised entirely of NCAA Division I opponents, opening March 19 against Murray State University and cross-town foe University of Evansville, and will conclude on April 14 at Indiana State University. This is the program’s first spring season since 2019, after the 2020 season was canceled and the regular season was played in the spring of 2021.
USI Women’s Soccer head coach Eric Schoenstein said this as the Screaming Eagles prepare for their first season at the NCAA Division I level, “We’re extremely excited to announce our 2022 Spring Women’s Soccer schedule. We feel the high level of competition this spring will help prepare us for the new and exciting chapter in USI Women’s Soccer history.”
The entire seven-match schedule is as follows:
March 19       Murray State University                                                       12 p.m.
March 19       University of Evansville                                                         1:30 p.m.
March 26       Western Kentucky University                                               10 a.m.
March 26       Middle Tennessee State University                                      1:30 p.m.
April 2            Southeast Missouri State University                                    2 p.m.
April 9            Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis               3 p.m. EST
April 14          Indiana State University                                                       7 p.m. EST
The USI Women’s Soccer schedule is yet to be determined as the Eagles prepare for their first season in NCAA Division I and as a part of the Ohio Valley Conference.