Local lawmakers: Vanderburgh County Rejoins $26B Opioid Settlement Thanks To New Law
Local lawmakers: Vanderburgh County Rejoins $26B Opioid Settlement Thanks To New Law
 STATEHOUSE (March 29, 2022) – With a new law supported by State Reps. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville) and Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville), Vanderburgh County is rejoining the $26 billion national settlement with drug manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and three major drug distributors. Evansville could follow.
Indiana joined a multistate lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, and drug distributors Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen over their roles in the opioid epidemic, which forced communities to spend millions to mitigate the crisis. While the lawsuit included all of Indiana’s communities, about 11% of eligible cities, counties and towns opted out in order to initiate their own lawsuit, including Vanderburgh County and Evansville. They unanimously supported new law paved the way for Vanderburgh County to rejoin the multistate settlement and receive a portion of the state’s master settlement estimated to be about $500 million.
“Additional funding will make it possible to invest in both treating addiction and cracking down on criminals,” McNamara said. “It’s great to see our county rejoin this settlement and I look forward to them using these dollars to address the effects of the drug crisis.”
Settlement funds will go toward opioid-related programming, fighting the drug crisis, supporting local law enforcement and drug task forces, and bolstering treatment and preventative care. According to O’Brien, communities that do not opt-in to the settlement stand to lose nearly $238 million that could otherwise be invested in local drug addiction and recovery programs, and public safety. Under the new law, remaining communities interested in rejoining the settlement must notify the Indiana Attorney General’s Office by July 15.
“There isn’t a community in Indiana that hasn’t been touched by the opioid epidemic,” O’Brien said. “It’s heartbreaking to see the damage it can cause to families and there’s always more we can do to provide hope to struggling Hoosiers. Additional treatment options can help change lives and keep our communities safe.”
With the defendants expected to start releasing funds to a national administrator on April 2, and money expected to start flowing to state and local governments in the second quarter of 2022, O’Brien said the new law also establishes a fair and equitable settlement structure.
The $26 billion multistate settlement stems from a lawsuit with more than 4,000 claims from state and local governments throughout the country. Now three years in the making, 52 states and territories signed onto the settlement. All four companies that are part of the settlement have denied wrongdoing.
For more information about the settlement, visit in.gov/attorneygeneral.
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69 Farming Families Honored With Hoosier Homestead Award
INDIANAPOLIS (April 1, 2022) — At the Indiana Statehouse, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Bruce Kettler presented 69 families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture.
“I always look forward to engaging with Indiana’s historic farming families during the Hoosier Homestead Award ceremonies,†Crouch said. “The longstanding values, dedication and resiliency of these families will ensure their farm and family’s legacy live on for many generations.â€
To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years, and consist of more than 20 acres. If less than 20 acres, the farm must produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year. Indiana farms may qualify for three honors: Centennial Award for 100 years of ownership, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years of ownership and the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.
Today, the department awarded three farms for bicentennial ownership. They are the Williams farm from Madison County (est. 1822), the Hartman farm from Parke County (est. 1822) and the Arnold farm from Rush County (est. 1821).Â
Since the program’s inception in 1976, nearly 6,000 families have received the Hoosier Homestead Award. Many past awardees can be identified by the sign proudly displayed in front of the family farm or field.
“It is hard to put into words the value these farming families have provided to their communities, our state and the Indiana agricultural industry since the formation of their farms,†Kettler said. “It is my utmost pleasure to honor these longstanding families for their dedication to providing the feed, food and fuel necessary to sustain our state.â€
Below is a list of the Hoosier Homestead Award recipients honored during the spring 2022 ceremony:
| County | Award name | Award year | Award type |
| Adams | Verlin J. Bulmahn | 1871 | Sesquicentennial |
| Adams | Sheets | 1847 | Sesquicentennial |
| Bartholomew | Burbrink | 1902 | Centennial |
| Bartholomew | Dallas & Hazel Kreinhagen | 1839 | Sesquicentennial |
| Benton | McNeil | 1921 | Centennial |
| Benton | Gilbert | 1920 | Centennial |
| Blackford | Kitterman | 1856 | Sesquicentennial |
| Boone | Turpin | 1895 | Centennial |
| Carroll | North | 1898 | Centennial |
| Clay | Fisher | 1862 | Sesquicentennial |
| Clinton | Garrett | 1919 | Centennial |
| Clinton | Douglass | 1886 | Centennial |
| Clinton | Couden/Wilson | 1918 | Centennial |
| Dearborn | Bulach | 1909 | Centennial |
| Dearborn | Kuebel/McCarty | 1855 | Sesquicentennial |
| DeKalb | Lautzenhiser | 1864 | Sesquicentennial |
| DeKalb | Myers | 1899 | Centennial |
| Delaware | Pursifull | 1913 | Centennial |
| Dubois | Oscar Hochgesang | 1910 | Centennial |
| Dubois | Mutchman | 1872 | Sesquicentennial |
| Dubois | Stenftenagel | 1918 | Centennial |
| Franklin | Fledderman | 1922 | Centennial |
| Franklin | Joseph & Madaline Niedenthal | 1919 | Centennial |
| Franklin | Middendorf-Goldsmith | 1858 | Sesquicentennial |
| Hamilton | McClintick | 1829 | Sesquicentennial |
| Hancock | Boyd | 1851 | Sesquicentennial |
| Harrison | Wolfe | 1889 | Centennial |
| Harrison | Bickel, Seitz, Stewart & Webster | 1888 | Centennial |
| Howard | Kingseed | 1848 | Sesquicentennial |
| Huntington | Detamore | 1904 | Centennial |
| Jackson | Moenning | 1851 | Sesquicentennial |
| Kosciusko | Clay | 1913 | Centennial |
| LaPorte | Hagenow | 1891 | Centennial |
| Madison | Williams | 1822 | Bicentennial |
| Madison | Hodson | 1837 | Sesquicentennial |
| Marion | Fredrick Wampner | 1841 | Sesquicentennial |
| Miami | Yoars | 1870 | Sesquicentennial |
| Montgomery | Larry Joe & Debra Ann Carter | 1831 | Sesquicentennial |
| Montgomery | Bymaster | 1837 | Sesquicentennial |
| Montgomery | Spitznagel | 1920 | Centennial |
| Ohio | Vorbroker | 1872 | Sesquicentennial |
| Orange | Emerson & Ella Bishop and Frentz | 1919 | Centennial |
| Owen | Jordan | 1869 | Sesquicentennial |
| Owen | Jordan | 1869 | Sesquicentennial |
| Parke | Bryant | 1852 | Sesquicentennial |
| Parke | Crooks | 1848 | Sesquicentennial |
| Parke | Hartman | 1822 | Bicentennial |
| Posey | Kenneth & Mary Seebode | 1861 | Sesquicentennial |
| Pulaski | Selmer | 1872 | Sesquicentennial |
| Randolph | Donald R. & Myrna L. Peacock | 1837 | Sesquicentennial |
| Ripley | John W. & Emo Vestal | 1902 | Centennial |
| Ripley | Simon | 1915 | Centennial |
| Rush | Arnold | 1821 | Bicentennial |
| Rush | Collins/Addison | 1825 | Sesquicentennial |
| Rush | Daubenspeck | 1830 | Sesquicentennial |
| Scott | Faris | 1870 | Sesquicentennial |
| Spencer | Huppert-Geiss | 1853 | Sesquicentennial |
| Spencer | Collins | 1918 | Centennial |
| Tippecanoe | Osborn | 1896 | Centennial |
| Tippecanoe | Shelle | 1920 | Centennial |
| Wabash | Willcox-Stout | 1914 | Centennial |
| Warren | Hunter | 1886 | Centennial |
| Warren | George B. Clawson | 1875 | Centennial |
| Warrick | Godeke | 1920 | Centennial |
| Wayne | Jackson | 1853 | Sesquicentennial |
| Wells | Bonham | 1896 | Centennial |
| Wells | Reed | 1871 | Sesquicentennial |
| Wells | Hatfield/Shutt | 1871 | Sesquicentennial |
| White | McMullen/Thomas | 1917 | Centennial |
| Whitley | Sauers | 1872 | Sesquicentennial |
Pictured above is the Williams Family from Madison County who received a bicentennial award
For more information about the Hoosier Homestead Award program, please visit isda.in.gov. Photos from today’s ceremony will be posted to ISDA’s Flickr page by Tuesday, April 5, 2022.
Senator Braun: “The Radical Left Is Running The White Houseâ€
WASHINGTON — Senator Mike Braun released the following statement on President Biden’s decision to end Title 42, the policy that allows the U.S. to quickly expel migrants at the southern border.
“By ending Title 42, President Biden is welcoming hundreds of thousands more illegal immigrants to enter the US on top of the millions already crossing. His staff has said they know this will cause an ‘influx’ yet are still doing it. The radical left is running the White House.†– Senator Mike Braun
Border Patrol agents have voiced their concern that they are unprepared for the “surge on top of a surge†that the White House’s decision will create at the border.
Anti-border security political activists have been pressuring the White House to end Title 42. Several Democrats, including Senator Joe Manchin and Senator Maggie Hassan, have called upon the White House not to end Title 42.
White House Director of Communications Kate Bedingfield has confirmed that the White House is aware that their ending of Title 42 would result in an “influx of people at the border.â€
There have been 805,157 encounters with migrants at the border less than 6 months into FY 2022, as compared to 405,036 encounters with migrants in the entire FY2020.
The Department of Homeland Security has estimated the number of migrants encountered daily at the border could swell to 18,000, up from 7,000 per day now.
In 2019, President Obama’s DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said that 1,000 border crossings a day is a “crisis†and that he could not imagine what 4,000 per day would look like: “I know that a thousand overwhelms the system. I cannot begin to imagine what 4,000 a day looks like, so we are truly in a crisis†Johnson said in that 2019 interview.
Attorney General Todd Rokita Provides Guidance To School Leaders On COVID Liability
In response to a state lawmaker’s inquiry, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita today released an official advisory opinion indicating that generally, schools are not liable for damages related to COVID-19.
“With so much discussion across our state and our country about the appropriate response to COVID, this opinion provides another consideration for school decision-makers in determining the best policies for our greatest asset, our children,†said Attorney General Rokita. “Like the Parents’ Bill of Rights, this opinion was issued to provide a roadmap for school administrators, parents, and taxpayers on their legal rights regarding our children’s education.â€
Attorney General Rokita produced the advisory opinion in response to a request from Rep. David Abbott, R-Rome City.
“Our students, families and schools overcame many challenges brought on by the pandemic, and we continue to see its significant effects on learning loss and issues beyond academics. We know that the classroom is where students have the best opportunity to succeed. That’s why kids need to be in school – and have a return to normalcy,†said Rep. Abbott. “Our local schools should be able to make decisions that put the needs of our students first whether that’s ending mask mandates or contact tracing. I appreciate the attorney general weighing in on this important issue, and his support of Hoosier students.”
Indiana kicks off Child Abuse Prevention Month
INDIANAPOLIS (April 1, 2022) – The Indiana Department of Child Services, in collaboration with The Villages, honored the start of Child Abuse Prevention Month with a virtual event featuring Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb, DCS Director Terry Stigdon, The Villages CEO/President Shannon Schumacher and more.
“Our partners, providers, hospitals and schools – along with each of you – play such a vital role in keeping children safe, healthy and happy,†Gov. Holcomb stated.
Indiana is a mandatory reporting state, which means anyone who suspects a child has been neglected or abused must – by state law – make a report.
“Wearing blue or carrying and planting pinwheels and posting them on social media will raise awareness, but in and of themselves won’t stop harm from happening to children,†Stigdon said. “We stop it by taking action.â€
“Child abuse is preventable,†Schumacher agreed, “but it takes actions at many levels.â€
IVY TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE EVANSVILLE
OFFICIAL NOTICE OF MEETING
IVY TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE EVANSVILLE
Campus Board of Trustees
Notice is hereby given that the Campus Board of Trustees of Ivy Tech Community College Evansville will conduct a re-scheduled board meeting in person at 3501 N. First Avenue in the Hilliard Lyons Boardroom (Room 201) on April 12, from 10 a.m. to noon CDT and through Zoom at https://ivytech.zoom.us/j/99964626295?from=addon
This meeting will be held in compliance with IC 5-14-1.5 et seq.Â
Notice of Executive Session
Ivy Tech Community College Evansville
Campus Board of Trustees Council Executive Session
Tuesday, April 12
Noon
Room 201
3501 N. First Avenue, Evansville, IN
The board will meet to receive information regarding prospective employees as authorized under
I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(9)
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College serves communities across Indiana, providing world-class education and driving economic transformation. It is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering high-value degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its communities, along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.Â
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Perry Heights student joins McNamara at the Statehouse
 STATEHOUSE (March 31, 2022) – Perry Heights Middle School student Thomas “Ozzy” Jankowski recently joined State Rep. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville) at the Statehouse where he served as a page.
According to McNamara, Jankowski toured offices of all branches of government in the Statehouse, helped staff with daily responsibilities and joined her on the House floor to witness the legislative process. The page program operates during the legislative session, which wrapped up on March 9.
“It is always a pleasure to see students like Ozzy get involved in state government at such a young age,” McNamara said. “Meeting elected officials, touring the Statehouse and watching debates among legislators is a great learning opportunity and encourages civic-mindedness among our future leaders.”
McNamara said students between the ages of 13 and 18 should consider participating during the 2023 session.