|
|
|
HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS
Man Crashes Stolen Motorcycle while Fleeing from Sheriff’s Office
An Evansville man is in jail after crashing a stolen motorcycle while fleeing from the Sheriff’s Office.
On Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 12:21AM a Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office deputy observed a motorcycle traveling north on North Green River Road. When the deputy attempted a traffic stop, the operator stopped and had his female passenger dismount. The operator, later identified as Mr. Christopher Bradley Hall, then fled at high speed.
Hall failed to negotiate a turn on Millersburg Road and struck a curb, laying the motorcycle down. Hall rolled about ten feet from the motorcycle and landed in a grassy area. The deputy checked on Hall, who gave a false name. Hall sustained a laceration to the back of his head and road rash to the right side of his body. He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
A registration check revealed the motorcycle to be stolen. A records search revealed that Hall had a suspended driver’s license and was wanted on felony charges in both Gibson County and Warrick County.
A search of Hall’s belongings revealed nearly 3 grams of methamphetamine and a small amount of fentanyl.
Hall was later released from the hospital and booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail.
ARRESTED:
Christopher Bradley Hall (pictured above), 48, of Evansville. Possession of Stolen Vehicle, Possession of Fentanyl, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Paraphernalia, Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle, False Reporting, Reckless Driving, Driving with a Suspended License
Presumption of Innocence Notice: The fact that a person has been arrested or charged with a crime is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Gov. Holcomb to Provide Updates in the Fight Against COVID-19
Gov. Eric J. Holcomb, the Indiana State Department of Health and other state leaders will host a virtual media briefing to provide updates on COVID-19 and its impact on Indiana.
WHO:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gov. Holcomb
State Health Commissioner Kristina Box, M.D., FACOG
Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Joe McGuinness
WHEN:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, September 16
The livestream will become active approximately 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. Prior to the scheduled start time, the livestream will display the state seal and the current date and time. An on-camera alert will be given two minutes prior to the scheduled start time. The livestream will also be simulcast on Governor Holcomb’s social media pages, found at the following links:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/govholcomb/live
YouTube: https://youtube.com/govholcomb
Strained Rural Water Utilities Buckle Under Pandemic Pressure
Strained Rural Water Utilities Buckle Under Pandemic Pressure
The months leading up to the coronavirus pandemic already spelled trouble for the Rome Water System and the tiny community it serves in the Mississippi Delta.
A tornado tossed around several homes closed roads and left the community without power for two weeks. Lightning strikes on two separate occasions damaged pumps used to transport water and wastewater for about 75 connections serving about 220 people.
The system usually takes in about $3,400 a month. But since the pandemic hit, the system has been bringing in just over half as much. It can’t catch up until people start paying their bills, said the system’s treasurer, Irie Knighten.
“We ain’t doing so hot,†Knighten said.
Rural water and wastewater systems have largely been left out of federal and state pandemic relief, and yet they play critical roles in local economies. Homes rely on them, of course, but so do small businesses such as eateries and large companies such as manufacturers and processing plants.
As the virus stretches further into smaller communities, these systems are fighting for their survival under long-standing economic and structural weights.
Of 150,000 public water systems, 97% are in communities of 10,000 residents or fewer, according to the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, a national network of nonprofits whose work includes assistance to and training for water and wastewater systems.
“If the economics of the community are hit by an outside source like COVID, it impacts the water and wastewater systems and their ability to make sure those communities continue to grow and thrive,” said Nathan Ohle, CEO of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership.
To be sure, small and large systems share common challenges. They often have aging infrastructure and older operators who are at more risk should they contract the coronavirus. When the pandemic hit, many systems’ customer service offices closed, and businesses had to radically change their operations overnight. Wastewater operators put themselves at risk when COVID-19 can be detected in sewage. Some universities are surveilling their sewage to predict outbreaks.
But smaller systems have fewer resources. They are more likely to be serving populations with fewer and fewer people. With skeleton crews, they may not have anyone to look after the system if a water operator has to quarantine or falls ill.
With many states maintaining a moratorium on water shutoffs, water systems have fewer ways to deal with unpaid bills. Some advocates worry the moratoria are permitting customers to dig themselves into a deeper hole since they’ll be on the hook to pay their growing bill eventually. Meanwhile, systems are providing service for free without any assurance that a local government would step in to help.
Municipal and nonmunicipal systems are generally funded by user rates, not tax dollars. Small systems may not have the reserves to call on when customers facing hardship are unable to pay their bills.
Many utilities such as Rome are asking customers to pay what they can, and aren’t insisting on bills being paid in full, even if the state’s moratorium on shutoffs expired.
“If they don’t have the money, cutting them off ain’t gonna do no good anyway,” Knighten said.
The widely reported postal service delays have meant late payments for some rural utilities, according to Mike McGill, president of the communications firm WaterPIO. “Their bills are going to a main hub in the mail system, and they’re sitting there,” McGill said. “They’re sitting there for weeks.”
When the system in Tyrrell County, North Carolina’s smallest, lost its biggest customer, a prison, it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy before the state stepped in. Other rural municipalities in the state are reporting delinquency rates of 30-50%, according to Scott Mooneyham, director of political communications and coordination for the North Carolina League of Municipalities.
“The bottom line is that these rural communities were already struggling with 30, 40, 50 years of global trends that were working against them,” Mooneyham said. “COVID comes along and their biggest financial challenges, operating these utility systems — it massively affected that going forward. If this continues without additional help down the road, some of these communities will be basically unable to operate.”
Financial problems related to their aging water and sewage systems prompted North Carolina’s Local Government Commission to take over the town of Eureka and the Cliffside Sanitary District last year.
The commission, which is staffed by the Department of the State Treasurer, is developing a plan to address dozens of distressed small-town water and sewer systems, according to local news media.
“I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect that we could see a lot more Eurekas out there with their utility systems essentially bankrupt and bankrupting the town themselves if there’s not some effort made to help these communities,” Mooneyham said.
Impact Varies
If current conditions were to continue for a year, small water systems could face $3.6 billion-$5.5 billion in revenue losses, according to a May survey by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership. The figure represents water system respondents in 33 states.
In April, the National Rural Water Association estimated small water and wastewater systems would lose $998 million in revenue by mid-July. The losses do not include emergency operational expenses such as additional shifts, isolating staff and purchasing personal protective equipment.
The association surveyed 4,915 water and wastewater utilities in all states and U.S. territories. Those systems serve more than 29 million people and nearly 1.4 million businesses.
The pandemic’s effects on utilities are “extremely variable and uneven,” said Matt Holmes, CEO of the National Rural Water Association. They depend on factors such as location, the virus’s effects, the utility and local policies. Some systems have had revenue shortfalls from customer nonpayment.
“Others are selling a bunch of water because of the way the pandemic has affected their customer base,” Holmes said.
Data is hard to come by, even for those in need. Self-Help Enterprises, a nonprofit in California’s Central Valley, donated $4,700 to the Allensworth Community Service District because the system was forthcoming about its needs. The money covered a dozen accounts that were past due more than 60 days.
Other systems haven’t been as forthcoming, said Jessi Snyder, assistant program director for community development. Snyder points to poor book-keeping and a lack of motivation when there are few supports available.
“Everybody knows there’s nothing available, so they keep getting by,” Snyder said.
‘Help Them’
Federal dollars typically cover upgrades, infrastructure projects and new water pumps. They don’t cover operating grants or working capital costs.
Some rural water and wastewater systems benefitted from federal coronavirus relief to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program, often called PPP. But it initially had been unclear that wastewater cooperatives, typically 501(c)12s, were eligible for PPP alongside other types of nonprofits, Holmes said.
Although governmental units or municipalities were ineligible for PPP, they could have received money that flowed to states through the federal CARES Act.
The $2 trillion bill included direct appropriations to states and municipalities with populations greater than 500,000. Rural advocates would like more flexibility in any forthcoming federal relief, and direct funding to municipalities with smaller populations.
“I’m sure some states are doing a good job pushing that out to their rural communities, but that’s a 50-state challenge right now — to see how that process is going to go,” Holmes said.
About $1.25 billion in CARES Act money went to New Hampshire, which sent money to local governments. “Districts and precincts were mistakenly excluded from being eligible for that funding,” said Jason Randall, superintendent of the Plymouth Village Water and Sewer District. “Municipality can mean many different things, not just a town or city government, but the sub government or entities that surround it.”
Between March and June, the district lost 31% of its consumption revenue, or $235,000. Layoffs, reduced hours, reserves and a budget freeze have helped it continue operating.
Of the 552 municipalities in North Carolina, $4 billion from the CARES Act flowed to the state plus three counties and the city of Charlotte.
Some rural areas were not well-equipped to withstand the pandemic’s economic effects because of the long-standing trends in job, population and industry losses, said Mooneyham, with the North Carolina League of Municipalities.
“It’s disappointing in my position to hear politicians say, ‘You’re just asking for more money to fix an existing problem,'” Mooneyham said. “Well, yeah, there was an existing problem that was created through no fault of these communities themselves, which you’ve kind of ignored — and now you’re blaming them.
These are your constituents,” he added. “Help them.”
A bill introduced in the U.S. House would help by providing $1 billion in operational and revenue loss relief for small water systems through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service.
Another bill would establish a permanent bridge loan to directly support the operational costs of water and other utilities that have experienced revenue losses because of the pandemic or future covered emergencies. The bills remain before House committees.
These types of programs also would help communities in east Texas and southern Louisiana recover from Hurricane Laura, said Ines Polonius, CEO of Communities Unlimited, an economic development agency and Community Development Financial Institution that serves seven Southern states.
“What we saw after [Hurricane] Harvey, in some cases 50% of the community was gone and stayed gone,” Polonius said. She pointed to Nome, in east Texas. “It was struggling before Hurricane Harvey, and now it’s a shell of itself.”
Getting By
As the pandemic continues, utilities are doing what they can to carry on.
The Rural Community Assistance Corporation serves rural communities in 13 Western states. In recent months, it’s deployed technical assistance to tribal communities in Arizona and California.
The reservations had closed their borders, and needed help fixing a water break or retrieving chlorine to continue treating their water, said Ari Neumann, director of community environmental services.
“An emergency pre-COVID was usually major equipment failure, whereas now [an emergency] is often something that would normally be no big deal,” Neumann said.
In Hartshorne, Oklahoma, water operators are short on vehicles, said Gaylene Riley, a technical assistance provider for the local utility.
“They’ve got vehicles that are out of commission and they don’t have the revenues to replace them because their revenues are being cut,” Riley said.
The town of Allensworth, in California’s Central Valley, was meant at its founding in 1908 to be a utopian Black community. It was founded by Lt. Col. Allen Allensworth, who was born into slavery in Kentucky, fought for the Union during the Civil War and rose to become the highest-ranking Black member of the military. But the town has had dangerous levels of arsenic in its water on and off for decades. Today it’s a poor area whose demographics have shifted from mostly Black to mostly Latino.
“The district has been in worse situations and I think we will get through this,” said Valerie Contreras, general manager of the Allensworth Community Services District.
In Mississippi, Rome is working on repairs to its wastewater pump. But the repairman Knighten typically would recommend contracted COVID-19. So the town is turning its wastewater pump on and off at different times of the day because it doesn’t have the money to continue the repair, Knighten said.
Parchman Penitentiary is Rome’s nearest large employer. The town’s median household income is about $28,000 a year, according to Communities Unlimited.
Rome Water System has faced financial troubles over the past 15 years, Knighten said. He is essentially a volunteer.
“It’s a burden, but hey, eventually we’re gonna work this thing out some type of way,” Knighten said. “I know it sounds, ‘Why are we doing this?’
“I mean, somebody has to do it. So, we do the best we can.”
“IS IT TRUE” September 16, 2020
We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUEâ€Â will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?
City-County Observer Comment Policy. Be kind to people. No personal attacks or harassment will be tolerated and will be removed from our site.â€
We understand that sometimes people don’t always agree and discussions may become a little heated.  The use of offensive language, insults against commenters will not be tolerated and will be removed from our site.
IS IT TRUE that the City Of Evansville will have to find a creative way to make up an $8.5 Â million dollar deficit in the proposed 2021 budget? Â … currently, there isn’t a thing being proposed by Evansville City Council members that remotely can make up an $8.3 million dollar deficit in the 2021 proposed budget?
IS IT TRUEÂ that budgets rely on funding sources? …it’s obvious that the City and County governments will not have additional funding sources to pay for any budget increases during times like these?
IS IT TRUE that it looks like in Vanderburgh County there is an unwritten political philosophy that states that all politics are local?  …that Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding (R) recently switched parties from Democrat to Republican but made it clear he is still supporting County Commissioner Ben Shoulders (D) for re-election?…that incumbent Republican Vanderburgh County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave (R) is also supporting Ben Shoulders for re-election? ….we are told that this may be the first time in Vanderburgh County history that the two of the highest-ranking Republican officeholders in Vanderburgh County have endorsed an incumbent Democrat for re-election?
IS IT TRUEÂ it looked like the decisions about the reopening of the economy may have broken down along party lines, perhaps the polarization has less to do with party affiliation per se, and more to do with geographic and class conflict, which is often one and the same?
IS IT TRUE looking through the prism of class conflict, it’s clear why Americans are so divided about whether or not we should totally reopen the economy? …for the sake of the country, a class compromise would be far superior to a protracted culture war?
IS IT TRUE when we take a step back and analyze the core issues that polarize our society, it’s evident that class conflict explains the tone-deafness felt by both the elites and working-class Americans alike?
IS IT TRUE if you are in need of a low-interest loan or development grant, need a facade grant, in need of a new exterior sign for your business, or want to sell a vacant lot or dilapidated building at a premium price in the Downtown, North Main Street, and Haynie’s Corner area with very little public scrutiny we highly recommend that you contact the good folks at the Evansville DMD?
IS IT TRUE that the Vanderburgh County Public Defender’s Agency plays an important role in our social fabric by ensuring that those who can least afford legal representation in our Courts are fully protected?
IS IT TRUE when County Commissioner Jeff Hatfield was first elected to office he promised that he would not appoint any members of his immediate family to serve on influential local Boards and Commission? …he is stated that is also against the practice of nepotism in the public sector? Â …we give five (5) cheers to Commissioner Hatfield for keeping his campaign promises?
IS IT TRUEÂ the IRS documented that there has been a massive migration of high earning individuals from high tax states to low tax states?…the big winners have been Florida with the losers being made up of Illinois, New Jersey, and New York?…we doubt that the people running these states with notice until their checks start to bounce?
IS IT TRUE when we love and care for each other all things are possible? ...during times like these please pray for our medical providers, first responders, law enforcement, fire fighting personnel, delivery people, grocery store clerks and stockers, food service cooks and servers, construction workers, and truck drivers?
IS IT TRUEÂ there is a major difference between politicians and political leaders? …we do respect and listen to political leaders? Â …however, when it comes to taking the CORVID-19 virus head-on we trust the scientists to get the job done, not political types?
IS IT TRUE if only the powers that be would have listened to past County Commissioner  Dave Mosby, Vanderburgh County wouldn’t be experiencing the current jail overcrowding problem today?  …Mr. Mosby wanted an additional pod added to the jail plans that would have housed 250 more inmates about 20 plus years ago?
IS IT TRUE we were told several years ago if the Vanderburgh County Council increases the County Income Option Tax (CIOT) and the Wheel Tax that Vanderburgh County would have the money to fund a reasonable expansion of the county jail? Â …all we can say to members of County Council is that it’s time to put up or shut up?
IS IT TRUE when the people fear the Government we have Tyranny! Â When the Government fears the people we have Liberty?
IS IT TRUE our “READERS POLLS†are non-scientific but trendy?
Today’s “Readers Pollâ€Â question is: Which unit of local Government do feel that has been the most fiscally responsible?
Please take time and read our articles entitled “STATEHOUSE FILES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, “READERS POLLâ€, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBSâ€, EDUCATION, OBITUARIES, and “LOCAL SPORTSâ€.
You now are able to subscribe to get the CCO daily.
LEGAL RESPONSE TO CITY OF EVANSVILLE BUDGET AMENDMENT # 5
From: Marco DeLucio <mdelucio@zsws.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2020, 10:50 AM
Subject: FW: Budget Amendment No 5
All,
The attached Budget Amendment No. 5 proposes a 3% across the board cut to all general fund line items with the exception of debt service. Budget Amendment No. 5 also appears to use all realized savings to add to the Hospitalization line item.
As written, I take this to mean all line items of the General Fund including police and fire budgets are to be cut by 3%.  Because City Council has the power to cut the budget, I believe the proposed amendment is sufficiently specific to allow Council to adopt this Amendment since it appears to be directed to all line items from the General Fund. As noted last night at the Council meeting, these cuts would cut amounts paid to public safety since public safety line items are included in the General Fund.
In response to comments from other councilpersons, Councilman Weaver indicated that his amendment was not intended to specify any particular cut, but rather as a requirement that the Mayor make a 3% cut to the General Fund in a manner deemed appropriate by the Mayor. If the proposed Amendment No 5 is intended to require the Mayor to make an overall 3% cut to the General Fund without provide specific cuts, it is our opinion that Amendment No 5 is unenforceable because the City Council, effectively, is abdicating its statutory duty to “reduce any estimated item†from the budget and shifting such responsibility to the Mayor. It is my recollection, that Councilman Weaver offered a similar amendment in 2018 (for the 2019 budget) and we provided a similar legal opinion at that time on that matter. The City Council must provide an item-by-item reduction if it desires to reduce the Mayor’s proposed budget.
Indiana Code 36-4-7-7(a) provides:
“The fiscal officer shall present the report of budget estimates to the city legislative body under IC 6-1.1-17. After reviewing the report, the legislative body shall prepare an ordinance fixing the rate of taxation for the ensuing budget year and an ordinance making appropriations for the estimated department budgets and other city purposes during the ensuing budget year. The legislative body, in the appropriation ordinance, may reduce any estimated item from the figure submitted in the report of the fiscal officer, but it may increase an item only if the executive recommends an increase. The legislative body shall promptly act on the appropriation ordinance.â€
It should be noted that the predecessor statute to Indiana Code 36-4-7-7 stated the following:
“It shall be the duty of the committee of finance of the common council thereupon to prepare an ordinance fixing the rate of taxation for the ensuing year, and also an ordinance making appropriations by items for the use of the various executive departments and other city purposes for the ensuing year. Such ordinance may reduce any estimated item for any executive department, from the figure submitted in the report of the city controller, but shall not increase the same unless recommended by the mayor.”
The term “item†is not defined under Title 36. However, the term “item†is used in other statutes throughout Indiana Code 36-4-7, including:
In short, the Mayor must submit a line item budget for consideration by City Council which estimates the expenditure each department head anticipates. The Mayor’s proposed 2021 budget is a line item budget. Indiana case law doesn’t specifically address the definition of “item,†but an examination of cases supports that City Council must consider each line item. See Gary v. State, 406 N.E.2d 1247 (Ind. Ct. App. 1980)(the provision that an appropriation ordinance may reduce any item but not increase it unless recommended by the mayor did not apply to appropriations for salaries for the police and fire departments, the sole authority to set salaries for the police and fire departments being vested in the common council); Moore v. Kokomo, 60 N.E. 2d 530 (Ind. 1945)(an appropriation for a municipal public improvement did not need to break down the cost of such improvement into detailed items going to make up the whole).
Finally, the predecessor statute to Indiana Code 36-4-7-7 stated:
“It shall be the duty of the committee of finance of the common council thereupon to prepare an ordinance fixing the rate of taxation for the ensuing year, and also an ordinance making appropriations by items for the use of the various executive departments and other city purposes for the ensuing year. Such ordinance may reduce any estimated item for any executive department, from the figure submitted in the report of the city controller, but shall not increase the same unless recommended by the mayor.”
Formerly Indiana Code 18-1-6-6. The former statute makes it even more explicitly clear which “items†were to be considered by City Council – specifically, “any estimated item for any executive department.†Thus, it follows that City Council must consider each item of the budget, not propose an across-the-board tax cut.
The next consideration issue we considered is that once the 2021  proposed budget is submitted by the Mayor, can City Council call upon the Mayor to propose 3% in cuts from the general fund with specifically identifying the line items to be cut? (as Councilman Weaver proposed last night). It is our opinion that the Council cannot simply order the Mayor to make line item cuts without being specific.
As stated above, Indiana Code 36-4-7-7(a), in part, provides:
“The fiscal officer shall present the report of budget estimates to the city legislative body under IC 6-1.1-17. After reviewing the report, the legislative body shall prepare an ordinance fixing the rate of taxation for the ensuing budget year and an ordinance making appropriations for the estimated department budgets and other city purposes during the ensuing budget year. The legislative body, in the appropriation ordinance, may reduce any estimated item from the figure submitted in the report of the fiscal officer, but it may increase an item only if the executive recommends an increase. The legislative body shall promptly act on the appropriation ordinance.â€
The Indiana General Assembly has made it explicit that it the City Council’s duty to reduce any estimate item within the line item budget – the statute utilized the word “shall†to impose a duty upon the Common Council to prepare an ordinance for making appropriations, and by extension within that ordinance, to reduce any estimated item within the proposed line-item budget. However, the statute doesn’t allow the City Council to shift that duty to the Mayor. This is reinforced by the duties imposed upon City Council under Indiana Code 36-6-18:
  In interpreting Indiana Code 36-4-6-18, the Attorney General published several official opinions:
In short, if Councilman Weaver’s comments from last night that  Budget Amendment No 5 is intended to require the Mayor to make cuts totaling 3% to the General Fund without specifically listing the cuts, the City Council is attempting to shift its statutorily imposed duties (as reinforced by official Opinions of the Attorney General) to reduce line budget items by proposing that the Mayor make such cuts. This shifting of responsibility is without merit, and , as such, we believe Amendment No 5 is unenforceable.
Lastly, we believe 36-4-7-7(a) would prohibit the council from increasing the line item for Hospitalization without the consent of the Mayor.
Please let me know if you have any questions or require anything further in this regard
MARCO L. DELUCIO
U.S. Sen. Mike Braun Won’t Support Additional Help For Indiana State Budget
U.S. Sen. Mike Braun Won’t Additional Support Help For Indiana State Budget
BRANDON SMITH
WFYI/PBS-INDIANAPOLIS
Article origination IPBS-RJCÂ
U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) says he’ll be “disappointed†if the federal government provides any financial support for state and local government budgets in future COVID-19 relief packages.
State budget officials project Indiana will have a $1 billion hole in its budget by the end of the current fiscal year, even with the state’s significant financial reserves. They’ve repeatedly asked for federal help, including by loosening restrictions on existing federal CARES Act funding.
That’s in part why the state still hasn’t spent more than half of that money – although that’s not what Braun thinks.
“I think we’re sitting on all the money that was given to us by the federal government because we have not had to use it,†Braun said.
Braun was asked directly why he doesn’t support the kind of help Gov. Eric Holcomb and state officials have requested.
“We will make it through it based upon how we’ve lived our life in a responsible way, as a state government,†Braun said.
The governor has already cut higher education funding and asked state agencies to slash their budgets by 15 percent.
Braun said he doesn’t support further COVID-19 federal relief that goes beyond what the Senate GOP passed last week.
Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
At WFYI, our goal is to cover stories that matter to you. Our reporting is rooted in facts. It considers all perspectives and is available to everyone. We don’t have paywalls, but we do need support. So if unbiased, trusted journalism is important to you, please join us. Donate now.
State Superintendent McCormick Endorses Weinzapfel For Attorney General
State Superintendent McCormick Endorses Weinzapfel For Attorney General
By Taylor Wooten
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS — Republican State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick announced Thursday that she is endorsing Democratic Indiana attorney general candidate Jonathan Weinzapfel.
“This isn’t about politics, this is about who has the experience, the integrity and the vision to best represent all Hoosiers, especially our children,†McCormick said in a press release. “Jonathan has a well-earned reputation for bipartisan problem solving, for listening and for making a real difference in every job he’s had.â€
McCormick has crossed party lines on multiple occasions, recently with an Aug. 5 memo to Secretary of State Connie Lawson requesting that no-excuse mail in ballots be offered in Indiana to decrease the risk of COVID-19 exposure for students and teachers in Indiana public schools that are required to open their doors as polling locations. This request goes against Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb’s insistence that it is safe to vote in person.
“She’s been somewhat of a maverick in her party,†said Laura Merrifield Wilson, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis. “She’s clearly acting based on her principles and values, not on party.â€
In July 2019, McCormick went on a bipartisan listening tour to discuss education policy with Indiana Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, as he explored a run for governor.
Weinzapfel, former chancellor of the Ivy Tech Evansville campus, has said he wishes to be a “champion for education†by fighting for enhanced pay for teachers and increased accountability for educational institutions that receive tax dollars.
The $86 million controversy regarding two Indiana virtual charter schools will be a subject of criminal prosecution if he becomes attorney general, Weinzapfel said. The Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy collected over $80 million from the state by falsifying student enrollment data.
Weinzapfel and McCormick had numerous conversations regarding education policy before her decision to endorse the campaign, he said.
“McCormick really is an inspiration because I’ve seen where she’s put people and progress above politics,†Weinzapfel said.
Wilson said there is uncertainty around how this endorsement could affect the attorney general race.
“People see it as a down-ballot race,†Wilson said. “But this could perk up some ears.â€
Weinzapfel faces Republican Todd Rokita in the Nov. 3 general election.
Rokita’s campaign chair, Indiana Sen. Erin Houchin, R-Salem, criticized McCormick and Weinzapfel’s stance on education in a statement.
“McCormick and Weinzapfel have both attacked school choice, going after charter school funding and supporting policies that continue to feed the status quo education machine,†Houchin said. “Todd Rokita understands that to ensure all parents, regardless of race, income level, or other barrier, can choose the best school for their kids, we need to strongly support all aspects of school choice.â€
Houchin also pointed to McCormick herself, saying the education chief is “grandstanding as a liberal activist.â€
“After claiming she was going to remove politics from education, Jennifer McCormick continues to push a political agenda to promote herself and liberal policies,†Houchin said.
Taylor Wooten is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
AG Curtis Hill Vows To Complete Removal Of Animals From Nonprofit Group
Attorney General Curtis Hill said today that despite steady resistance from a Southern Indiana animal exhibitor previously found in violation of animal welfare laws, his office will work tirelessly this week to ensure that all remaining animals kept at properties operated by that exhibitor are removed and handed over to appropriate caregivers by the Indianapolis Zoological Society, whom a court appointed as receiver on Sept. 10.
On Monday, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) filed an emergency motion asking a court to issue a judgment against Timothy Stark — director of the nonprofit organization Wildlife in Need (WIN) — for allegedly removing animals this month and/or concealing them from authorities; and for allegedly inciting violence toward the Indianapolis Zoological Society. A judge gave Stark until 4 p.m. Tuesday to tell authorities the locations of all missing animals.
In court documents, OAG attorneys cited the absence of many animals documented to be at WIN’s Charlestown properties just a week earlier. These animals include six spider monkeys, two toucans, one pied crow, one African grey parrot, two macaws, one wolf, one caracal, one ocelot, three fishing cats, two cougars, two Asian small clawed otters, one prehensile porcupine and two African crested porcupines. Also cited was the concealment of several animals including one sloth, two Debrazza monkeys and three booted macaques.
All told, OAG staff cited the absence or concealment of approximately $169,500 worth of animals that had been at WIN’s properties just days earlier. Some of the animals were later found in the back of a closed box truck located off of WIN’s premises on a neighbor’s property. The animals lacked food, water, lights and ventilation. An Indianapolis Zoo veterinary team gave them prompt attention upon their discovery.
According to court documents, Stark also posted a Facebook video in which he called upon followers to obstruct authorities’ efforts to remove animals, saying they should “go in there and tear the f—–g place up.†He chided followers based on his apparent perception that they were displaying cowardice. “No one wants to get into it because they think they might get arrested or whatever,†he said. “For what? Standing your f—–g ground? All of these worthless n—–s out there f—–g protesting, rioting right now. They’re not getting arrested.â€
This week, meanwhile, OAG staff members have continued to monitor the removal of animals from the Charlestown properties as Indianapolis Zoo officials take them into custody.
Removal of the animals began Sept. 11 and remains ongoing. In addition to OAG and Indianapolis Zoo staff, authorities from the Indiana State Police and Clark County Sheriff’s Office are helping facilitate the animals’ removal.
On Aug. 28, a Marion Superior Court judge approved the state’s removal of all WIN’s animals except large cat species, which are set to be removed in the near future as a result of a ruling in a federal lawsuit brought by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Starting at 9 a.m. Sept. 11 and for nearly two hours thereafter, Stark refused access to the animal removal team, yelling at them and demanding a conference with the court. Later that afternoon, a Marion Superior Court judge instructed Stark by phone to comply with the court’s order and stop obstructing the removal of animals.
A court order issued Sept. 10 directed law enforcement personnel to “take all measures deemed in their discretion to be necessary to ensure the safety of all involved in the animal removal.â€
WIN’s directors have claimed over the years to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife before returning animals to their native habitats. In reality, Attorney General Hill said, the nonprofit organization has a history of abusing animals, neglecting to provide basic necessities to animals and forcing animals to live in deplorable conditions. Many of WIN’s animals have been exotic species native to other countries.
Further, contrary to its stated purpose as a nonprofit corporation, WIN allegedly has failed to return animals to their native habitats and misapplied assets purportedly collected for animal care.
In February, following a months-long investigation, Attorney General Hill took legal action against WIN, alleging that the nonprofit for years has been used by its director, defendant Stark, to embezzle assets for his own purposes. The lawsuit also seeks WIN’s dissolution and the return of embezzled assets.
As a part of this case, the OAG is taking steps for preliminary relief and seeking to ensure that the animals receive proper care.
“Our presence at WIN’s properties is to ensure that the court’s orders are carried out,†Attorney General Hill said. “The order is to preserve the assets of a nonprofit that are at risk, and in this case those assets are the animals. The removal of the animals ensures their preservation and welfare. Our office is moving as quickly as we can to get this case to trial.â€
According to court documents, Stark has a history of hoarding animals in deplorable living conditions, abusing and neglecting animals, trafficking animals, hiding animals from government authorities and attempting to move WIN animals out of state. The state’s allegations include horrifying details related to Stark’s methods of “euthanasia†and his abuse of animals in his care.
Between 2012 and 2018, WIN’s number of animals reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture increased from 43 to 293. On Feb. 3, 2020, that agency ordered Stark’s USDA exhibitor license revoked based on repeated violations of the Animal Welfare Act and a history of willful non-compliance.