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Gov. Beshear Provides Update on Fight Against COVID-19

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Visit the Governor’s Facebook page to watch today’s news conference

FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 3, 2020) – On Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear detailed the efforts undertaken to combat the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

Sadly, the Governor reported the tragic loss of one of the youngest Kentuckians to fall victim to the deadly virus.

“Today we’ve got to announce that we have on our list of deaths a 9-month-old child from Hopkins County,” Gov. Beshear said. “We grieve for everybody we have lost from COVID-19. This is a reminder of how deadly this virus can be, how precious all of our lives are.

“As a father of two kids, one of which I was scared at birth might not make it, I want this family to know – and it’s a family I have never met even in my dad’s hometown county – that we, regardless of what will ultimately be listed as the cause of death, we are grieving for you, we care about you, and I cannot imagine how you are feeling right now.”

Dr. Steven Stack, the commissioner for the Department for Public Health, said the child’s death initially was ruled to be a case of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS. He said a later COVID-19-positive test requires the death to be included in the reporting. Dr. Stack said the death of such a young person to coronavirus was rare yet devastating.

“I would encourage parents to not worry over, but that you should be concerned because for the individual, for the families, they suffer the illness or loss of a child,” Dr. Stack said. “For them it is real. It doesn’t make a difference if it is rare. For them, it was 100% occurrence. They lost their loved young ones. So it’s important we are all careful with this disease.”

Early Action
Gov. Beshear spoke of the unimaginable loss suffered by all of the families and communities as this deadly virus has taken its toll. Deaths nationwide have surged to more than 105,000, with nearly 450 Kentuckians’ lives lost among them.

But months into the fight, several studies now show that the fast and focused response by the Governor’s administration, along with the sacrifices of people across the commonwealth, benefited Kentucky greatly.

“Every day I worried it would not be enough to blunt that curve,” Gov. Beshear said. “And we didn’t know when it was going to happen and thank goodness it did.”

Among other actions, on March 6, the day of the first confirmed coronavirus case in Kentucky, Gov. Beshear declared a state of emergency and activated the Emergency Management Operations Center. In the weeks that followed, the Governor’s administration continued to take actions daily across a spectrum of issues to keep Kentuckians safe.

At all times, the guidelines and orders issued by Gov. Beshear and his cabinet officials have hewed closely to recommendations from the White House and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gov. Beshear launched Healthy at Home on March 26, providing information, advice, and restrictions aimed at ensuring social distancing and protecting the state’s health care operations. The results are in: studies by the CDC, the University of Louisville, and the University of Kentucky all show that these early and decisive actions saved the lives of thousands of Kentuckians.

“Healthy at Home was a significant step. It was asking a lot of the people of Kentucky, and they did it and because of their efforts, we saved thousands of lives. I believe when we look back on this it will be 10,000-plus lives,” the Governor said. “I remember that the first modeling suggested we would lose 80,000 Kentuckians, and in the first couple of weeks people were scared.”

As a result of this hard work, Kentucky is nationally recognized as among few states that are meeting the White House and CDC guidance for reopening the economy. Our cases are on a downward trend, our hospitals are able to handle the patient load, and our COVID-19 testing program is robust.

Gov. Beshear said while Kentuckians should be proud of the work we’ve all done, the road ahead remains challenging and requires resilience.

Kentucky was not spared from the worldwide economic upheaval caused by this deadly virus. Gov. Beshear said getting through it together as Kentuckians will require managing unprecedented unemployment, deep budget shortfalls, and steep growth in the use of public benefits.

No special session
Gov. Beshear announced Wednesday that he has reached an agreement with legislative leaders to avoid the need for the General Assembly to return in a special session to resolve budget matters.

Previously, the Governor had said he had expected to call a “short, targeted” special session to allow lawmakers to pass a reduced budget proposal to account for the revenue lost due to the global pandemic and response.

“All we are looking at is the Transportation Cabinet Budget. There is zero discretion in what needs to be done. It is a revision of a number,” Gov. Beshear said. “This is an agreement between all of the legislative leaders and the Governor’s office. So we do not believe at this time that there will be a need and there is agreement on the actions that have to be taken.”

Louisville update
J. Michael Brown, secretary of the Governor’s Executive Cabinet, spoke about the state of an investigation into the death of David McAtee in Louisville.

“Yesterday, I reported that we believed from the preliminary autopsy that he died of a single gunshot wound to the chest. We still are of that belief. We have not recovered a whole bullet, but we have recovered, I understand from today, some fragments,” Secretary Brown said. “We are now in the process of trying to identify the very nature of those fragments to determine if they indeed came from one bullet or might have come from more than one bullet and, hopefully, be able to determine the caliber of the bullet.”

Case information
As of 4 p.m. June 3, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 10,410 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 265 of which were newly confirmed Wednesday.

“I don’t think this 265 is cause for alarm, though it is at least a reminder just like what we’ve talked about today that this virus is still out there and spreading,” the Governor said.

Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported eight new deaths Wednesday, raising the total to 450 Kentuckians lost to the virus.

The deaths reported Wednesday to include two women, ages 91 and 99, from Edmonson County; an 84-year-old woman from Gallatin County; the 9-month-old baby girl from Hopkins County; three women, ages 91, 92 and 93, from Jefferson County; and a 48-year-old man from Shelby County.

“We need compassion now more than ever: compassion for these families, compassion for our fellow human beings who are hurting,” the Governor said. “So let’s make sure we turn on those green lights, that we ring those bells at 10 a.m. and let’s ring them for these families who are in pain. Let’s ring them for all families who are in pain.”

At least 3,283 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus. For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race, and ethnicity, click here.

Testing expansion
Gov. Beshear continues to urge Kentuckians to get tested for COVID-19. For information on how to register at sites throughout the commonwealth visit kycovid19.ky.gov.

“I know we are now in the upper half of states for the total number of tests that have been run, and that’s an incredible story, given where we started,” the Governor said about ongoing testing efforts.

Absentee Ballot Application Portal online
Gov. Beshear is encouraging all voters to use a new Absentee Ballot Application Portal now available online. A link to the State Board of Elections’ portal can be found at govoteky.com. He urged everyone who plans to vote in this month’s primary elections to go to the portal and request an absentee mail-in ballot.

More information
Read about other key updates, actions, and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the Governor’s official social media accounts Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Feds Approve Indiana’s Innovative HIP Workforce Bridge Program

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Indiana’s first-in-the-nation program is designed to help Hoosiers transition from HIP to private insurance; will be a critical component of the state’s COVID-19 recovery

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration today announced it has received approval from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, for its HIP Workforce Bridge program – establishing a new, unique transitional phase for Healthy Indiana Plan members as they return to the workforce and to employer insurance or other health coverage. The program was designed and proposed by FSSA in 2019 after direction from Governor Eric J. Holcomb to support his Next Level agenda and find a way to help Hoosiers maintain coverage and avoid potential negative consequences from advancing in the workforce.

“The HIP Workforce Bridge program will be especially important during our state’s recovery from the COVID pandemic and as Indiana’s economy evolves,” Governor Holcomb said. “As Hoosiers skill up, go back to school and go back to work, HIP Workforce Bridge will make that transition from HIP to marketplace insurance or employer-based coverage easier to navigate and afford.”

HIP Workforce Bridge will allow thousands of outgoing HIP participants to continue to use up to $1,000 from their POWER accounts for up to 12 months to pay premiums, deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance during their transition to commercial coverage. This assistance will be offered to individuals as soon as they become ineligible for HIP due to earning higher incomes. Indiana becomes the first state to establish such an innovative approach to eliminating the gap in health coverage that can prevent HIP members from pursuing meaningful employment.

A HIP POWER account is similar to a health savings account. Each member has $2,500 in their POWER account each year to use for health care expenses. Normally they would lose the ability to use these funds as soon as they are no longer enrolled in the program, and unlike traditional health savings accounts, POWER accounts do not stay with the enrollee if they move to private insurance.

Due to the public health emergency, FSSA is not currently disenrolling members of any health coverage program, but with CMS’s approval, HIP Workforce Bridge will be in place to support members immediately once the governor’s executive order expires.

Since 2008, the Healthy Indiana Plan, the state’s consumer-driven health care plan, has demonstrated remarkable success in providing coverage to its beneficiaries, empowering enrollees to become active participants in their health care coverage, and improving member health outcomes.

“Now more than ever, it is critical that we provide stability and peace of mind for Hoosiers, especially when it comes to matters of their health,” said Jennifer Sullivan, M.D., M.P.H., secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. “We anticipate that more Hoosiers may need HIP health coverage during the emergency and we want to make sure that everyone can safely transition as they are able. This is one of our first efforts to mitigate the eligibility cliff effect in Indiana, which is a priority across all of our programs now more than ever.”

HIP members facing dis-enrollment due to an increase in income will be notified of their option to participate in the HIP Workforce Bridge program.

ELPERS RESOLUTION WILL ALLOW CITY COUNCIL TO PLAN FOR FINANCIAL EMERGENCIES

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2020 has been an unprecedented year so far due to COVID-19.  Families and businesses along with municipalities have had to make difficult decisions when it comes to their budgets.

City Council has made cuts to its 2020 budget this year because of revenue shortfalls.  Moving forward, its likely revenues will be lower this year and into 2021.  As a result, I am asking the council on Monday, June 8th, to change the current resolution regarding Riverboat (Casino)Expenditure.

The change would give City Council the ability to approve Casino funds for planned operating expenditures under times of emergency or disaster situations.  

The current resolution states the money should not be used for operating expenses.  This action if passed would give council another tool to bridge the shortfall in tax revenues until the economy can make a full recovery.

Sincerely,

Justin Elpers

5th Ward City Council member

RESOLUTION C-2020-__ INTRODUCING: Elpers 

RESOLUTION REGARDING 

RIVERBOAT REVENUE EXPENDITURE

WHEREAS, the Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana, recognizes that a riverboat has been operational on the Ohio River since December 1995, and operations continued in subsequent years;

WHEREAS, the City of Evansville, Indiana, receives millions of dollars each year in admission and waging taxes and land lease revenues; 

WHEREAS, the Common Council of Evansville, Indiana (“City Council”), adopted Resolution C-96-21, as amended, on May 20, 1996, expressing intent to appropriate riverboat tax and land lease receipts for special and/or one-time projects, including but not limited to, capital improvements and equipment purchases, storm drainage and street repair projects, economic development, economic revitalization, community development, disaster or emergency situations, establishing a trust fund to benefit future generations, or bond repayments, with none of these revenues ever to be used for operations;

WHEREAS, City Council deems it necessary and proper to further clarify this non-binding resolution adopted as Resolution C-96-21, as amended, in light of recent events.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of Evansville, Indiana (“City Council”), that it intends to use City riverboat tax and land lease receipts for operations in emergency or disaster situations when designated by the governor or mayor.

Obituary For Army Veteran Carl Dean Underwood

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Obituary For Army Veteran Carl Dean Underwood

Carl Dean Underwood, 92, of Evansville, passed away Wednesday, June 3, 2020, at his home. He was born July 14, 1928, in Ina, Illinois to the late Hershel and Geneva (Miller) Underwood.

Carl was a 1950 graduate of Indiana University. He entered the U.S. Army in 1950 and was discharged in December 1952 at Red River Arsenal at Texarkana, Texas. Carl was employed at Seeger Refrigeration Co. in December 1952 and retired from Whirlpool Corporation in December 1989. Carl enjoyed golf and was a member of Rolling Hills Country Club for many years. He also followed I.U. Sports and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Carl is survived by his wife, Mary Sue; daughter, Rebecca Davis; and son, Dr. Carl David Underwood; five grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Carl was preceded in death by a son, Stephen Tichenor, and Gloria.

Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday, June 8, 2020, at Ziemer Funeral Home East Chapel, 800 S. Hebron Avenue. A Memorial service will begin at 2:00 p.m. followed by military honors.

Memorial contributions may be made to your charity of choice.

Condolences may be made online at www.ziemerfuneralhome.com.

U Of E Stevenson Published Oxford University Press Edited Book

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U E

Associate Professor of Psychology, Margaret Stevenson, and her colleagues, Bette Bottoms and Kelly Burke, published an Oxford University Press edited volume available for pre-order and in print July 1, 2020: “The Legacy of Racism for Children: Psychology, Law, and Public Policy.”

This volume examines issues that arise when minority children’s lives are directly or indirectly influenced by law and public policy. Uniquely comprehensive in scope, this trailblazing volume offers cutting-edge chapters on the intersections of race/ethnicity within the context of child maltreatment, child dependency court, custody and adoption, familial incarceration, school discipline and the “school-to-prison pipeline,” juvenile justice, police/youth interactions, and jurors’ perceptions of child and adolescent victims and defendants. The book also includes chapters focused on troubling situations that are less commonly researched, but growing in importance, including the role of race and racism in child sex trafficking and US immigration law and policy. Thus, individual chapters explore myriad ways in which law and policy shape the lives of marginalized children and adolescents – racial and ethnic minorities – who historically and presently are at heightened risk for experiencing disadvantageous consequences of law and policy. In so doing, The Legacy of Racism for Children can help social scientists to understand and work to prevent the perpetuation of racial discrimination in American laws and public policies.

Students at the University of Evansville shape powerful and enduring change. UE is the first in Indiana to be designated as an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus, and its changemaking culture empowers students to improve the world around them as UE Changemakers. With over 80 majors in the arts and sciences and pre-professional programs, UE’s diverse student body represents 44 states and 52 countries. U.S. News & World Report recognizes UE as the #6 Best College in the Midwest among private schools. For more information, please visit www.evansville.edu

EPA Announces $3 Million in Funding for Small Businesses to Develop Environmental Technologies

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $3 million in funding for nine small businesses to further develop and commercialize technologies to protect the environment. The funded technologies are focused on clean and safe water, air quality monitoring, land revitalization, sustainable materials management, and safer chemicals.

“We must meet our country’s most pressing environmental concerns with innovative solutions,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “The funding provided by EPA will allow these small businesses to pursue solutions to environmental challenges, including removing PFAS from water and soil and monitoring air quality during wildfires.”

These nine small businesses are receiving Phase II funding of up to $400,000 from EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. These companies were previously awarded a Phase I contract of $100,000 to develop innovative environmental technologies and are now receiving a Phase II award to further advance and commercialize the technology. This year’s SBIR Phase II recipients include:

  • Faraday Technology, Inc., Englewood, Ohio, to develop electrochemical extraction and remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soils and to develop electrochemical pretreatment of PFAS-contaminated wastewater and landfill leachate streams.
  • framergy, Inc., College Station, Texas, to develop a novel water treatment technology to break down and mineralize PFAS.
  • Intellisense Systems, Inc., Torrance, Calif., to develop a portable, easy-to-use air quality monitoring device to measure and track wildland fire pollutants.
  • KWJ Engineering Incorporated, Newark, Calif., to assemble and field-test a sensor package that monitors air quality and pollution from wildland fires.
  • microAeth Corporation dba AethLabs, San Francisco, Calif., to develop an integrated black carbon and carbon dioxide sensor platform for real-time identification and analysis of emissions from wildland fires.
  • Polykala Technologies, LLC, San Antonio, Texas, to develop ‘smart’ polymer nanofiber mats for selective and efficient removal of PFAS from wastewater.
  • Sporian Microsystems, Inc., Lafayette, Colo., to develop a low-cost system to identify harmful components in construction and demolition materials.
  • TDA Research, Inc., Wheat Ridge, Colo., to develop a non-toxic paint stripper that is methylene chloride-free.
  • 2WiTech, LLC, San Diego, Calif., to develop a low-cost portable sensing technology for detecting trace amounts of PFOA and PFOS in water.

EPA’s SBIR funding promotes local economies by empowering small businesses across the country to create jobs while developing novel environmental technologies. Phase II funding is specifically aimed at supporting these companies to bring their technologies to the marketplace. Since 1982, EPA’s SBIR program has provided over $189 million to 635 small businesses to develop technologies to solve the most pressing environmental problems. Approximately 29% of funded projects reported a growth in sales that exceeded five times the initial EPA funding.

EPA is one of 11 federal agencies that participate in the SBIR program, a competitive award-based program that supports small businesses to explore technological solutions with the ultimate goal of successful commercialization of those innovations. This program stimulates the economy while meeting the country’s research and development needs.

 Post-Primary Votes Release

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Vanderburgh County Democratic Party
Central Committee
Edie
Hardcastle, Chair; ediehardcastle@gmail.com
Nick Iaccarino, Vice Chair
Alex Burton, Political Director
Cheryl Schultz, Treasurer
Melissa Moore, Secretary
CONTACT:
Melissa Morehead Moore
Phone: 812-589-1220
email: moore.melissa93@yahoo.com

Leadership and Experience
Working for You!

The Vanderburgh County Democratic Party is proud to announce the candidates chosen in yesterday’s primary election:
Federal
— Thomasina Marsili, U.S. Congress, IN 8th District
State
— Ian Gamroth, House District 64
— Steve Folz, House District 76
— Ryan Hatfield, House District 77
— Tonda Pauley, House District 78

County

— Ben Shoulders, County Commissioner, District 1
— Mike Goebel, County Council At-Large
— Amy Back,  County Council At-Large
— Ed Bassmeier, County Council At-Large
— Steve Lockyear, Coroner
— Ken McWilliams, Recorder

These candidates represent the right mix of proven leadership and an inclusive vision for the future, along with fresh ideas to resolve our region’s most stubborn challenges.  Top of the list: affordable, quality healthcare, criminal justice and policing reform, and universal access to broadband.  “Last week’s riots demonstrated that we must do much more to pull our country out of its institutional racism if we’re to achieve the equal opportunity that American founding principles demand.”, says Edie Hardcastle, Chair of the Vanderburgh Co. Democratic Party.

Democrats also believe that the only way to lift the next generation of Hoosiers out of Indiana’s perennially low ranking in state educational achievement is to support innovation in, and full funding of, our public education system.  Robust public education is the only way to sustainably launch our youth into the post- Covid-19 economy, which Hardcastle notes will be based on rapid innovation in healthcare and science, agriculture and manufacturing — all increasingly based on renewable energy sources and cloud-based computing.

An exciting but challenging path lies before us.  The Democratic Party is working hard to make sure that Hoosiers elect a new generation of legislators who understand that the above priorities are essential to Indiana’s future.

Administrator Wheeler announces selection of 14 individuals to serve on re-established Great Lakes Advisory Board in Grand Rapids

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced membership of the Great Lakes Advisory Board (GLAB), an EPA federal advisory committee, at Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Resource Institute with U.S. Congressmen Bill Huizenga (MI-02) and Fred Upton (MI-06). Administrator Wheeler re-established the GLAB in December 2018 to provide advice and recommendations on matters related to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.

“The advice received from the Board in past years has been a critical part of the work EPA has done, and continues to do, to restore and protect the Great Lakes,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Our work cleaning up the Great Lakes is far from over, and GLAB’s future efforts will ensure needed expertise is available for environmental agencies to use both here in the U.S. and in Canada.”

“The members of the re-established Great Lakes Advisory Board provide unique expertise that will assist EPA and its federal partners in making important progress to restore and protect the Great Lakes,” said Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager Kurt Thiede.”

“By reconstituting the Great Lakes Advisory Board, President Trump and Administrator Wheeler continue to make the Great Lakes a national priority,” said U.S. Congressman Bill Huizenga, Co-Chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force. “With the selection of Dr. Alan Steinman to serve on the board, it’s clear the research being done by his team at Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Resources Institute will play an even greater role in protecting, preserving, and strengthening the Great Lakes for future generations.”

“The good folks of southwest Michigan and across the state understand the value and beauty of the Great Lakes. Growing up on Lake Michigan’s shoreline, this issue is deeply personal to me. The Great Lakes Advisory Board – with its different backgrounds and perspectives – will serve an important role in preserving and protecting the Great Lakes for generations to come,” said U.S. Congressman Fred Upton.

The fourteen members serve as representatives of non-federal interests and report to the Administrator through the Great Lakes National Program Manager. The members represent a broad range of interests, including business groups, environmental organizations, academia and state, local and tribal governments. The members’ Great Lakes expertise, leadership experience, and community involvement creates a diverse board that will help the Agency restore and protect the Great Lakes.

“As the Chief Executive Officer of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, an organization committed to protecting one of the most valuable freshwater assets, Lake Erie, I am proud to co-chair the Great Lakes Advisory Board,” said co-chair Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells. “I look forward to working and collaborating with fellow committee members, finding solutions to important environmental and water quality issues impacting the Great Lakes and its people.”

“The GLRI continues to be a showcase in how to get work done in our treasured Great Lakes region. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Great Lakes Advisory Board and at the EPA on ways we can continue the progress we’ve seen to date and look for even greater successes in the future,” said co-chair Stephen Galarneau. “We are stronger through our partnerships and collaboration in implementing the GLRI and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.”

On April 1, EPA selected the following individuals to serve as members of the GLAB:

  • Stephen Galarneau, director of the Office of Great Waters – Great Lakes & Mississippi River, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Co-Chair)
  • Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, chief executive officer, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (Co-Chair)
  • Scudder Mackey, chief of the Office of Coastal Management, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
  • Chad Able, administrator, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
  • James Williams Jr, chairman, Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
  • Jeff Stollenwerk, director of government and environmental affairs, Duluth Seaway Port Authority
  • John Hull, founder and chairman, Hull & Associates Inc.
  • Lisa Frede, director of regulatory affairs, Chemical Industry Council of Illinois
  • Larry Antosch, senior director, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
  • Kay Nelson, director of environmental affairs, Northwest Indiana Forum
  • J. Val Klump, dean and professor of the School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin
  • Alan Steinman, director of Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University
  • Brian Miller, retired, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Illinois Water Resources Center
  • Sylvia Orduño, organizer, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization

In addition to the re-establishment of the GLAB, EPA recently announced an additional $20 million in GLRI funding for projects to address persistent challenges affecting the Great Lakes such as invasive species control and excess nutrients – demonstrating the Trump Administration’s increased focus and commitment to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes.

Gov. Holcomb Signs Executive Orders in the Fight Against COVID-19

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Governor Eric J. Holcomb today signed Executive Order 20-30 to extend the public health emergency for an additional 30 days to July 4th.

The Governor also signed Executive Order 20-31 which allows older youth to remain in foster care beyond the age of 18 for the duration of the public health emergency. This will allow them to continue to receive education, workforce training and health benefits.

Executive Order 20-31 also extends the time period to renew professional licenses, certificates or permits to June 30.

Due to the current restrictions on in-person dining in restaurants, the executive order reduces the amount of food sales a restaurant must report to maintain its alcoholic beverage permit.

Additionally, deadlines for the calculation of local taxes were also extended by the executive order.

Click here to see the executive order: https://www.in.gov/gov/2384.htm