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Lawmakers Act on Needle Exchange And Teacher Licensing Bills
Staff Report
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—The 2020 session of the Indiana General Assembly is heading into its final weeks as bills dealing with needle exchange programs and teacher licensing were among those that advanced Wednesday. They include:
House Bill 1182:Â Creates committees to review overdoses and suicides and extends a syringe exchange program.
What it does: HB 1182, authored by Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, would create a suicide and overdose fatality review team to review certain suicide and overdose fatalities. The review team would be allowed to make recommendations concerning the prevention of suicide and overdose fatalities. It would also extend Indiana’s syringe exchange program for another year. It also changes wording within current law that Clere said creates stigma related to HIV and other diseases.
What happened: HB 1182 passed the Senate Health and Provider Services committee with an 11-0 vote.
What’s next: The bill now advances to the full Senate for action.
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Senate Bill 319: Affects teachers’ professional licensing process
What it does:Â SB 319 makes changes to legislation passed last year to address career and technical education when lawmakers required educators to get 15 hours of practical work experience outside of school to renew their license. The bill changes the 15 professional growth experience points teachers must earn from required to optional. It also amends the language and lists other ways to meet the requirement.
What happened:Â An amended version of SB 319 passed the House Education Committee with a 12-1 vote with Rep. Dale DeVon, R-Granger, voting no. An amendment proposed by Rep. Edward DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, more closely align SB 319 with language in a House bill was approved before the vote.
What’s next: The bill advances to the full House for action.
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HB 1341: Students with disabilities
What it does: HB 1341 makes the state advisory council on the education of children with disabilities responsible for developing a plan before Oct. 1, 2020 for special education students who left high school without a diploma. The goal is to provide the students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and to learn about employment and vocational training opportunities.
What happened: The Senate Education and Career Development approved the bill 9-0 after hearing testimony from seven people in favor of it. The common theme was that the bill gives former students with disabilities the opportunity to receive their high school diploma with the newer resources that schools have to offer.
What’s next: HB 1341 will head to the full Senate for action.
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House Bill 1002: Teacher evaluations
What it does: Removes the requirement that a school corporation’s annual training evaluation must be partly based on their student’s achievements.
What happened: The bill passed the Senate Education and Career Development Committee by an 8-0 vote.
What’s next: HB 1002 will head to the Senate.
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Senate Bill 146: Sexual assault victims’ rights
What it does: SB 146 allows victims of sexual assault to have an advocate present before the forensic exam, collection of evidence, the analysis and during an ongoing investigation.
What happened: The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee passed SB 146 by a 10-0 vote after hearing from witnesses who said that having an advocate present could help a sexual assault victim through the experience. Sen. Blake Doriot, R-Syracuse, introduced the bill, and told the committee his mother had been sexually assault. Samantha McCoy of Bedford, an assault victim, testified that an advocate would have helped her with the trauma she experienced. The bill was changed slightly by an amendment which changed the wording from sexual assault counselor to advocate.
What’s next: The bill will move to the House for further action.
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Senate Bill 216: Disclosure of personal information to offender
What it does: SB 216 would no longer allows a person in prison, county jail, detention facility, or in a community corrections program to have access to public records of personal information of a correctional officer, law enforcement officer, judge, victim or their family.
What happened: Sen. Jack Sandlin, R-Indianapolis, introduced the bill and said it was brought to his attention by a local sheriff’s office. The bill passed the House Courts and Criminal Code by 9-0 vote.
What’s next: The bill moves to the House for further action.
Lacey Watt and Haley Carney contributed to this report. They are reporters for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Similar Bills To Raise Smoking Age Head To House And Senate For Action
By Victoria Ratliff
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Lawmakers are on a path to raise the smoking and vaping age from 18 to 21 after separate House and Senate committees advanced their version of anti-tobacco legislation Wednesday.
Both House Bill 1006, authored by Rep. Cindy Kirchhofer, R-Beech Grove, and Senate Bill 1, authored by Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, passed unanimously in committees Wednesday, undergoing minor changes to the language.
Both bills raise the smoking and vaping age from 18 to 21 and provide penalties for youths who use the products and retailers who sell to underage buyers. They also provide penalties for individuals who buy cigarettes or vapes for underage youth.
There was no testimony or SB 1 in the House Public Health Committee, but HB 1006 saw support in the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee from a majority of those who testified.
Kevin Brinegar, president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, said Indiana’s smoking rate is 50% above the national average, and this bill will save Indiana businesses millions of dollars.
“It’s estimated that smoking costs employers in Indiana $6.2 billion a year,†he said. “In addition to whatever leave, vacation time they give employees, a smoker will take the equivalent of three weeks off a year in smoke breaks.â€
A critique of  HB 1006 came from Bryan Hannon, the Indiana government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. Under the bill, anyone under 21 could face up to a $500 fine if caught and Hannon said that amount is too high.
“What we don’t want to happen is that we overburden kids, addicted kids, and especially their families,†he said.
But Mason Odle, vice president of the Indiana Smoke-Free Alliance, said the possible fines teens would be subjected to aren’t enough.
“The penalties are set as a deterrent to the individual,†he said. “A large penalty will certainly make parents take note a little bit more of what’s going on with their children.â€
Odle also said while youth shouldn’t be using either cigarettes or vaping products, vaping products shouldn’t be as vilified as they are.
“While I agree increasing the age from 18-21 is a significant step in the right direction, helping those millions of Hoosiers that are smoking finding a better path to quitting combustible cigarettes is in the best interest of all of us,†he said.
But the vaping industry has been under assault. On Tuesday, the Indiana Attorney General’s office announced that it is joining 39 other states to investigate Juul Labs, a company that produces vapes and flavored vape cartridges.
The coalition will be investigating the company’s marketing and sales that target youth nicotine users, the attorney general’s office said in a press release. The release also said while smoking rates among youth have gone down, vaping among youth has skyrocketed.
HB 1006 will head to the Senate for debate while SB 1 heads to the House for action.
FOOTNOTE: Victoria Ratliff is a reporter with TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Three USI Alumni Ramp Up For 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials
Three of University of Southern Indiana’s alumni are set to compete in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta, Georgia this Saturday Feb. 29.
The competitors are Jamie Adkins ’16, Julia Kohnen ’15 and Tyler Pence ’15.
Adkins was an All-American for USI track & field in the 10,000 meters when she finished 12th at the 2016 NCAA II Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 36 minutes, 36.54 seconds to close out her senior year as a Screaming Eagle. In December 2019, Adkins narrowly got her OTQ (Olympic Trial Qualifier) at the California International Marathon with a time of 2:44:48 which snuck underneath the OTQ ‘B’ Standard (sub-2:45:00) placing 70th out of 3259 female participants.
Kohnen obtained All-America honors in cross country and track & field and was named All-GLVC as USI soccer player as well. In cross country, Kohnen earned her accolade for finishing 11th at the 2015 NCAA II Championships with a six-kilometer time of 21:33.70. Kohnen then finished fifth (16:47.61) and runner-up (34:45.08) at the 2015 NCAA II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, respectively. Kohnen first received her OTQ ‘B’ standard first in the 2017 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:39:11. Then, she followed it up by grabbing an OTQ ‘A’ standard (Sub-2:37:00) en route to being named the 2019 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon champion with a time of 2:31:29. Kohnen’s Twin Cities Marathon time made her the 24th fastest woman in the 2020 Olympic Trials field.
Pence, the current head coach for both the cross country/track & field teams for University of Illinois-Springfield is the most decorated runner in USI history. Â He was a two-time national champion in track, winning the indoor 5,000m and outdoor 10,000m as a junior. He accumulated nine All-American awards across both cross country and track & field during his time as a Screaming Eagle. Pence received his OTQ ‘B’ standard (sub-2:19:00), like Adkins, at the 2019 California International Marathon with a time of 2:15:36.
The trials field is composed of 778 total runners (513 women, 265 men) with the top three finishers from each race representing the United States in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games.
The U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials air live on NBC, NBCSports.com/live and the NBC Sports app on Saturday from Atlanta. Coverage runs from 11:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M. (CST) with the men’s race slated to start at 11:08 A.M. (CST) followed by the women’s at 11:20 A.M. (CST).
Methodist Health In Henderson Raises Safety Rating Reference
HENDERSON, Ky. – After Methodist Health scored an F on last spring’s national Leapfrog hospital safety ratings, the Henderson facility has raised that grade to a C in the fall 2019 report.
Linda E. White, the new CEO of Methodist Health, said in a statement to The Gleaner that the new ranking is progress.
“This improved rating comes after implementing many safety and quality improvements at Methodist and complements our outstanding October 2019 survey results from The Joint Commission. We will continue striving to achieve high scores in everything we do. We are here to provide the very best care for our patients as we collaborate with Deaconess on quality and clinical standards.â€
Methodist Hospital, as it was formerly known, entered into an affiliation with Deaconess Health System of Evansville in late September of 2018.
White, former CEO and president of Deaconess took over as Methodist CEO in early October of this year after serving on the hospital’s board for a year.
At the time she became CEO at Methodist, in an interview with The Gleaner, White promised positive changes would come in the area of safety.
The last Leapfrog report “unfortunately was at a time when the electronic medical records had not been fully implemented at Methodist. And a lot of the quality scores related directly to the implementation and use of a comprehensive electronic medical record system. That is now behind us. That happened in June of 2019. So many, many improvements have been made as it relates to that quality score. And more data will be released later in the fall and into the winter of 2019. So stay tuned for that,” she said at the time.
What Did The New Leapfrog Report Say?
The Leapfrog Group provides a “consumer-friendly letter grade system evaluating more than 2,600 hospitals on how well they keep patients safe from harm.”
You can learn much more detailed and explanatory information about each ranked section by visiting www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/. Meanwhile, some of the “below average” and “above average” findings from the fall 2019 report concerning Methodist Health were:
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Below Average
MRSA INFECTION:Â Methodist’s score was 1.957, while the best hospital’s score was 0.000. The average hospital’s score was 0.840 and the worst hospital’s score was 3.265.
C. DIFF INFECTION:Â Methodist’s score was 0.829, while the best hospital’s score was 0.000. The average hospital’s score was 0.691 and the worst hospital’s score was 1.953.
INFECTION IN THE BLOOD:Â Methodist’s score was 1.833, while the best hospital’s score was 0.000. The average hospital’s score was 0.726 and the worst hospital’s score was 2.952.
SERIOUS BREAKING PROBLEM:Â Methodist’s score was 10.41, while the best hospital’s score was 1.83. The average hospital’s score was 7.65 and the worst hospital’s score was 16.32.
DANGEROUS BED SORES:Â Methodist’s score was 0.88, while the best hospital’s score was 0.03. The average hospital’s score was 0.49 and the worst hospital’s score was 2.35.
PATIENT FALLS AND INJURIES:Â Methodist’s score was 0.781, while the best hospital’s score was 0.000. The average hospital’s score was 0.436 and the worst hospital’s score was 1.625.
RESPONSIVENESS OF HOSPITAL STAFF:Â Methodist’s score was 81, while the best hospital’s score was 95. The average hospital’s score was 84.34 and the worst hospital’s score was 64.
Above Average
ENOUGH QUALIFIED NURSES:Â Methodist’s score was 120.00, while the best hospital’s score was 120.00. The average hospital’s score was 117.20 and the worst hospital’s score was 0.00.
INFECTION IN THE URINARY TRACT:Â Methodist’s score was 0.000, while the best hospital’s score was 0.000. The average hospital’s score was 0.791 and the worst hospital’s score was 2.849.
DANGEROUS OBJECT LEFT IN PATIENT’S BODY:Â Methodist’s score was 0.000, while the best hospital’s score was 0.000. The average hospital’s score was 0.018 and the worst hospital’s score was 0.360.
COLLAPSED LUNG:Â Methodist’s score was 0.25, while the best hospital’s score was 0.12. The average hospital’s score was 0.27 and the worst hospital’s score was 0.47.
DANGEROUS BLOOD CLOT:Â Methodist’s score was 3.71, while the best hospital’s score was 1.54. The average hospital’s score was 3.83Â and the worst hospital’s score was 7.24.
ACCIDENTAL CUTS AND TEARS:Â Methodist’s score was 1.18, while the best hospital’s score was 0.36. The average hospital’s score was 1.29 and the worst hospital’s score was 2.40.
EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP TO PREVENT ERRORS:Â Methodist’s score was 120.00, while the best hospital’s score was 120.00. The average hospital’s score was 117.20 and the worst hospital’s score was 0.00.
TRACK AND REDUCE RISK TO PATIENTS:Â Methodist’s score was 100.00, while the best hospital’s score was 100.00. The average hospital’s score was 97.05Â and the worst hospital’s score was 0.00.
Other Regional Hospital Scores
- St. Vincent (formerly St. Mary’s) in Evansville: B
- Deaconess Midtown in Evansville: A
- Deaconess Gateway in Newburgh: B
- Owensboro Health: B
- Baptist Health Madisonville: C
- Jewish Hospital in Louisville: F
- Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital in Louisville: D
- Norton Women’s & Children Hospital in Louisville: A
- Baptist Health Louisville: C
- Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville: A
- University of Louisville Hospital: D
- Medical Center at Bowling Green: C
- Greenview Regional in Bowling Green: B
- Baptist Health Lexington: A
- University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital: D
- UK Good Samaritan Hospital: D
- Baptist Health Paducah: B
- Mercy Health Lourdes in Paducah: B
More:Â New Methodist Health CEO Linda White focusing on people, purpose
Newton Sets Career Scoring Mark At UNI
Aces Fall In Final Road Game Of The Season
University of Evansville sophomore Jawaun Newton scored a career-high 13 points to lead the Purple Acers in an 84-64 loss to UNI on Wednesday inside the McLeod Center.
Newton hit six of his ten attempts on the night for UE (9-21, 0-17 MVC). Evan Kuhlman also recorded 13 points. He knocked down three triples. Sam Cunliffe chipped in nine points. Newton was the leading rebounder for Evansville, posting five caroms.
“I think that this group has been very in tune and have picked up things as easy as any group I have been around,†Aces head coach Todd Lickliter said. “We have not been able to spend as much time on our own team when we are taking on the type of Valley teams we play in each game. UNI makes you pay for any mistakes you make; they are such a well-balanced team.â€
“They have a great balance, every time we clawed back into the game, they made a big play.â€
A 6-for-7 start saw UNI (24-5, 13-4 MVC) take a 14-8 lead five minutes into the contest. After missing their initial 3-pointer of the game, the Panthers hit two in a row. Evansville fought back with four in a row including a three-point play by Jawaun Newton. K.J. Riley led a comeback that saw Evansville tie the score at 19-19. His 3-pointer cut the deficit to one before a pair of free throws tied the game with just under 12 minutes left in the first half.
UNI countered with a 7-0 stretch while holding the Aces scoreless for over three minutes. Shamar Givance put UE back on the board with a layup. Trailing by nine with 6:11 on the clock, Evansville picked up back-to-back triples courtesy of Sam Cunliffe and Evan Kuhlman to get back within six at 37-31, but the Panthers controlled the remainder of the half.
A 9-2 run sent UNI to the half with a game-high 46-33 lead. They shot 64% in the first half while controlling the free throw line, hitting nine out of 11 tries. Newton paced the Aces with nine tallies in the opening half, hitting four of his five shots.
A basket on their initial possession of the second half pushed the Panther lead to 15 before DeAndre Williams got the Aces on the board with his first triple since his return from injury. His triple was part of a 13-4 run that got Evansville within two possessions at 52-46 with 15 minutes remaining. Kuhlman drained consecutive triples in the rally.
The hot-shooting Panther squad kept the pressure on, extending their lead back to double figures – 58-48 – at the 12-minute mark. What turned into a 10-0 run gave the Panthers their largest lead of 64-48 with the second half reaching its midway point. Two Givance free throws ended the run; Evansville missed six field goals in a row while turning it over once. UNI hit four out of five shots on the way to the 16-point lead.
Over the final moments, the Panthers led by as many as 23 points before wrapping up the evening with the 84-64 victory. AJ Green was one of five double-figure scorers for UNI, scoring 21. Trae Berhow added 16. UNI had a 30-21 rebounding edge on the night while shooting 62.7%. UE shot 43.4%.
Senior Day is set for Saturday’s regular-season finale. UE welcomes Illinois State to the Ford Center for a 1 p.m. game with senior K.J. Riley being recognized at his final home contest.
Holcomb, McCormick, and Mitchell Encourage Students to Apply to Governor’s STEM Team
Gov. Eric. J. Holcomb, Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick and Treasurer of State Kelly Mitchell invite Indiana high school students to apply for the 2020 Governor’s STEM Team (#GovSTEMteam). Gov. Holcomb developed the competition in 2017 to highlight Indiana’s elite high school students for their work in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
“We know that a firm foundation in STEM provides Indiana’s students with a tremendous advantage,†Gov. Holcomb said. “Students who demonstrate excellence in science, technology, engineering, and math deserve to be celebrated for their hard work and achievements, and I’m excited to share their talents with our entire state.â€
The program honors four outstanding high school students for their exemplary performance in one of the STEM subjects. Winning students each receive a $1,000 college scholarship from Indiana’s College Choice 529 Direct Savings plan, administered by Treasurer Mitchell, and letterman jackets identifying them as members of the Governor’s STEM Team.
The submission period for the competition opens today, and applications and nominations may be submitted online at the following link: https://secure.in.gov/apps/govstemawards/. The deadline for nominations is 11:59 p.m. ET on March 27, 2020.
“Engaging students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics prepares them for life beyond high school,†said Dr. McCormick. “I am excited for the submissions we will receive and look forward to recognizing our students’ creativity and passion for STEM.â€
“It is a joy to team up with the Governor’s office to celebrate the achievements of so many talented Hoosier students,†said Treasurer Mitchell. “We are honored to be able to award them with a CollegeChoice529 scholarship.â€
The Governor’s STEM Team builds on Indiana’s Mr. and Ms. Math and Science awards, which were created by Gov. Mitch Daniels in 2008. The Governor’s STEM Team program will honor the top high school students in STEM classes as well as extracurricular activities, work/research projects, leadership roles, and community service.
Winners will be announced at a Statehouse ceremony in May.
Aditi Deeg, Chief Financial Officer Will Serve As The 2020 Executive In Residence For The University of Southern Indiana’s Romain College of Business
Aditi Deeg, a chief financial officer will serve as the 2020 Executive in Residence for the University of Southern Indiana’s Romain College of Business. Her presentation, “The New Non-Profit Paradigm,†will be presented at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 19, in Carter Hall. The event is free and open to the public. She will present her personal story and career development through both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Her focus will be on leadership and financially rewarding career opportunities in the nonprofit sector.
charity: water is a non-profit organization that has impacted more than 10 million lives in developing countries by providing clean and safe drinking water. charity: water has funded water programs in 28 countries around the world – Africa, Asia, South, and Central America. Deeg was the chief operating and financial officer of the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc., a network of 140,000 women volunteer civic leaders in four countries empowered to create community change.
In her current role, Deeg is responsible for being a financial strategist and partner to the executive team to ensure the long term viability of the organization.  At AJLI, she also led fund development, human resources, and IT departments and oversaw the day-to-day leadership and general management of the organization.
Deeg serves as a Managing Partner and Board Member of Healthtech Women, a global non-profit organization that empowers female executives in healthcare to lead and educate the community about innovation impacting the healthcare ecosystem.
Previously Deeg held the position of the chief financial officer at a mobile healthcare company, and chief financial officer and senior controller positions at large investment management firms.
Deeg received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine and currently participates in various executive leadership programs.
The Romain College of Business’ Executive-in-Residence program provides valuable insights into the business world through the experiences of business executives.