Legislation authored by O’Brien to strengthen economic ties with Ireland, support trade passes Senate
STATEHOUSE (April 1, 2025) – Legislation authored by State Rep. Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville) to strengthen economic ties and support trade between Indiana and Ireland recently passed the Indiana Senate.
House Enrolled Act 1489 would create an Indiana-Ireland trade commission aimed at advancing bilateral trade and investment between the state and Ireland.
“Indiana has long had strong cultural and economic ties to Ireland and establishing an Indiana-Ireland trade commission would strengthen that foundation,” O’Brien said. “This commission could open doors for new business opportunities, encourage investment and bolster our state’s position on the global stage. I’m proud to author this bill and see it pass the legislature this session.”
In 2023, Indiana imported more than $20 billion worth of goods from Ireland, making the country Indiana’s largest importing partner. In Indiana there are 52 Irish-based companies located in 24 counties.
O’Brien said the commission would be selected by the governor and Statehouse leadership. It would include 13 members from the General Assembly, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, a higher education institution and communities representing Irish Americans.
House Enrolled Act 1489 passed the Senate and was supported by former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and Mark Daly, a member of the Ireland Senate.
UE Music Conservatory to Present Concert at St. Benedict Cathedral
EVANSVILLE, IND. (04/01/2025) The University of Evansville (UE) Music Conservatory is pleased to announce “Eternal Light,” a choral concert to be held on Tuesday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. CDT at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville.
The concert will showcase the University Choir, UE Choral Society, and a guest choir from First Presbyterian Church in Evansville. The program includes Maurice Durufle’s “Requiem, Op. 9,” as well as works by English composers Thomas Tallis and Charles Wood, and American composer Morten Lauridsen. A highlight of the evening will be the world premiere of “Remembered Light,” a new composition by award-winning American composer William Averitt, commissioned specifically for the UE University Choir.
The concert will also highlight the talents of organist Robert Nicholls, adjunct instructor of organ at UE and Music Director at First Presbyterian Church in Evansville. Nicholls will perform on St. Benedict Cathedral’s pipe organ, constructed by Parsons Pipe Organ Builders of Canandaigua, New York, which plays a prominent role in Durufle’s “Requiem.” Alanna Keenan, Associate Professor of Music, will also be a featured soloist. UE Director of Choral Activities and Oramay Cluthe Eades Distinguished Professor of Music, Dennis Malfatti, will conduct the concert
This collaboration between UE’s Music Conservatory and St. Benedict Cathedral offers a unique opportunity for the community to experience profound choral works in a sacred setting. The public is welcome to attend this free event and immerse themselves in an evening of reflective and inspiring music.
Mayor to Launch 2026 Budget Process with Public Forum
Mayor Stephanie Terry is inviting residents to have a say in shaping the 2026 city budget at a Community Budget Forum on Tuesday, April 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the Browning Room at EVPL Central Library.
The program will begin with a short presentation from Mayor Terry and City Controller Robert Gunter about the budget process, including explanations of where city funds come from and the way city officials make decisions about how to allocate those funds.
Attendees then will break into groups for moderated discussions about their own priorities for funding in the 2026 city budget.
“When my administration went through our first budget process last year, I saw that public input often comes too late—after the full budget is presented to City Council,” said Mayor Terry. “We want to change that by creating opportunities for real dialogue early in the process. A transparent budget builds trust, and the best way to serve our residents is by listening to them.”
Mayor Terry emphasized that community engagement is key to responsible budgeting. “Taxpayer dollars should reflect community needs,” she said. “This forum ensures residents have a direct role in shaping how we invest in our city’s future.”
Mayor Terry and her team will bring the information gathered at the Budget Forum into the city budgeting process, which will begin in May with meetings between Mayor Terry, Controller Gunter, and individual department heads across the city.
Members of the public can find more information on the city’s 2025 budget at tinyurl.com/EVVBudget.
Bill offering expungements to reformed renters takes aim at the ‘eviction epidemic’
- According to the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, “There are 814,438 renter households in Indiana, paying a typical rent of $1,044 per month. If a landlord chooses to file an eviction, they need to provide their tenants with at least ten days notice (in some cases more) and pay a $100 filing fee on average to the courts.”
Photo by Chait Goli: https://www.pexels.com/photo/building-and-garden-scenery-2083844/
On Monday morning, the Indiana House Judiciary Committee passed a bill that looks to reform eviction filings in the state. The bill saw support in committee from multiple organizations that work directly with eviction cases.
In February, the StatehouseFile.com traveled to the Wayne Township Small Claims Court on the west side of Indianapolis to get a look at Indiana’s “eviction epidemic.” There we saw firsthand the sheer scale of the issue. The court in Wayne Township deals with up to 400 eviction cases a day.
SB 142 as written would “require the court to order an expungement in a qualifying eviction case and allow the court to issue the order without a hearing. Permits an expungement in an eviction case if a money judgment related to the eviction action is entered by the court against the tenant and the tenant has satisfied the money judgment.”
According to those who testified, this bill seems to be a continuation of a 2022 bill that allowed for the expungement or “sealing” of an eviction on someone’s record upon request of the court. The 2025 legislation would make these expungements automatic instead of a tenant having to go through a process to have their record expunged.
One of the advocates who showed support for the bill was David Pruitt, director of the Eviction Clinic at Notre Dame Law School. He brought a team of legal students who work for the eviction clinic and who all voiced their support for the bill and how it would positively affect Hoosiers.
“Many counties around the state won’t seal a case even when a judgment has been satisfied, and I think this bill would improve upon that situation,” said Pruitt.
Robert Simcurl, one of the legal students who works for the Notre Dame Eviction Clinic, testified to how harsh the burden of an eviction can be on someone.
“What I have seen is dockets full of dismissals but cases that haven’t been sealed. As a result, tenants are having to pay more than the market rate for mortgages or for housing elsewhere during a period in their lifetime where they’re looking for housing and they only have two weeks to find it,” said Simcurl.
The bill’s author, Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, hinted at the bill needing minor fixing in its specific wording, but it looks poised to reach Gov. Mike Braun’s desk. It passed the Senate unanimously in January and passed the House committee 10-1. It is now on its way to the House Chamber for second reading.
Schyler Altherr is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news site powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Spring Yard Waste Service Starts April 1, Ends May 3
Spring Yard Waste Service Starts April 1, Ends May 3
EWSU City residential customers will have a few extra days this year to take advantage of the annual spring yard waste service. From April 1 through May 3, eligible households can get rid of unlimited bags and containers of yard waste at no extra charge. Yard waste includes grass clippings, hedge and tree trimmings, weeds, vines, and garden plants. Large tree branches and tree trunks are not allowed.
Here’s How the Program Works
- Republic Services, the contractor for the City’s trash and recycling services, will pick up unlimited bags, containers, or bundles of yard waste on the customers’ regular trash collection day.
- Yard waste must be properly contained in plastic bags or tied in bundles no more than 4 feet long and 2 feet in diameter weighing less than 50 pounds, or loose in containers weighing less than 50 pounds.
- Yard waste must be placed next to the City-issued trash cart.
- No special bags are required. The yard waste will be taken to the landfill.
What is Allowed and Who is Eligible
- Spring Yard Waste Service is for organic yard waste like leaves, grass clippings, hedge and tree trimmings, garden plants and garden trimmings.
- Spring Yard Waste Service is available to City residents who pay for trash service with their EWSU water and sewer bill. Apartment complexes, mobile home communities, businesses, commercial customers and County residents are not eligible.
Republic Services will accept extra yard waste placed curbside next to the City-issued trash cart only during the annual Spring Yard Waste Service period, at no extra cost. Yard waste placed inside the City trash cart is accepted throughout the year.
Prisoners have no constitutional right to sex-change surgeries, Attorney General Todd Rokita tells court
Attorney General Rokita co-leads 24-state brief supporting Trump executive order
Federal and state authorities are operating well within the boundaries of the U.S. Constitution when they deny inmates’ requests for sex-change surgeries or hormone treatments, Attorney General Todd Rokita told a U.S. district court this week.
“Across the country, medical professionals and policymakers are engaged in intense dialogue over how to address surging cases of gender dysphoria,” Attorney General Rokita said. “The Constitution leaves policy choices about best medical practices to politically accountable policymakers.”
Attorney General Rokita is co-leading with Idaho a 24-state amicus brief defending an executive order by President Trump setting new guidelines affecting federal inmates claiming to experience gender dysphoria.
The order — titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” — prohibits inmates in federal prisons and immigration detention centers from obtaining taxpayer-funded sex-change procedures and requires biological males to be housed in men’s correctional facilities.
On behalf of several transgender inmates, the American Civil Liberties Union and Transgender Law Center have sued the Trump administration. They claim the executive order constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment” in violation of the Eighth Amendment.
“Nothing in the Eighth Amendment’s text or history allows prisoners to demand whatever medical interventions they desire,” Attorney General Rokita said.
Attorney General Rokita is also continuing a legal battle in Indiana to defend the state’s own ban on using taxpayer funds to provide sex-change surgeries to prisoners. A federal judge has ordered that state officials must accommodate a convicted baby-killer’s desire to obtain such procedures in order to assume the identity of a woman.
“Hoosiers Deserve Best-in-Class Customer Service” — Governor Braun Signs Executive Orders to Modernize BMV, Streamline Permitting in Transportation
“Customer service was always my top priority when I was building my business, and it’s my top priority for Hoosiers as well.”
INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Mike Braun today signed two executive orders to improve customer service for Hoosiers: one modernizing technology at the BMV to better serve Hoosiers, and another to streamline the permitting process in Indiana’s transportation network.
Executive Order 25-41: Maintaining Best-in-Class Customer Service and Ensuring Prudent Use of Taxpayer Funds by Establishing a 5-Year Strategy for Digital and Technological Advancement of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The BMV’s System Tracking and Record Support (STARS) software system was first implemented in 2004 for a total implementation cost of around $50 million. STARS is now twenty years old and nearing the end of its expected lifespan, costing around $10 million to operate and maintain annually.
Digital technology has come a long way since 2004. It’s time for the BMV to take advantage of these advances to better serve Hoosiers.
This executive order authorizes the Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure to develop a comprehensive strategy for digital and technological enhancement and advancement of the BMV, specifically to modernize the BMV’s digital and technological systems such as STARS.
“Customer service was always my top priority when I was building my business, and it’s my top priority for Hoosiers as well. Governor Mitch Daniels revolutionized the BMV twenty years ago, and the time has now come to build on that progress with a new modernization effort. The BMV is the one place where nearly everyone interacts with their state government, and these modernization solutions will allow the BMV to deliver the best-in-class customer service Hoosiers deserve.” – Governor Mike Braun
Executive Order 25-42: Maintaining Best-in-Class Customer Service and Ensuring Prudent Use of Taxpayer Funds by Reforming Permitting Along Indiana’s Transportation Network
While INDOT has earned national acclaim for maintaining one of the most efficient and resilient infrastructure networks in the country, currently the right-of-way and permitting operations system lacks consistent standards and efficiency across various offices, which can result in delays, confusion, and frustration for applicants.
This executive order authorizes the Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure to oversee a comprehensive review of INDOT’s permitting processes, establish uniform statewide standards, modernize the Electronic Permit System, and make all regulatory requirements necessary to obtain a permit clearly visible on the INDOT website.
“The Crossroads of America has to be the gold standard for transportation permitting, and that means clarity, predictability, and best-in-class customer service. This new permitting modernization effort led by the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure will streamline the process with uniform statewide standards, an improved Electronic Permit System, and clear regulatory requirements available to all applicants.” – Governor Mike Braun
UE men complete Butler Spring Invitational
Aces finish in 7th place
INDIANAPOLIS – Posting his third round at 1-over-par, Andres Rodriguez led the University of Evansville men’s golf team to a tie for 7th place at the Butler Spring Invitational at Highland Country Club.
Rodriguez completed all three rounds with a 71. His total of 213 for the tournament saw him finish in a tie for 18th place. Finishing second on the team and tied for 34th overall was Daniil Romashkin. Matching Rodriguez’ score of 71 in the third round, Romashkin’s final tally was a 216.
Next up was Omar Khalid. Carding a 2-over 72, Khalid matched his low round of the weekend, which he also accomplished in the opening round. His final score of 219 tied him for 52nd. Julian Kiessling wrapped up the tournament with a 222. On Tuesday, he registered a 74 on the way to a tie for 68th. Masatoyo Kato was fifth for the Purple Aces. Posting a 74 on Tuesday, he matched his low score of the weekend. His 3-round score checked in at 226.
Jamison Ousley tied for 52nd playing as an individual. Ousley recorded his low round of the tournament on Tuesday, posting a 2-over 72.
Butler took the team championship by 11 strokes over DePaul. Loyola came in third place and finished 23 strokes off the lead. Evansville came home in a tie for 7th, wrapping up the event at 25-over. Leo Zurovac from Butler was the medalist with a score of 206.
On Saturday, the Aces are back in action at the Hoosier Collegiate in Bloomington, Ind.
USI College of Liberal Arts to host second annual Summer Academy for local high school students
The University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts will host the second annual Summer Academy Monday through Friday, June 2-6. The Academy includes classes in poetry, psychology, art and design, geology, leadership development, film and many others to introduce high schoolers to the world of the liberal arts.
Students can create a short film, make a ceramic bowl, learn to be a community leader, get psyched about psychology, write haikus and much more during this week of fun and learning. “We want to provide a fun and meaningful enrichment opportunity for young people who are thinking about their future and exploring college,” said Dr. Del Doughty, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
Registration is $150 for the week and includes activities, materials, food and drinks. Children of USI faculty and staff will receive a $25 discount on registration, and full scholarships are available to all participants based upon need. Drop off will be 8 to 8:30 a.m., and pick up will be 2 to 2:30 p.m. at the McCutchan Art Center/Pace Galleries, located in the lower level of the Liberal Arts Center.