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Rep. Messer Authors Bill Modeled After IU Program to Reduce Student Loan Debt

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WASHINGTON (Thursday, March 9, 2017) — Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06) today introduced legislation modeled after an Indiana University program to help reduce student loan debt.

 

Messer’s bill, the Letter of Estimated Annual Debt for Students (LEADS) Act, would require higher education institutions that accept federal aid to send an annual letter to every student estimating their total loan debt and future monthly payments.

“Student loan debt has tripled over the last two decades, handcuffing our young people as they try to make it in today’s economy,” Messer said. “Often, students don’t realize the true burden of their debt. We want to empower students with information so they can make better-informed decisions about their education, finances and future.”

 

According to a 2014 Brookings Institute study, about half of all first-year undergraduate students in the U.S. seriously underestimate how much student debt they have. Worse yet, 14 percent of students who have student loans think that they do not have any student debt at all.

 

The LEADS Act, H.R. 1429, is modeled after a program started at IU to better educate students about their loans and prevent over-borrowing.

 

In 2012, IU began sending annual letters to every student estimating their total loan debt and future monthly payments. Four years later, officials at the University reported undergraduate borrowing had dropped 23 percent.

 

Inspired by the results of the program, the Indiana General Assembly enacted bipartisan legislation in 2015 that required all colleges that accept state aid to send similar letters.

 

“Through an extensive financial literacy program, a focus in financial aid on student loan debt and more incentives to get students to graduate on-time, Indiana University has reduced student loan debt by over $100 million over the past four years,” said Jim Kennedy Associate Vice President for University Student Services and Systems at IU. “The annual student loan debt letter implemented by IU has played a major role in overall student awareness about student loans and responsible borrowing, and we are proud that it is serving as a model for other institutions committed to ensuring the affordability and accessibility of quality higher education.”

 

The LEADS Act is among the policy recommendations supported by the Republican Policy Committee’s Millennial Task Force, a group dedicated to empowering millennials through sensible policies, limited government, and free market opportunities.  Learn more about the Millennial Task Force’s policy recommendations and view the Task Force’s Millennial Report here.

 

Messer is chair of the Republican Policy Committee and co-chair of the Millennial Task Force.

 

Indiana Divers Earn Two More Spots at NCAA Championships

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The Indiana University men’s and women’s diving teams finished the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships by earning two more spots at the NCAA Championships at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center in Bloomington, Ind.

In the women’s platform dive, two-time Big Ten and 2015 NCAA champion in the event Jessica Parratto won, posting a score of 627.60 to qualify for the event at next week’s NCAA Championships.

The redshirt sophomore had a great showing at the NCAA Zone C Championships, placing first in the platform, second in the 3-meter and third in the 1-meter dives.

Also for IU, Michal Bower will dive in the 1-meter and 3-meter events at the NCAA’s.

In the men’s platform dive, James Connor clinched a berth to the event at the NCAA Championships, placing seventh with a score of 688.60. Connor will dive all three events for the Hoosiers at NCAA’s.

Cody Coldren just missed qualifying for all three events at the NCAA Championships, placing eighth with a total of 658.90. Michael Hixon finished 13th with a score of 639.35, missing out by one spot for qualifying in the event at the NCAA Championships.

Next up for the Indiana University swimming and diving teams will be the NCAA Championships at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind. The women’s championship runs from March 15-18, while the men’s takes place from March 22-25.

Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men’s swimming and diving team on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Men’s Platform Dive

  1. James Connor – 688.60
  2. Cody Coldren – 658.90
  3. Michael Hixon – 639.35

Women’s Platform Dive

  1. Jessica Parratto – 627.60

 

Statehouse Build by Wendy McNamara

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Indiana lawmakers teamed up with Habitat for Humanity this week for the first-ever home build on Statehouse grounds.

After a successful fundraising effort and new and used tool drive, agroup of 160 volunteers worked together to construct the walls of a home on behalf of a Hoosier family. The wall panels were then transported to a home site in Indianapolis. Once fully completed, the home will be about 1,200 sq. ft. with three bedrooms and one full bath.

Participating in the fundraiser and then working as a team for a deserving Hoosier family was a way to come together in a bipartisan effort on behalf of a hardworking family. The project truly represented Hoosier compassion in action.

In Indiana, Habitat serves 75 counties and builds more than 210 homes across the state each year. They are able to do this with the help of volunteers who contribute thousands of hours to reduce home-building costs. Habitat home recipients must demonstrate their ability to pay a mortgage and manage their finances, then they contribute sweat equity hours and attend homebuyer education classes. Habitat offers a zero percent interest mortgage and owners must also pay relevant taxes and utilities.

To get involved and learn more about Habitat for Humanity, click here.

Indiana Trainer Suspended For 15 Years For Severely Abusing Horse

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The Indiana Horse Racing Commission (IHRC) has suspended trainer Bobby Brower for 15 years and was fined $40,000 after he was accused of severely beating a horse at an area training facility.

According to a report in the Herald Bulletin, the racing commission issued a default judgment after Brower’s attorney, Pete Sacopulos, failed to request a trial before the 20-day deadline required by the IHRC. Sacopulos argued however, that Brower should have a chance to defend himself in court because of the seriousness of the allegations.

The sentence stems from an incident that occurred in August 2016 at Pace Setter Farm in Anderson. Brower is accused of beating B ABland so severely that the horse collapsed from exhaustion. The complaint alleges that Brower continued to whip, kick, and beat the horse after it collapsed.

Brower, who did not attend the hearing, said after the incident occurred that the charges were “overblown.”

 “The incident has really been blown out of proportion,” Brower said at the time. “We trained him that day, and he slipped and fell on the wet pavement.” Brower said that the horse got up, but then fell again. At that point, Brower and people helping him began to “jump and stomp around the horse in an effort to prompt it to get up.”

In over 20 years of training, Brower has had at least 44 rulings against him, including six for “indiscriminate use of whip.”

“As I read the history of this person, I am not upset this will be a career-ending decision,” Commissioner Susie Lightle said prior to the ruling.

 

USI-KWC Softball DH moved to March 29

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EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Due to the chilly temperatures in the forecast this week, the University of Southern Indiana Softball doubleheader against Kentucky Wesleyan College Wednesday has been postponed to March 29.

The No. 16 Screaming Eagles and the Panthers will play begin their March 29 doubleheader at 6 p.m. at the USI Softball Field.

USI (17-3), which has won nine straight games, turns its attention to its Great Lakes Valley Conference-opener against William Jewell College next Saturday at the USI Softball Field. First pitch for the doubleheader is slated for noon.

 

Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation will meet

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The Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation will meet in executive session at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 13, 2017, in the John H. Schroeder Conference Centre at the EVSC Administration Building, 951 Walnut, IN 47713, Evansville, IN. The session will be conducted according to Senate Enrolled Act 313, Section 1, I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1, as amended. The purpose of the meeting is for discussion of collective bargaining, (2)(A); initiation of litigation or litigation that is either pending or has been threatened specifically in writing, (2)(B); purchase or lease of property, (2)(D); and job performance evaluation of individual employees, (9).

The regular meeting of the School Board will follow at 5:30 p.m. in the EVSC Board Room, same address.

No. 17 Michigan earns 11-2 win over UE softball

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 Aces have one more game in Lexington

 LEXINGTON, Ky. – A 6-run first inning pushed #17 Michigan to an 11-2 victory over the University of Evansville softball team on Saturday afternoon in the John Cropp Classic hosted by the University of Kentucky.

The Wolverines (13-6-1) got off to the quick start with six first-inning runs before adding to it with five more runs in the next three frames to clinch the win.

Evansville got on the board in the top of the second inning as Brittany Hay led off with a double to lift.  With two outs, Bailee Bostic came to the plate and hit the first home run of her career to get the Aces on the board.

Michigan responded with singles runs in the bottom of the half of the second and third before posting three in the fourth.  Kelly Christner was a perfect 3-3 with three runs scored for the Wolverines while Katie Alexander was 2-3 with 2 RBI and a pair of runs scored.

Making the start for the Purple Aces was Emily Lockhart.  She gave up eight runs, seven earned, in three innings.  Samantha Fleming went 2/3 of an inning while Ashleigh Downing tossed a scoreless 1/3.  Megan Betsa earned the win for Michigan, going the full five innings.

On Sunday at 10 a.m. ET, Evansville takes on Drexel in their final contest in Lexington.

 

Police Merit Commission Agenda

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EVANSVILLE POLICE MERIT COMMISSION

MEETING AGENDA

Monday, March 13, 2017

2:00 p.m.  Room 307, Civic Center Complex

  1. EXECUTIVE SESSION:
  1. An executive session and a closed hearing will be held prior to the open session.
  1. The executive session and hearing are closed as provided by:
  1. I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(5): To receive information about and interview prospective employees.
  2. I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(6)(A): With respect to any individual over whom the governing body has jurisdiction to receive information concerning the individual’s alleged misconduct.
  3. I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(9): To discuss a job performance evaluation of individual employees.  This subdivision does not apply to a discussion of the salary, compensation, or benefits of employees during a budget process.
  1. OPEN SESSION:
  1. CALL TO ORDER
  1. ACKNOWLEDGE GUESTS
  1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
    1. February 23, 2017 (Hegeman, Cook, and Scott)
  1. APPROVAL OF CLAIMS:
  1. APPLICANT REVIEW:
    1. 16-032
    2. 16-066
    3. 16-109
  1. PENDING DISCIPLINARY MATTERS: Personnel Order 16-PO-27:  Officer Marcus Craig, Badge Number 1250 – 21 day suspension, with a further recommendation that the Merit Commission consider termination.  Appeal hearing to be set at later date pending disability hearing per motion at February 21st meeting.
  1. OLD BUSINESS.  Resolution of Personnel Order 16-PO-34.
  1. REMINDERS:  The next meeting will by Monday, March 27, 2017 with the Executive Session beginning at 2:00pm.

 

  1. ADJOURNMENT

Last second shot ends Eagles season

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The 16th-ranked and third-seeded University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team bowed out of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional after 25th-ranked and sixth-seeded University of Findlay hit a bucket with six seconds left to win 70-69, Saturday afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky. USI ends its season with a 25-5 overall mark, while Findlay advances with a 24-6.

The Screaming Eagles came out of the gate cold and slow as the Oilers built a 14-point lead through the first 15 minutes of the game, 24-10. USI could not buy a bucket for six minutes of the half and was shooting under 20 percent as the deficit grew before erupting on a comeback in the final five minutes of the opening half.

The Eagles exploded on a 12-0 run that culminated in cutting the Oiler lead to two points by the intermission, 24-22, when sophomore guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana) hit a pair of free throws with 35 seconds left before halftime.

In the second half, senior guard Bobo Drummond (Peoria, Illinois) took over the game for USI. Drummond, who would score 26 points in the final 20 minutes of his career, propelled the Eagles to an 11-point lead, 47-36, when he hit a three-point bomb with 11:58 left in the game.

Findlay would fight back to with a 19-8 run to tie the game 55-55 with 6:17 left in the contest. In the sprint to the finish, the game would be tied six times and the lead would change hands seven times before the Oilers got the final bucket for the 70-69 win.

The game was a tail of two halves for the Eagles. USI rebounded to shoot 56.3 percent in the final 20 minutes (18-32) after shooting 21.9 percent (7-32) in the first half. The Eagles also outrebounded the Oilers, 44-36, for the game.

Individually, Drummond led the Eagles in scoring with a career-high 31 points. The senior guard was 12-of-20 from the field, six-of-13 from beyond the arc, and one-of-three from the line. Stein followed Drummond in the scoring column with 11 points and a team-best nine assists.

The Eagles finish the season with 25 wins for the 15th time in the history of the program and with their 26th appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

COA Denies Rehearing In Lake Michigan Public Trust Case

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COA Denies Rehearing In Lake Michigan Public Trust Case

Dave Stafford for www.theindianalawyer.com

The Indiana Court of Appeals won’t rehear its Dec. 7 decision finding that the public trust doctrine controls the shore of Lake Michigan between the ordinary high- and low-water marks, allowing people to walk the shore.

The court in an order issued Thursday denying multiple petitions for rehearing by parties and amici on both sides of the private property versus public trust lawsuit, Don H. Gunderson, et al. v. State of Indiana, et al., 46A03-1508-PL-1116.

The Gundersons sought a declaratory judgment that their private property rights along Lake Michigan in Long Beach extended to the water’s edge, wherever that point was at any given time. The state and several friends of the court argued the state held in public trust all land on the shore up to the ordinary high-water mark.

Parties are likely to petition for transfer to the Indiana Supreme Court. The case also is likely to set precedent establishing a line in the sandbetween public access and private property rights to the Indiana shore of Lake Michigan.

LaPorte Superior Judge Richard R. Stalbrink set the private property boundary at the ordinary high water mark established by an elevation in the Indiana Administrative Code. The COA reversed in part, holding the northern boundary of the Gundersons’ property is the ordinary low-water mark, subject to the public’s rights as part of the public trust.

Amicus parties aligned with the Gunderson in the case include Save Our Shoreline. Those joining the case on the side of the state include Alliance for the Great Lakes, Save the Dunes and Long Beach Community Alliance.

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