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Dr. Bucshon Votes to Restore 40 Hour Workweek

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(WASHINGTON, DC) – Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. voted for H.R. 30, the Save American Workers (SAW) Act, which passed the House of Representatives Thursday. This bipartisan bill returns the American work week to forty hours from the Affordable Care Act’s definition of full-time employment as thirty hours per week. This commonsense change will help low- and middle-class Hoosiers maintain the hours and wages they depend on and will eliminate an unnecessary tax burden on small businesses.

Dr. Bucshon released the following statement after H.R. 30 passed the House:

“The Save American Workers Act puts an end to the Affordable Care Act’s arbitrary and destructive 30-hour work week rule that has forced full-time employees to take part-time work,” said Bucshon. “I’ve heard from school corporations, local municipalities, and hourly wage earners throughout the Eighth District that this law is costing Hoosiers the wages they rely on to support their family, invest in their community, and save for the future. I’ve always said that this law is fundamentally flawed and cannot be fixed.  However, we need to take action now, where we have the opportunity, to protect the American people from its harmful effects while we work to implement real, patient-centered reforms that ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable care. I want to thank Rep. Todd Young for his dedication and leadership on this issue on behalf of Indiana and our country. I’m proud to again support this bipartisan, commonsense effort to give hardworking employees a fair shot.” 

 

Sponsored by Representatives Todd Young (R-IN) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL), H.R. 30 originally passed the House in April of 2014 with Dr. Bucshon as a cosponsor but did not move forward in the Senate. The SAW Act will now return to the Senate and may be considered in the new Congress.

 

The bill passed with a bipartisan vote of 252 to 172.  More information on the bill can be found here.

2015 Legislative Session Begins

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Indiana senators returned to the Statehouse this week to begin the 2015 legislative session.

The next four months will be busy and productive as members of the General Assembly carefully craft a state budget to fund essential services for the next two years.

Indiana is recognized nationwide as a model of responsible budgeting. We are a state that keeps taxes low and spends within our means, focusing on areas that benefit Hoosiers like public education and road maintenance.

In addition to crafting the state budget, my colleagues and I will be examining and voting on a wide-variety of legislative proposals.

To help Hoosiers stay informed and engaged, committee hearings and session meetings can be watched online by visiting www.in.gov/legislative. Event calendars, meeting agendas, vote tallies and proposed legislation can also be found on this site.

By law, the 2015 legislative session must be completed no later than April 29.

JUDGE RICHARD G. D’AMOUR ELECTED CHIEF JUDGE OF VANDERBURGH SUPERIOR COURT

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Superior Court Judge Richard G. D’Amour has been selected by his fellow judges to serve as Chief Judge of the Vanderburgh Superior Courts. As Chief Judge, he will be responsible for the administrative operations of the court system in addition to his regular judicial responsibilities.

D’Amour was a practicing attorney in Evansville for 24 years before his appointment as a Superior Court Magistrate in 2005. He was elected to his current judicial position in 2011.

D’Amour currently serves in the criminal, civil and domestic relations divisions of Superior Court.

D’Amour is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University-Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

CNBC’s ‘American Greed’ puts focus on Conour as appeal proceeds

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Dave Stafford for www.theindianalawyer.com

The CNBC program “American Greed,” which bills itself as a “shocking true crime series (that) examines the dark side of the American Dream,” has taped an episode profiling former Indianapolis lawyer and convicted fraudster William Conour.

An airdate for the program has not been announced, but the network confirmed that the former leading personal-injury attorney who stole approximately $6.5 million  from more than 30 clients is being profiled in an upcoming show.

“Mr. Conour’s story is a perfect fit for ‘American Greed,’” said CNBC Executive Producer Charles Schaeffer. “He relied on his status and ability as a lawyer to be seen as a trusted friend when in reality he was a fierce predator and it cost his clients millions of dollars.”

Conour is appealing his 10-year federal wire fraud sentence before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The government on Dec. 31 responded to Conour’s appeal brief  and agreed that special conditions imposed on Conour after he serves his sentence should be modified, but the conditions largely should stay in place.

In response to Conour’s appeal petition, the U.S. Attorney agreed that a special release condition permitting suspicionless searches of Conour and his property should be vacated in light of 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rulings on that condition after Conour was sentenced in October 2013.

Likewise, the government’s appeal brief asserts that a condition that Conour not consume “excessive” amounts of alcohol should be restated to simply say he should consume no alcohol upon release, because he was diagnosed as an alcoholic and sought treatment. This also conforms with 7th Circuit holdings that the term is ambiguous.

Otherwise, the government says the conditions placed on Conour are just and that the 7th Circuit should affirm the sentence imposed by Chief Judge Richard Young of the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

ITS OFFICIAL: Riecken Mayoral Announcement Speech. January 10, 2015

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The speech posted below was given by State Representative Gail Riecken to an excited and overflow crowd of close to 400 people at the C W Newson Center today. The total makeup up of the people attending this event should send a strong signal to the Mayor that he is ready to experience the biggest  political battle of his career.  Mrs. Riecken is attempting to become the first female Mayor in Evansville 202 year history.

Good morning,  my friends. Thank you for coming out on this cold morning to share in my excitement.

Today I formally announce my candidacy for Mayor of the City of Evansville.

Let me take a few minutes to share with you why I want to be your mayor.  And then I would like to talk with you about Leadership and what it means to our city and what my Vision is for the future of Evansville.

As a volunteer, in my work experiences and during the time I’ve spent representing District 77 at the Statehouse, I’ve addressed issues that affect us locally and many that are important statewide.

With the skills I’ve gained, I will as Mayor, work to improve the quality of life in our great city.

Whether it is addressing the needs of the most vulnerable in our community, our elderly and our children,or whether it is making sure our families are safe and secure in their homes, or whether it is supporting our neighborhood leaders who are fighting crime and vacant and abandoned houses, and trash and debris in the yards and on the streets,  I will work with you to find solutions.  We can do better.

We must develop an environment where young people feel hope for a bright future here in Evansville,  and where there are jobs and good paying jobs.

It is no secret that we have not been successful in Indiana nor in Evansville training Hoosiers for the jobs available now or in the future – it shows in the statistics. Just this past week Morton Marcus wrote in the Courier Press:

In 2014 personal income in the U.S. was up 3.9 percent; in Indiana, up just 3.1%.

Indiana’s median household income is considerably less than the national average,  and we, in Evansville, are over $3,000 less per household than the state average.

What this says is that the supposed record setting growth in Indiana reported by the state administration has, in reality, placed Hoosiers 44th out of 50 states in income growth.

Frankly, too many families in Evansville struggle to afford the basic necessities of housing, child care, food, and health care.  We can do better.

Transportation to and from our work places continues to be a challenge for those of us who don’t own cars.

Many of the roads we all drive on in Evansville are in bad shape.

Simply put, we have neglected the basic services and the basic needs of our citizens.

And again I say, WE CAN do better.

What about leadership?

Leadership requires a demonstration of the discipline to choose what is needed over what is wanted – and to do so in a tax structure that we all can afford. But that is not where it stops.  Leadership also requires planning for these needs and implementing these plans within fiscal constraints.  It’s about getting the job done and doing it responsibly.

The city’s current executive leadership has drifted from one project to another apparently without the benefit of a cohesive plan and while clearly ignoring the city’s fiscal constraints.  It is no wonder that our city’s public credit card is nearly maxed out while major infrastructure projects languish.

But this doesn’t need to be the direction we take.  I offer new leadership, leadership that understands the concepts of planning, vetting these plans and implementing these plans.

I support the IU Medical School and the Downtown Hotel,  and will provide the leadership that is needed to make these projects successful.

Too many failed starts, incomplete and false information given to you and me, only confirms the need for clear and confident leadership.

I have the Vision to move the city forward and not continue the downward slide into mediocrity.

·        Imagine a city that encourages our best and brightest to stay and develop new businesses;

·        Imagine a city with a renewed industrial job base; and

·        Imagine a city where business and education leaders develop innovative programs that prepare our young people for the jobs of the future.

·        Imagine a city where all of our neighborhoods are safe and where we all can once again say: “Evansville is a great place to raise our kids!”  And,

·        Imagine Evansville where there is transparency, where we all feel a part of a bigger plan and can all work together in unity and focus on our goals!

Yes, we can do better!

This is MY VISION for Evansville and I know it is YOUR vision as well!

I can’t promise that I know all the answers. But what I can promise is that I will gather together the best ideas and the brightest people to find the answers for us in Evansville. My pledge to you is that I will work to make this vision a reality!

When elected Mayor of the City of Evansville, I will lead our city to a new era of prosperity in a transparent, inclusive and fiscally sound way.  And, I will do it with your help and the help of all the citizens of Evansville.

I humbly ask for your support as we begin a new and vibrant chapter in the history of this great city. Our first step begins today. Together we can move forward.

Because ……We can do better!

Governor’s Recommended Budget Prioritizes Education

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Indianapolis – Chris Atkins, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, today presented Governor Pence’s recommended budget for Fiscal Years (FY) 2016 and 2017 before the State Budget Committee.

The Governor’s budget is honestly balanced, holds the line on spending, maintains reserves, funds the administration’s priorities, and incurs no new debt. It’s two-year average increase in spending, 1.34 percent, is well below inflation, which is 2.06 percent over a ten-year average.

“This is an education budget,” said the Governor. “It puts Hoosiers first, continues Indiana on a pathway to prosperity, and funds our priority of expanding educational opportunities for all our kids, from pre-K and K-12 to higher education and into the adult workforce.”

The Governor’s budget increases K-12 funding by 2.0 percent, or $134 million, in FY 2016 and 1.0 percent, or $67 million, in FY 2017. It includes provisions to pay good teachers more by adding 10 percent more funding for Teacher Performance Grants each year, for a total of $63 million for the biennium. It provides for equity in education funding by allocating an additional $1,500 per pupil grant for charter schools, designates $10 million each year of the biennium for the new pre-K pilot program, increases funding by $20 million per year for career and technical education efforts through the Indiana Works Councils, and adds $7 million in each of the next two years for Adult High Schools.

In addition, the budget helps to serve those in need across the state, including $11 million per year to fund the State Adoption Subsidy program at the Department of Child Services, full funding for the Medicaid forecast, and a total of $8 million to enhance awareness and provide critical prenatal care services to at-risk mothers as part of the State’s effort to reduce the infant mortality rate.

The budget also builds on the administration’s focus on jobs and economic development through $84 million over the biennium to support the Regional Cities initiative and $100 million in FY 2016 and $200 million in FY 2017 for the Major Moves 2020 fund. And, in preparation for the state’s upcoming bicentennial celebration in 2016, the budget provides $25 million for the construction of a new State Archives building and $25 million for the new Bicentennial Inn at Potato Creek State Park, the first new state park inn since Spring Mill Inn was built in 1939.

The Governor’s recommended budget can be found here: http://www.in.gov/sba/2651.htm, and highlights from the Governor’s budget can be found attached.

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.

EPD Activity Report January 10, 2015

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SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.

HABLA SE WHAT? By Jim Redwine

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Gavel Gamut

By Jim Redwine

(Week of 12 January 2015)

HABLA SE WHAT?

During the Vietnam War I served my country in the United States Air Force. As the other branches sometimes say, being in the Air Force is almost like being in the military. I respond, well, I went where they sent me and did what they told me. Was it my fault they sent me to Indiana University and told me to learn Hungarian? That’s right, Hungarian. Hey, if you’ve been in the service you understand. I guess I should be grateful they didn’t want me to learn something useless, such as Vietnamese.

However, the reason I bring up the Air Force is that’s where I met Joe Smith who was from Florida. I had never been to Florida nor known any Floridians. On a map of the United States it looked to me like Florida was a southern state. So I asked Joe, “Why don’t you have a southern drawl?” Heck, my southwestern speech patterns learned in Oklahoma sounded more like Gone With the Wind than Joe’s. He sounded like he was from Ohio.

Joe said, “Florida is not a southern state.”

“Well, is it an eastern state?” I asked.

“No, it is just Florida.”

That was fifty years ago, before every New Yorker who could migrated south and every Cuban who could migrated north. Today Floridians do not speak just some odd variety of Italian, Yiddish or Spanish, Floridians speak Floridian. Ohio has been ousted.

While there are a few people who aren’t old in Florida, most Floridians speak not only some weird language of melded or elided vowels, they also speak old person.

Old person must be spoken loudly and at the same time others are speaking. A typical Florida conversation at the retirement condominium complex where Peg and I are spending two weeks includes references to the Great Depression and the way that Obama fellow plans to steal from social security so he can pay for health care for lazy bums who won’t work. Doesn’t he know we need those social security checks to keep our swimming pool open and pay illegal aliens to mow the grass?

Another staple of old person speak is the requirement that no matter what the first old person says, the second old person must correct it. For example, one might hear, “Cigarettes cost twenty cents a pack during the war (WW II)!”, then a retort of, “They cost nineteen cents and you needed a ration coupon!”

“A ration coupon! Those were for tires and sugar, not tobacco!”

Or perhaps someone might refer to the distance from the retirement complex to the nearest Winn Dixie grocery store: “It’s a mile and a quarter to Winn Dixie!”

“Nope, it’s exactly a mile and three eights!”

Such conversations seem to occur quite often between old married couples, each of whom knows exactly what occurred fifty years ago. Unfortunately, each person’s memory of the event is just slightly different and, for some reason, converting one’s partner to one’s own version is worth hours of loud debate.

As for me, I will settle for knowing I am right and Peg is wrong about the important issue of how often I had to stop for “gas” on the way to Florida. It was not six times as she asserts, but only five. So, there!

 

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.

 Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, January 08, 2015

Jovante McGinnis           Battery Against a Public Safety Official-Level 6 Felonies (Two Counts)

Tyler Johnson         Burglary-Level 5 Felony

Theft-Level 6 Felony

For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Kyle Phernetton at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at kphernetton@vanderburghgov.org

Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law

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