The citizens of Vanderburgh County are fortunate to have Marsha Abell serving as County Commissioner and Tom Shetler, Jim Raben and Pete Swaim serving on the County Council.The good news is, all of them have decided to seek re-election to another term. Republicans currently hold a majority on both the County Commissioner Board and the County Council. The current officeholders have done a good job and as Chairman of the Vanderburgh County Republican Party, I fully endorse their  re-election to these very important positions.
In 2014, the Evansville Police Department Merit Commission will hold regular meetings on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month, beginning at 2:00pm. The meetings will be held in the Personnel and Training Conference Room, Room 129 of the Civic Center Complex.  Under I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1, meetings will begin with a closed Executive Session and then will be open to the public, following the close of the Executive Session.
You will be notified at least 48 hours in advance of any changes to this schedule throughout the year.
Any questions regarding the Police Merit Commission meetings or schedule should be directed to Sgt. Doug Schneider, Liaison to the Police Merit Commission at 812.436.4950 or dschneider@evansvillepolice.com.
 STATEHOUSE (Jan. 3, 2014) — State Sen. Vaneta Becker (R-Evansville) invites students in grades six through 12 to serve as Senate pages during the Indiana General Assembly’s 2014 legislative session.
The Indiana Senate Page Program is now accepting applications for student pages, offering an up-close, behind-the-scenes look at the General Assembly. During the one-day program, participants tour the Statehouse, meet and interact with their senator and watch debates in the Senate Chamber.
“Participating in our democracy is one of our most important duties as citizens, and the page program is a chance for young Hoosiers to get involved in their state government,†Becker said. “Senate pages will learn about how laws are made in Indiana and see the legislative process in action. It’s a great opportunity for students of all ages.â€
The program runs from January to early March, and students may serve as pages on Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays. Space is limited, so applicants should submit their materials as soon as possible.
Students can apply online at www.indianasenaterepublicans.com/page-program or send a letter to their senator. Letters can be addressed to Sen. Vaneta Becker, c/o Indiana Senate, State of Indiana, 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204. All requests must include:
Orientation for pages begins at 8:30 a.m., and pages are dismissed at 3:30 p.m. Students will take a break for lunch prior to the Senate floor session at 1:30 p.m. This is considered an excused absence from school. For more information about the page program, call 800-382-9467.
The below information is being forwarded as a courtesy on behalf of the Joint Information Center in Indianapolis as part of the continued monitoring of the winter storm.
INDIANAPOLIS – Motorists are strongly encouraged to take steps to avoid getting stuck when crashes or snow drifts close Hoosier roads. With snow falling at a rate of an inch or more per hour, to be followed by blowing and drifting snow, your vehicle may not be able to move once the road is reopened. If it is safe to do so, drivers are urged to turn around or find an alternate route to the closest safe shelter.
The Indiana Department of Transportation has a full deployment of yellow trucks plowing and treating the interstates, U.S. highways and state routes in the hardest hit portions of Indiana. While the trucks are effective in plowing accumulating and drifting snow, drivers need to do their part to keep the roads open so the plow trucks can do their job. INDOT’s trucks cannot plow through parked or stopped vehicles.
Governor Mike Pence has activated 24 Highway Assistance Teams with the Indiana National Guard, consisting of 96 individuals, to rescue stranded motorists and assist local EMS in reaching individuals who need medical attention. Each team has four individuals and two vehicles.
Drivers are strongly encouraged to not put themselves, local emergency medical services, the National Guard or other public safety professionals in harm’s way. Please listen to and follow county travel advisories to stay off the roads, both during the storm and during the blowing and drifting predicted to follow the storm.
The Indiana State Police and other law enforcement agencies encourage the public to keep phone lines open for emergencies. Road conditions are available at http://indot.carsprogram.org/ or by dialing toll-free 800-261-ROAD (7623). For up-to-date county travel statuses, Hoosiers are encouraged to visit http://www.in.gov/dhs/traveladvisory/.
FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE INDIANA STATE POLICE ON THE WINTER STORM, visit our webpagehttp://www.in.gov/isp/3096.htm. This page reads and flows like a blog page. This will continue to be updated for the duration of the storm over the next few days.
IS IT TRUE we would like to congratulate Holli Sullivan for being elected to District 78 State Representive seat at yesterday GOP caucus?  …she has big political shoes to fill in such a short time and we urge people of her district be patience with her while she learn the “in and outs” of being an effective State Representative? …yesterday GOP caucus went off very well and all candidates competing for this position handled themselves in a  positive manner? …we hope Representative Sullivan will forward her press releases to the CCO so we can inform our readers about her political activities while in Indy?  …we all have high hopes that she will become an effective leader and wish her well?
Congressman Larry Bucshon (IN-08) will hold Office Hours in his Evansville District Office on Monday, January 6, 2014.
What:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Evansville Office Hours
When:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Monday, January 6, 2014 from 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM CST
Where:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 101 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 124, Evansville, IN 47708
Note:Â Â Appointments will be scheduled in 15 minute increments on a first come, first served basis and can be arranged by calling Erin Pugh at (812) 232-0523.
If you are reading this, chances are you have recently received my 2014 legislative survey in the mail. This is something we do each year prior to the start of the legislative session and allows you to express your hopes for the new year. This is important because as your state representative for District 75 I am here to do just that: represent your voice.
Our caucus’ legislative agenda for this session will be announced soon by House Speaker Brian Bosma. He will discuss what we plan to accomplish this year as he alluded to in his Organization Day speech in November. Last year, our primary goals were to maintain Indiana’s fiscal integrity, bridge the skills gap and improve our state’s education system. After such a successful 2013, I think everyone is eager to get back to work and build on all of those accomplishments.
On my survey, I have made a concerted effort to seek your opinions on a wide variety of topics that are likely to be discussed. These are topics that I feel will have a direct impact on our community and state and have very important implications.
These issues include such questions as whether or not pseudoephedrine should be made available only by prescription, whether or not a driver’s license, registration and insurance should be required of people who operate scooters on public roadways as well as whether or not Indiana should allow the carry-out sale of alcohol on Sundays.
The General Assembly will also discuss the marriage amendment and whether the proposed constitutional amendment should be sent to the public as a referendum. The amendment would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
This will be an issue in which many people have very strong opinions both for and against it. Because I believe this is such an important matter for our state, I particularly hope that you will reach out to me in regards to your opinion on this issue. Throughout the legislative session, I will always be available and eager to hear your opinions. However, filling out this survey in a timely manner is the best way to ensure that your opinions reach me prior to a vote taking place on any of these issues.
If you would prefer to fill out the survey online, please visit  http://www.in.gov/surveytool/public/survey.php?name=h75_L14_Bacon or visit my website. Please only fill out the survey once, either by mailing it in or by filling it out online. In addition to simply providing a yes or no answer to the questions, there is also a supplemental space in whichyou can further elaborate on your previous responses, or even share your opinions on an issue that was not listed.
My hope is that my mailbox will soon be packed full of survey responses. In my opinion, this is one of the most instrumental elements of the legislative process. I know that we all have many other things which demand our time, but I hope that you will take a few short moments to complete the survey and share your ideas on how to make Indiana the best state possible! Thank you in advance for your participation!
Other financial investments were made in roads and infrastructure at the state and local level with additional funds – $215M per year – being allocated to help with construction and maintenance. All of this was completed, while also staying true to our conservative principles of having a balanced budget with healthy reserves and no tax increases.
All of the policies put forth only lay the foundation for our state and its economic prosperity; it’s the people that make Indiana the best place to live, work and raise a family. Hoosiers are the hardest working, most down to earth, humble people, and I feel honored to represent you all in Indianapolis.
In addition to the many fiscal achievements that were enacted last session, three of the bills I authored were sent to the governor and became law: School Corporations Capital Projects Act, SWAT Team Readiness Act and Blue Alert Notification Act.
The first law allows schools corporations to use money in their respective capital projects funds to pay the costs of utilities and insurance through the 2015 calendar year. The state previously only allowed schools to transfer their capital project funds until the 2013 calendar year, so this two year extension was put into place to provide greater financial flexibility for school systems.
SWAT team personnel now have the authority to act and use their training to save lives during emergency situations. Previous law did not give SWAT members legal authority to act in dire situations, instead they had to wait for EMTs to arrive on the scene. My legislation remedied that situation, enabling trained SWAT personnel to step in and help wounded victims.
Lastly, I worked to create the ‘Blue Alert’ notification system that will be run by the Indiana State Police Department. This new Blue Alert program is relatively similar in concept to the Amber and Silver Alerts. Blue Alerts will be used to inform the public when a law enforcement officer has been killed, seriously injured or becomes missing in the line of duty. It will also help notify a local community of a potentially dangerous situation. The alert will also provide peace of mind for the men and women who serve and to their families.
I’m grateful to serve in my capacity and spearhead the issues I mentioned. Good public policy stems from vocal communities. I encourage everyone to stay involved and connected to the happenings in our community, so we can make a positive impact for the entire state. Let’s keep the dialogue going – I can be reached via email at h76@in.gov or by phone at (317) 232-9671.
