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Federal judge blocks implementation of state abortion law

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By Lesley Weidenbener
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – A federal judge has blocked enforcement of a state law that imposes new restrictions on drug-induced abortions.

Lawmakers and anti-abortion activists joined Gov. Mike Pence in May as he signed a bill to put new regulations on clinics that administer abortion-inducing drugs. Photo provided by the governor's office.

Lawmakers and anti-abortion activists joined Gov. Mike Pence in May as he signed a bill to put new regulations on clinics that administer abortion-inducing drugs. A federal judge has blocked implementation of the law.  Photo provided by the governor’s office.

The decision from U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson means that a Planned Parenthood clinic in Lafayette can continue – for now – to provide the abortions even though it does not meet the physical requirements of surgical clinics.

Magnus-Stinson issued a preliminary injunction, saying that Planned Parenthood – which sued to stop the new requirements – is likely to prevail with its argument that the law violates its equal protection rights. That’s because the law doesn’t impose similar requirements on physician’s offices that use abortion-inducing drugs.

However, the judge ruled against other arguments Planned Parenthood had used to try to block the law.

“This new law reflects the policy judgment of Indiana legislators elected by our citizens,” said Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller. “The court’s decision faulting the law for treating nonsurgical abortion clinics different from physicians’ offices must be thoroughly reviewed.

“Because of the narrow ruling, we will consult with our clients and decide how next to proceed in the case,” Zoeller said.

The law requires facilities that offer non-surgical abortions to meet the same licensing standards as those facilities that perform surgical abortions, including being equipped with separate procedure, recovery and scrub rooms. It exempts physician’s offices.

“The additional restrictions in this law are in no way related to patient safety,” Betty Cockrum, president of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, said in August when the group sued to stop the law.

Non-surgical abortions involve the patient taking a pill with a physician present. The process – also called a medical abortion – has been used in the United States for more than 10 years. In Indiana, the Planned Parenthood location in Lafayette is the only clinic that offers the drug-induced abortions but not surgical procedures.

Supporters argued that clinics that offer abortion-inducing drugs should be equipped to deal with medical emergencies if they arise.

Indiana Right to Life President Mike Fichter called the court ruling a “temporary setback.”

“We believe this action proves once again that Planned Parenthood holds little regard for the health and welfare of its clients,” Fichter said. “Planned Parenthood simply does not want to cut into its profit margin by doing the renovations required by Indiana law.”

Fichter said he is “confident the state of Indiana will ultimately prevail.”

The Republican-controlled General Assembly approved the new requirements last spring and Gov. Mike Pence signed them into law.

Last year, 8,808 abortions were performed in Indiana. According to the Indiana State Department of Health, about 20 percent of them were done using abortion-inducing drugs. The number of those medical abortions increased by 7.8 percent from 2011.

IS IT TRUE November 29, 2013

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Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics
Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics

IS IT TRUE November 29, 2013

IS IT TRUE that the power brokers of the City of Evansville could be a little miffed about the vibrant West Franklin Street association and all the activities that take place without the involvement of city government?…sicking the sign dogs over those street signs is a bit over the top and is yet another example of selective enforcement in open practice as ordered by local government?…The Arts Council of Southwest Indiana frequently puts one of these signs outside of its Innovation Pointe base retail outlet?…we guess they must have invested in one of the permits that cost nearly$400 per merchant per year?….we wonder if the coffers of the sign taxers are being filled by other downtown Evansville businesses like Piece of Cake that routinely uses sidewalk story boards to advertise their daily offerings?….they really have had some great activities on West Franklin Street that seem to be the envy of the sign police who take their orders from the “downtown Evansville is Evansville” crowd in the Civic Center?…maybe they should do a little PR and invite Mayor Winnecke across the Pigeon Creek to light the Christmas tree next year?

IS IT TRUE that one Downtown business operator who has been vocal in his efforts to start a merchants’ association was sent a message that it wouldn’t happen without the involvement of DMD, GAGE or the Chamber of Commerce? … this job creating business man just laughed at the thought of being forced to use these groups whose job it is to help merchants to actually do so?…this man has a very colorful description of how the message was delivered?…he hated to see the holiday parade and other activities off-loaded by GAGE and immediately moved out of the downtown area?…while we understand that there needs to be some rules with regard to signage the idea that government has the audacity to use the Area Planning Commission to extract  fines and fee permits from businesses is totally unexceptable…we expect and encourage the Evansville City Council to come out against such tactics and continue their leadership role in injecting sanity into the day to day governance of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that today is Black Friday and across America people are poised to fight with each other over plastic trinkets to give to their relatives to celebrate the Christmas season?…some stores jumped the gun and were filled with shoppers yesterday to gain a slight edge on other Christmas shoppers?…this happened on Thanksgiving, a day that we have historically reflected on the bounty of the past year and basked in the love of family and friends to come together for a feast?…we guess this is progress but do prefer the old ways of all family and no shopping on Thanksgiving Day?…even President Obama was in marketing mode in trying to co-op Thanksgiving to get people to discuss the reasons to sign up for ObamaCare?…Sunday is the day that the website is supposed to work and we suspect its burden will be low because during the Wednesday news dump the small business mandate was delayed until after next year’s elections?…the website will also get an easy workout Sunday because the administration is actually encouraging people to stay away?…this is a far cry from the claims of “working like Amazon” that were coming from the White House at the October 1st debut before the fiasco of technical incompetence was exposed?…it is now 10:15 am CST and today Amazon in a mere 10 hours has already successfully handled more customers than the federal exchanges have in 60 days?…we shall see how things go for the Einstein’s in the Obama Administration come Sunday?…the odds are quite low that things will work this time?

EPD Activity Report: November 28, 2013

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EPD PATCH 2012

EPD Activity Report: November 28, 2013

Annual Jail Inspection Report

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Sheriff Eric Williams

While the report indicates that there are some deficiencies when it comes to routine staffing levels and that the facility has been over its rated capacity on a regular basis, the overall report is very positive.

The Department of Corrections Jail Division inspects all jails in Indiana on an annual basis. The inspections are very thorough and review the vast majority of the standards set for jails in Indiana. The inspection report is required to be provided to the County Courts, County Commission and the County Prosecutor, which it has. Additionally, it is regularly provided to many other stakeholders in the local criminal justice system.

One of the county sheriff’s main responsibilities in Indiana is the operation of the county jail. The annual inspection by the Department of Corrections is a very important annual assessment by which the county and the sheriff are graded. This year, the inspection report included the statement, “excellent operation and should be used as a model for other facilities”.

Sheriff Eric Williams said, “Having the jail inspector say we are model facility for others to emulate is very rewarding. It speaks volumes about the manner in which the facility is operating and more importantly, the quality of the professionals working in the jail. While there are some weaknesses, the staff works hard and assures the continual safe and secure operation. I am very proud of the Sheriff’s Office team.”

A copy of the inspection report can be found at http://goo.gl/7EeRm8

Pet Of The Week

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Jaina web small

This gorgeous girl is 8 years young. Don’t you even think about that “O” word – cats can live for twenty-plus years sometimes, and so she’s not even halfway through her lifespan! Her previous family was moving and could no longer keep her. They only had her for 2 years and got her from another shelter, so Jaina has never really had a truly permanent home. Won’t you give her one in time for Christmas? She promises to bring warmth to your house in this bitter cold. Her adoption fee is $30, and she is already spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated, ready to go home TODAY!

EPD Activity Report: November 27, 2013

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EPD PATCH 2012

EPD Activity Report: November 27, 2013

Remaining thankful and giving back

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The McNamara Memo
Your one stop shop for Statehouse news and community info         11.26.2013
Have a question about new laws in Indiana? Tweet it @INHouseGOP and include #McMemo


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Remaining thankful and giving back
The history of Thanksgiving celebrations has been traced back as far as 1621 when Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared their harvests in November. It was in our nation’s first days that we recognized the simple importance of being thankful for what we have and sharing it with others. The importance of family values and civility remained and led to President Lincoln to proclaim a national Thanksgiving Day during the Civil War in 1863.Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because of all the history surrounding its celebration, but most importantly, it is about enjoying quality time with my family.

Unfortunately, the holiday season is not the same for every Hoosier, especially those in need of basic amenities. The holiday season can serve as a reminder of the struggles to make ends meet. Thankfully, there are numerous non-profit organizations that strive to make this time of year memorable for every Hoosier and their family. Volunteering your time at a soup kitchen, collecting or giving cans for food drives or even donating money to these organizations can go a long way to brighten someone’s holiday season.

The Mount Vernon Food Pantry and the Tri-State Food Bank are great organizations that are dedicated to serving Hoosiers every day, especially on Thanksgiving. These organizations do a great job of meeting our region’s needs, but they could always use more volunteers willing to donate food, time or money.

The Mt. Vernon Food Pantry serves any resident or transient working within Posey County.  They are a free outreach that provides a 2-3 day emergency supply of food to households in the county. They are open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00a.m. to 12:00p.m., and every Friday from 3:00p.m. to 6:00p.m. To volunteer, contact them at (812) 838­-3841 or by email at myfoodpantry@yahoo.com.

The Tri-State Food Bank has a very unique program running called Weekend Back Pack – Food for Kids. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 39,973 children in the tri-state area live in poverty. Many kids rely on the school lunch program through the week, and do not have adequate food for the weekend. Through this program the Tri-State Food Bank provides over 2,300 kids each week with nutritious meals for the weekend. You can donate food or sponsor a backpack. Call 812­-425­-0775 or visitwww.tristatefoodbank.org for directions.

Another way to help out someone in need is by volunteering or donating to the homeless shelter of Mount Vernon, Inc.  In any given year, approximately 60 families request housing at the shelter, and the waiting list is continuing to grow. Some items you can donate are pillows, dishes, bed linens and towels. Call Phyllis Alspaugh at (812) 204­-2762 for drop off instructions.

I encourage everyone to find a way to spend a little time helping those in need this holiday season. Even the smallest of gestures can go a long way to make a significant difference in someone else’s life. Enjoy spending quality time with friends and family this holiday season, this is truly what makes this time of year so special.

IS IT TRUE Thanksgiving 2013

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A Tasty Thanksgiving Turkey
A Tasty Thanksgiving Turkey

IS IT TRUE Thanksgiving 2013

IS IT TRUE we wish all of our readers a Happy Thanksgiving weekend?

IS IT TRUE we are thankful for another year of growth in internet traffic with no red hot elections driving the growth?

IS IT TRUE we are thankful that all of the members of the CCO staff and their families have survived another year in good health?

IS IT TRUE we are thankful for the stop in the declining economy and are looking forward to a better future than the last 5 years have been?

IS IT TRUE we will be thankful when the City of Evansville installed rocks in the medians and streetlights along the annexed areas of Burkhardt Road in 2014?

IS IT TRUE we will be thankful to see the downtown convention hotel deal unfold and hope all goes according to the talking points?

IS IT TRUE we are thankful for the 5 – 1 start for this year’s Evansville Aces basketball team and are very curious to see how winning 25 games (cross your fingers) will help the attendance?  We are thankful that Evansville Aces have won two National NCCA  Championships?

IS IT TRUE we will be thankful to see some real progress with the McCurdy Hotel project next year?

IS IT TRUE we are thankful to have hosted another sold out Mole Awards luncheon and look forward to doing so again next year?

IS IT TRUE we are thankful hear that the Historical Indiana Landmark  group will finally begin to renovate the Greyhound Bus Station building as promised?

IS IT TRUE we will be thankful when the Evansville City Council and the Mayor will find common ground to work together  for the betterment of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE  we are thankful to hear that the powers that be will attack the blight in the 600 block of East Franklin Street in the very near future?

IS IT TRUE  we are very thankful that Mayor has finally realized how valuable the bars and restaurants located on West Franklin Street are to the overall economy of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE we  will be thankful if our elected officials  began to hire people based on qualifications and not political connections?

IS IT TRUE we will be thankful if the City of Evansville  finally receives an audit from the State Board of Accounts  without adverse opinions?

IS IT TRUE we wish only the best for our loyal readers in the coming year?  Once again, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Government to Replace Verizon Web-Hosting Services on HealthCare.gov

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The Department of Health and Human Services will replace Verizon Communications’s Terremark subsidiary as its Web-hosting provider for the federal health-insurance marketplace, presenting a new challenge to the rollout of the Obama administration’s signature health-care initiative.

HHS won’t renew its contract with Terremark and instead awarded a new contract over the summer to Hewlett-Packard to host the website.

HHS has awarded $55.4 million to Verizon for its work to support the health-law marketplaces since its contract began in 2011, including an award for $9.4 million of new website capacity this month.

This announcement comes on the day that the Obama Administration has aborted the marketing campaign for the site, discouraged people from trying to access it on the day it was promised to be fixed, and announced a 14 month delay in the website for small businesses to sign up for ObamaCare.

Vectren files plan to spend $215M on infrastructure improvements in Indiana-South natural gas system through 2020

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vectren-corporation-logo

This week, Vectren Energy Delivery of Indiana – South (Vectren) – in a filing made with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) – outlined the robust gas infrastructure improveme

nt strategy the company will undertake over the next seven years to comply with federal pipeline safety rules and to ensure the company’s 110,000 gas customers in southwestern Indiana continue to receive safe, reliable gas service for decades to come.

The gas system improvements will result in upgrading portions of Vectren’s 3,200-mile network of distribution mains and transmission pipelines that serve nine counties in southwestern Indiana. The work will primarily consist of replacing 300 miles of bare steel and cast iron distribution mains with new mains, most of which will be plastic, as well as inspecting and upgrading Vectren’s transmission pipelines. These plans include acceleration of its pipeline replacement program and bolstering its transmission line integrity management work. Together, these efforts will call for an estimated $215 million in investments.

 

“Each year, we consistently invest in our gas infrastructure to ensure we maintain a safe, reliable system,” said Carl Chapman, Vectren’s chairman, president and CEO. “Over the next decade, this labor-intensive work will increase as federal regulations raise safety standards even higher ensuring the Hoosier state’s gas industry continues its excellent safety track record.”

The filed plan, along with other expected capital expenditures, will have significant benefits for the economy according to a study conducted by the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, including:

  • generating about $1.5 million annually in increased state and local government revenue effects through 2020;
  • supporting approximately 475 jobs annually; and
  • resulting in an economic ripple effect that will lead to an additional $25 million in spending

    annually over the seven-year period, including a statewide impact outside Vectren’s service territory.

    Vectren filed this seven-year gas system modernization plan with the IURC, which seeks to recover $215 million of the planned capital expenditures through 2020. Under Senate Enrolled Act 560 and Senate Enrolled Act 251, which focuses on federally-mandated infrastructure needs, Indiana utilities are encouraged to submit their forward-looking capital investment plans to the IURC for review and cost recovery as provided for by this legislation. The IURC will have review, oversight and approval authority in this process.

    For an overview of the seven-year gas system modernization plan outlining the infrastructure upgrades, visit www.vectren.com/safety.

    If the plan is approved as filed, gas bills will not be adjusted for these expenditures until 2015 – a year following the plan’s expected approval – and those adjustments will continue with modest increases in subsequent years as the improvement projects are completed. In year one, 2015, the typical residential natural gas customer would see an average increase of about $1 to $1.50 per month. In 2013, the

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average residential customer will pay a total of $570 for gas service. Even with the expected bill impacts for these gas infrastructure investments, due to considerably lower natural gas commodity costs, bills should remain substantially lower than they were during the late 2000s. For example, in 2008, the average annual residential gas bill was $985. See chart.

The filing has no impact on electric rates.

“While these infrastructure
enhancements are vital to meeting
federal requirements and ensuring the safety of our system, affordability of our gas service remains top of mind,” added Chapman. “Natural gas bills sit at decade-lows thanks to low, stable natural gas prices. Furthermore, Vectren South has among the lowest gas rates in the state. Of the 20 gas companies in Indiana, Vectren South is in position #18, meaning only two companies offer lower rates. As these investments continue, we will always strive for a safe and reliable system with a focus on customers’ bills.”

So far, Vectren has conducted pipeline replacement work in six of the nine cities that have bare steel and cast iron mains in the company’s southwestern Indiana service territory. These include Evansville, Francisco, Loogootee, Montgomery, Oakland City, Petersburg, Princeton, Vincennes and Washington. Since 2008, more than 45 miles of gas mains have been replaced, which has led to a 12 percent reduction in leak calls and a reduction in natural gas emissions from our distribution system.

In addition to pipeline testing, maintenance and replacement, other portions of the infrastructure investments will go toward needed system upgrades, such as replacing vintage plastic main installed in the 1960s with today’s more durable standard of plastic and removing gas lines that are attached beneath bridge crossings and relocating those lines to underground locations.

Vectren Energy Delivery of Indiana – South delivers natural gas to approximately 110,000 natural gas customers in Daviess, Gibson, Knox, Martin, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties.

About Vectren

Vectren Corporation (NYSE: VVC) is an energy holding company headquartered in Evansville, Ind. Vectren’s energy delivery subsidiaries provide gas and/or electricity to more than 1 million customers in adjoining service territories that cover nearly two-thirds of Indiana and west central Ohio. Vectren’s nonutility subsidiaries and affiliates currently offer energy-related products and services to customers throughout the U.S. These include infrastructure services, energy services and coal mining. To learn more about Vectren, visit www.vectren.com.

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