Simpson comments on agency responses to her budget cut inquiry

The following statements are from Senate Democrat Leader Vi Simpson (D-Ellettsville) in regards to the recent release of state agency responses to her request for information about budget cuts to state programs.

“I’m happy to see that at least some of the information we’ve been requesting for the last six months has been released by the governor. The governor has changed his position, evidently, on keeping this information secret from the public.

“We’ll be analyzing the information just like everyone else, and there may be additional questions that we have that we will pose to the individual department heads.

“Any information is better than what we’ve had from the administration, so we’re very pleased that the governor has changed his mind and decided to release some of the information to the public.”

LISTEN to Simpson’s audio statement>> regarding the recent release of state agency responses.

“We’re very pleased with the progress we’re making with the Senate Democrat Open Government Initiative that we’ll be introducing in the fall in the form of legislation.

“This is a first step. We also understand that the Budget Agency has decided to put some of this information up on a website, which we had called for.

“We’re making some progress but we have a long way to go and we look forward to working with our colleagues in the legislature and in the governor’s office to make public access and open government a reality in Indiana, at long last.”

LISTEN to Simpson’s audio statement>> on the progress of the Senate Democrats’ Open Government Initiative.

Mount Vernon, Leavenworth, Charlestown and Brown County awarded Community Focus Fund Grants

The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) yesterday awarded twenty-two communities and counties with Community Focus Fund Grant awards totaling more that $10 million to assist in local projects.  Brown County, the Town of Leanenworth, and the cities of Mount Vernon and Charlestown were among those who were awarded the extra funds to improve local infrastructure and community development projects.

How the funds will be put to use:

Brown County received $500,000  for the construction of a new EMS facility. The new 7,272 square foot facility will include four bays, sleeping quarters, kitchen, offices and a meeting room.  Columbus Regional Hospital will provide ambulance services at the facility.

The City of Mount Vernon is set to receive $300,000 to fund the demolition of the former J.R. Short Milling Company’s grain silos.  The structures, which are located in the downtown riverfront district, are decaying in condition and are a detriment to the city’s revitalization efforts.  Once the project is completed, Mount Vernon residents and visitors will enjoy an attractive green corridor along the Ohio River.

State Senator Bob Deig (D-Mount Vernon) poses with Lt. Governor Becky Skillman and representatives of the City of Mount Vernon at the Community Focus Fund Grant awards ceremony.

The City of Charlestown will receive $600,000 to fund improvements towards a new sanitary sewer system.  New lines will be constructed to eliminate existing bends near Greenway Park and provide a more direct alignment to the lift station.  The project will provide improved service for all residents in Charlestown’s utility service area.

State Senator Jim Lewis (D-Charlestown) poses with Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, Rep. Terri Goodin and other representative of the City of Charlestown at the Community Focus Fund Grant awards ceremony.

The Town of Leavenworth was given $146,990  for the purchase of a new fire truck to replace their  1957 and 1965 models. The new truck, which features a 500 gallon per minute pump, will offer town residents significantly improved fire protection.

For a statewide list of Community Focus Fund Grant awards click here.

The Community Focus Fund grants are awarded twice a year through a competitive application process. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to: community and senior centers, special needs facilities, libraries, water system improvements, storm drainage projects, and sewer system improvements.

More support for Senate Democrats’ Open Government Initiative

Support for the Senate Democrats’ Open Government Initiative is spreading, with House Speaker Pat Bauer, the Hoosier State Press Association, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette and the South Bend Tribune recently weighing in on the issue.

The Open Government Initiative, announced by Senate Democrat Leader Vi Simpson earlier this month, will call for greater transparency in state government and will be proposed during the 2011 legislative session. Read more from the June 1 announcement >>

In the most recent show of support, several Republican state senators have asked Gov. Mitch Daniels to create a website where the public can access budget and spending information. Simpson said she was pleased to hear that there will be Republican support for the Democrats’ initiative, which includes a website but will be much more far-reaching.

LISTEN to Simpson’s full audio statement>> or select comments from June 24:

A new website alone, without legislative mandate, does not mean a change in attitude. And it won’t by itself break through the culture of secrecy that has been eminating from this current administration.

LISTEN to the audio clip>>

Simpson said the Democrats believe that legislative action is absolutely necessary.

To make government more open and more accessible to the public it is going to require more than posting budget figures and agency totals. We also want to shine the light on what programs have been cut within the individual departments and how much those programs have been cut, some have been eliminated…

LISTEN to the audio clip>>

Through a series of requests, Simpson has already begun the process of gathering this information and plans to post the information online.

We’ll be doing our part to make the information available to the public and practice the principles of open government, which we believe in very strongly… We’ll be doing that whether the governor decides to cooperate or not.

LISTEN to the audio clip>>

2010: New laws become effective July 1

The Indiana General Assembly approved 115 new laws this year, many of which will become effective July 1. The changes in state law taking place this summer impact a variety of issues, from alcohol sales to teens and “sexting.” Read on for a brief summary of new laws taking effect July 1, 2010.

To see a complete list of new laws enacted in 2010, visit http://www.in.gov/legislative.

Small business assistance: To promote the growth of Indiana’s small businesses, the state will assign a small business ombudsman within state government to provide assistance and help identify areas where regulatory burdens can be reduced for the state’s small business owners and operators. Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 23 required the creation of the small business ombudsman’s office under the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Alcohol sales: Under SEA 75, sales clerks are now required to ask all patrons for photo identification to verify that the purchaser is over 21 years of age for the carry-out purchase of alcohol. The new law also allows Indiana’s microbreweries to sell their product for carryout on Sundays similar to the state’s wineries. Two other provisions of the law went into effect in March, including a change to allow alcohol sales on primary and general election days and extended hours for bars and restaurants to serve alcohol on Sundays.

Child support collections: Indiana’s riverboat casinos and horse racing facilities are now required to withhold cash winnings of those individuals who are delinquent in child support payments under SEA 163. The new law applies to those individuals who owe $2,000 or more and are at least three months late in child support payments.

Unemployment rate remains at 10% for May

The state announced Friday morning that Indiana’s unemployment rate for May 2010 remained unchanged from the April rate of 10.0%.

• County with highest unemployment: Elkhart  at 13.7%
• County with lowest unemployment: Daviess at 5.8%

While the Indiana Dept. of Workforce Development (DWD)  points out that “Indiana continues to report the lowest unemployment rate of its neighboring states,” the state unemployment rate continues to be higher than the national rate (which was 9.7% in May).

Indiana’s unemployment rate in May 2009 was 10.6%.

Also available from DWD:

• Labor Force Estimates for U.S., Indiana, MSAs, Counties, Cities
• Ranking of Indiana Counties by Unemployment Rate
• Indiana County Map with Unemployment Rates

Indiana Unclaimed: Show me the money!

In 2010, the Indiana General Assembly passed House Enrolled Act 1083 reducing the time period by which certain property is considered abandoned by a holder and can be reclaimed through the Indiana Unclaimed Property Program.

Indiana holds more than $350 million in unclaimed property waiting to be returned to Hoosiers.  Unclaimed property might be items from a safe deposit box, but in large part, it’s money! It could be an old bank account or some forgotten stock – even a utility deposit you never got back. It could also be insurance proceeds or an inheritance you never knew about.  View map of unclaimed property by region >

Finding Unclaimed Property is a free and easy process that can be done via a user-friendly state sponsored website – www.IndianaUnclaimed.com. Just type in your name and within seconds you can find out if this is your lucky day.

There are six simple steps involved in being reunited with unclaimed property:

1. Enter your name or the name of a friend or family member in the search field.
2. Place a check mark in the box next to the property you want to claim.
3. Complete the claim form and verify your information by clicking “approve.”
4. Print a copy of your completed claim form, sign it and gather all of the required documentation.
5. Drop your completed claim form along with the required documentation in the mail.
6. Allow our staff up to 90 days to review your claim. If your claim is approved, you’ll receive your check in the mail. It’s that easy!

You can also call 1.866.IN.CLAIM (1.866.462.5246).

Knock, knock. Have you participated in the Census yet?

The 2010 Census is  underway, and more than three out of every four Hoosier households have responded to the census by mail. Indiana’s participation level sits well above the national average and ahead of the state’s participation in 2000. Census takers are now visiting the homes of the those not yet counted to ask residents the same questions that were on the mail-in form.

If 100% of U.S. households mailed back their forms, taxpayers would save $1.5 billion dollars.

Get local.
To find out the participation rate in your community, download the map of your Senate District:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6- 7 – 8 – 9 – 10

11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19 – 20

21 – 22 – 23 – 24- 25 -26 – 27 – 28 – 29 – 30

31 – 32 – 33 – 34 – 35- 36 – 37 – 38 – 39 – 40

41 - 42 – 43 – 44 – 45 – 46 – 47 – 48 – 49 – 50

Don’t know your Senate District? Find out here >
Visit 2010.census.gov to download and view census participation by state and zip code.

Why participate?
This year’s form is one of the shortest census questionnaires in history and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Why take the 10 minutes? Read the earlier Briefing Room post: 25 reasons why the Census matters.

Beware of Census scams.
All census workers carry official government badges marked with just their name and will never ask to enter a home. Census forms DO NOT ask for Social Security numbers, bank accounts or other personal information. If you are uncertain about the identity of a census taker, please call the Census Bureau at 1-800-865-6384 to confirm they are employed by the Census Bureau.

Summer study committees announced

Throughout the summer and fall when the Indiana General Assembly is not in session, numerous interim committees and commissions are convened to conduct in-depth research and analysis on many of the complex issues facing our state. The recommendations formed over the next few months by the work of these committees, which includes public testimony, are included in proposals likely to be considered during the next legislative session. Most study committees must complete their work by November 1st.

Today, the Legislative Council approved a resolution adopting the following topics for study:

• The Census Data Advisory Committee will study the 2011 redistricting process.
• The newly formed Committee on Economic Development will study available economic development tools and how Indiana’s tax laws can encourage business development.
• “Sexting” by minors and whether school corporations should adopt policies to address the issue will be studied by the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee.
• The production of methamphetamine and its effects on Hoosiers, the costs of enforcement, and the regulation of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine will also be studied by the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee.
• Suicide among young people, including the root causes and prevention methods, will be studied by the Commission on Mental Health.
• A statewide smoking ban, which has failed in the last three sessions of the Indiana General Assembly, will be studied by the Health Finance Commission.
• The Indiana Check Up Plan (and the Healthy Indiana Plan) and the impact of federal health care reform on the program will also be reviewed by the Health Finance Commission.
• A report on the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is expected to be presented to the Health Finance Commission by the non-partisan state Legislative Services Agency.
• The Health Finance Commission will also study the prevalence of brain injuries, the scope of brain injury services, and financing for those services.
• A number of issues relating to the horse racing industry in Indiana will be studied by the Interim Study Committee on Gaming.
• Crime victims’ ability to terminate leases under certain circumstances will be reviewed by the Commission on Courts, prompted by the death of Indiana resident Sheena Kiska.
• The Committee on Economic Development will study the benefits of existing Community Revitalization Enhancement Districts, such as the new Delaware CRED approved by the 2010 Indiana General Assembly, as an economic development tool.

Read the full list of summer study committee topics here >

Committee meeting dates, agendas, and minutes will all be available online at www.in.gov/legislative/interim/committee.  View the interim calendar >

Simpson calls for transparency; cites executive branch culture of secrecy

Senate Democrat Leader Vi Simpson announced in a media availability today that Senate Democrats plan to introduce legislation to enhance transparency in state government budgeting and spending.

Citing a culture of secrecy within the executive branch, Simpson said there is a critical need for transparency. Specifically, Simpson says she is shocked by the lack of public information available on program cuts and on the use of taxpayer money for economic development incentives.

The governor refers to Indiana as the island of prosperity. We’re the island of secrets. - Senate Democrat Leader Vi Simpson

LISTEN: Simpson says, “It is really a matter of trust…”

In her statements to the press, Simpson outlined previous requests dating back to January asking for a comprehensive list of cuts made to state services and programs. The State Budget Agency has indicated that a comprehensive list of cuts does not exist.

Today Simpson sent letters to the head of each state agency asking for a list of the agency’s implemented and proposed cuts by program, the methodology used to determine how the cuts are made, implementation dates of all budget cuts and personnel layoffs, expected reversions by program, and the estimated impact of cuts on people served by each program. State agencies were ordered to cut 10% in FY2010 and were notified in April that the governor wants 15% budget reversions from each agency’s budget in FY2011.