Indiana unemployment rate creeps up to 8.9%, nearing national average

On Friday, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced that Indiana’s unemployment rate for September 2011 rose again to 8.9 percent.  Indiana’s unemployment is approaching the U.S. rate of 9.1 percent, and stands lower than neighboring states Illinois (10 percent), Ohio (9.1 percent), Kentucky (9.7 percent) and Michigan (11.1 percent).

• County with the highest unemployment rate: Fayette 12.0%
• County with the lowest unemployment rate: Dubois 6.0%

Employment Report (LAUS)

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

Jobs Report (CES)

• Seasonally – Adjusted Employment Table for Indiana
• Non-Seasonally – Adjusted Employment Table for Indiana
• Detail Employment Listing – Statewide & MSAs

Save the Date: Student activities abound at the Statehouse

Indiana Statehood Day (Dec. 9): 

Every December, students from across the state gather in Indianapolis to celebrate the day Indiana became the 19th state.  During the Statehood Day celebration, students have the opportunity to explore the Statehouse, State Library, and State Museum.
This year’s Statehood Day celebration will be held on Friday, December 9th.  Festivities will include:

• Guest speakers from the three branches of state government

• Bagpipers, Color Guard, special music presentation

• Reading of the winning essay by its author (see additional information about entering Statehood Day essay contest)

• Installation of the original copies of Indiana’s 1816 and 1851 State Constitutions by the State Archivist, into a specially designed display case in the Capitol Rotunda.

Principals and teachers may contact the Capitol Tour Office to make  reservations for Statehood Day activities at (317) 233-5293 or jhodge@idoa.in.gov.

See photos from last year’s Statehood Day>>

Holiday Tree Trimming (Dec. 14):

Each year students from across the state gather in the Statehouse rotunda to trim the Statehouse Christmas Tree with ornaments of their own creation.  This year students are invited to attend the ceremony on Wednesday, December 14.  Last year’s ornament theme was “Holiday Tales from the Heart,” with an emphasis on literacy.  Students wrote and decorated books about their favorite holiday memories, which were then hung as ornaments on the tree.  Stay tuned for more details about this year’s theme.

View photos from last year’s tree trimming>>

Be a Senate Page (Jan. 4- March 14):

Serving as a page for the Indiana State Senate gives students grades 6-12 a first-hand glimpse of how the legislative process works. Students may currently apply to serve as a page for the 2012 legislative session, which runs January 4 through March 14.

Read more about the page application process>>

Mental health care providers struggle to maintain accessibility amid Medicaid changes

The Commission on Mental Health and Addiction met on October 4th to hear testimony from advocates from Mental Health America and Indiana’s community mental health centers, as well as from representatives with the Department of Correction and AssureRx. Witnesses spoke to changes made to the Medicaid Rehabilitation Option (MRO) as a result of legislation passed by the 2010 Indiana General Assembly and how those changes have impacted the services they provide to consumers with mental health conditions.

Click to locate a community mental health care provider in your county.

Medicaid Rehabilitation Option

The Medicaid Rehabilitation Option (MRO) grants states the option to provide a variety of services and is most often used for the rehabilitation of people with mental illnesses. MROs allow states some flexibility in delivering services to consumers in their community and permits coverage of a broader range of services including those that assist in acquiring essential everyday skills.

Shifting costs

The committee took testimony from representatives from the Lawrenceburg Community Mental Health Center on their experience with recent changes to the MRO. Between FY10 and FY11, Indiana CMHCs saw the number of MRO consumers they serve drop 16 percent (-6,915). However over the same period the CMHCs observed an increase of 8 percent (5,384) in non-MRO consumers. The centers can only assume that without access to a Clinic Option, the increase most likely represents a rise in uncompensated care.

Renew early: 2.1 million Hoosiers set to renew Indiana driver’s licenses in 2012

Indiana motorists renewing their driver’s licenses in 2012 are not alone; the Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) will process 2.1 million renewals in an effort to comply with new federal ID requirements.  To ease congestion, the BMV has made the renewal process available online to certain drivers.

The expected 2.1 million renewals in 2012 is a record level and represents an increase of more than 700 percent over renewals processed in 2011.

From a BMV press release, the number of Indiana driver's license renewals will skyrocket in 2012 to over 2 million. In 2011, 260,000 licenses were renewed.

The BMV had adjusted the expiration dates of Indiana driver’s licenses to align renewals with the new standards under the federal Real ID Act. The act requires states to update their licensing process to verify applicants’ identities thoroughly and increase security by 2013. The act was similar to recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission.

Renew your license online, click here.

Online Renewal

Eligible motorists required to renew their license in 2012 can do so online through the BMV’s website. The first step to the online renewal process will be creating an account on the agency’s website.

Eligibility standards for online renewal include:

• U.S. Citizen
• Name and address must be the same since last renewal
• No testing or medical certification required
• No more than 6 points on license
• 70 years old or younger

See complete list of requirements and more information on online license and ID renewal>>

Eligible drivers can renew up to one year prior to their driver’s license expiration date.

The BMV notes the busiest days for branches are Tuesday and Saturdays. Licenses are now printed at a central location and, as a result, all drivers will receive their new license in the mail, regardless by what method they renew. Drivers renewing their license after it expired will be charged a $5 fee.

More information about Indiana driver’s licenses and ID cards from the BMV >>

Video: Senator Broden outlines higher education funding for FY12-13

In the video below, State Senator John Broden (D-South Bend) discusses the relationship between the Indiana General Assembly, the state’s budget and how Indiana’s institutions of higher education are funded.

Budget Brief: The final piece of the Budget Breakdown

The agencies and state operations listed among the “other” designation of the budget include public safety (excluding corrections), economic development, conservation and the environment, transportation, gaming and redistributions to local units.

Transportation: The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is responsible for the maintenance, preservation and construction of the state’s roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Transportation funding is largely a product of federal and dedicated funds. The 2011 budget appropriated $4.5 billion of primarily dedicated and federal funds in FY12 and FY13. The amount marked a 23 percent decrease from the total combined appropriation for transportation in FY10 and FY11 of $5.9 billion and was the result of significantly lower support from dedicated funds in FY12 and especially FY13.