Pulaski County Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer will meet with Senator Ed Charbonneau and State Representative Doug Gutwein next week to talk about the CAGIT tax issue.
Origer will talk with the legislators about changing legislature to require that the special CAGIT tax be used to pay the jail lease instead of that money coming from the CEDIT fund as legislation currently reads. Origer argues that the CEDIT fund should be used for economic development projects and not for the jail lease.
State Senator Ed CharbonneauSenator Ed Charbonneau will be visiting Pulaski County for a meet and greet on Monday, offering Chamber of Commerce members and the public to visit and ask questions. Judy Heater, coordinator for the event, said that the senator is coming at the Chamber’s request to be their guest representative this quarter.
Heater said she’s not sure what the senator will discuss, but he will be present to answer questions.
Middle school and high school students are encouraged to spend a day at the Statehouse and serve as Senate pages during the 2013 legislative session.
Republican State Senator Ed Charbonneau, of Valparaiso, covers four counties in Starke County and all of Pulaski County and parts of Jasper, LaPorte and Porter Counties. He asks that you visit www.in.gov/senatepageprogram to apply for a Senate page opportunity. All requests should include the student’s name, address, home telephone number, age, and school affiliation.
Senator Charbonneau said specific date requests will be considered, but may not be possible. Participating as a page is an excused absence from school. Pages will tour the historic Statehouse and observe legislative proceedings in either committee rooms or the Senate Chamber Parents are responsible for transportation to and from the Statehouse.
It may be summertime, but State Senator Ed Charbonneau is certainly not taking a break. He says this is the time of year to ramp up summer study committees, whose job is to focus on various topics that were initiated in bills filed during the previous legislative session. When some of those legislative items are too lengthy of a project to address during the legislative session, they are deferred to summer study committees that meet a number of times to take an intense look at issues referred to them by the legislature.
Charbonneau says that with the committees and the large number of county fairs, he’s kept fairly busy.
“It’s a good time, it’s an interesting time, and it’s a time when you can really get out and talk to constituents and really hear firsthand about a lot of issues that are on peoples’ minds. And certainly now, as you might expect, it’s jobs, economic development, job creation, and how do we get things turned around so that we can get on the right track. If we can create the jobs, it’s going to help local government, it’s gonna help schools, it’s gonna help everybody,” said Charbonneau.
The 2012 Indiana General Assembly convenes Wednesday with a contentious labor bill topping the legislative agenda.
GOP lawmakers and Governor Mitch Daniels say the law is needed to make Indiana more attractive to companies looking for a place to do business.
Union leaders and Democrats call it a transparent attempt to dismantle organized labor and say such a law drives down wages.
Some Republican Senators with many union members in their districts are placed in a tough spot going into an election year. One of those Senators, Ed Charbonneau of Valparaiso, has said that he is going to study the bill long and hard before placing a vote one way or the other.
North Judson-San Pierre Superintendent Lynn Johnson
The North Judson-San Pierre School Board discussed teacher evaluation requirements at their meeting this week. Superintendent Lynn Johnson said that evaluations are necessary due to state law and those evaluations will determine merit pay for the teachers. The components that will be required are still being determined.
Kelly Manning from 21st Century Scholars and Senator Ed Charbonneau recognized Suzie Matzat during the Board meeting. She has been instrumental in keeping the program alive in the Middle School where she was the Guidance Counselor for many years and in the High School where she maintains that position. She was given a plaque as a result of her positive promotion in getting the word out about the program where students can earn free tuition to an Indiana College or University if they sign a contract and remain drug and alcohol free throughout their school career.
Sixth District State Senator, Jim Arnold, paid a visit to the Starke County Council and Commissioners this week. Arnold, who was assigned parts of Starke County in a new district, paid a courtesy call on both governing bodies, saying that the members can call him if they need help in any way. If elected in the 2012 election, Arnold’s new district will take in Davis, Oregon, Washington, Center, and Jackson Townships. Senator Ed Charbonneau will be left with only Railroad, Wayne, California, and North Bend townships.
Members of the council mentioned two topics they will be interested in during the 2012 legislative session. Those topics are the 9-1-1 and Police Pension Fund financing.
WKVI News had an opportunity recently to talk with Eighth District State Senator Jim Arnold (D) of LaPorte. Arnold, if elected in 2012, will represent a few townships in Starke County.
“It’s a pleasure and an honor to have the opportunity to represent the people of Starke County,” said Senator Arnold. “I don’t have all of Starke County, but I do have five townships in the northern part of the County. I picked up additional portions of St. Joe County as well. I’m honored and privileged to be down here and I look forward to working with the people on concerns of mutual interest.”
The 2011 session of the Indiana General Assembly, as required by law, will end tomorrow night by midnight or before. Senator Ed Charbonneau says after considerable study legislation of interest to area mint farmers was passed by the Assembly and signed by Governor Daniels April 20th.
