Indiana Legislative Sessions and Committee Meetings Canceled due to Weather

Posted on Author WKVI
State Representative Nancy Dembowski

Tuesday and Wednesday were slow days for State Legislators as sessions were canceled because of weather for the first time in 10 years.

“We had no session on Tuesday and that included Committee meetings and Committee meetings were called off Wednesday as well,” said State Representative Nancy Dembowski (D-Knox). “Normally on Wednesday we don’t have session, but we have a full day of Committee meetings. All of that has been called off because it’s just really treacherous to move around down here because of the ice.”

Dembowski said the two days were not wasted.

“We were able to get here,” she said. “I don’t live far and I was able to walk over and it gives us uninterrupted time to get a lot of work done and get some things done that we may have been setting aside as busy as we’ve been in session. There are some positives to it as well.”

Representative Dembowski not in Favor of Upcoming Unemployment Bill

Posted on Author WKVI
State Representative Nancy Dembowski

State Representative Nancy Dembowski (D-Knox) yesterday labeled the unemployment bill coming up in the House as totally unacceptable. Dembowski, saying the way to fix unemployment is through creating jobs, released a report that first talked about the proposed bill.

“The Majority has come up with another bill and their plan to fix the unemployment issue is to shift hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes from big businesses to small businesses and then cut benefits to the workers by 25 percent,” said Dembowski. “That’s totally unacceptable and it is the largest benefit cut in the history of the State.”

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Representative Dembowski Hesitant to Vote on School Reform Bill

Posted on Author WKVI
State Representative Nancy Dembowski

Seventeenth District State Representative Nancy Dembowski (D-Knox) is hesitant to vote for a school reform bill that would allow for tax dollars to flow into private or charter schools at the expense of public schools.

“I think when we being talking about allowing tax monies to support more charter schools and vouchers and tax credits, we undermine the rural public school systems that I represent,” said Dembowski. “I’m very concerned about that. We think in terms of choice and allowing students to go to the schools of their choice, to a degree, and that’s acceptable, but I worry constantly about the private schools that require payment to go there. Tax money will go to support schools that will be done by some corporation who decides that they want to establish a new school that will be the best for your child.”

The Indiana Department of Education has prepared a document: “Indiana’s 2011 Education Agenda-Putting Students First”. The document puts forth a series of issues and problems. They include, among others: An antiquated tenure system, teachers and principals not annually evaluated, and ten percent of students are passing advanced placement exams.

Dr. Tony Bennett and Governor Mitch Daniels are championing school reform in this session of the legislature.

State Legislature to Discuss the Elimination of Township Government this Session

Posted on Author WKVI
State Representative Nancy Dembowski

Will this be the session of the State Legislature when township government is done away with? Governor Mitch Daniels would like for it to be eliminated. Indiana has more than 1,000 townships. The Trustees and Advisory Boards are responsible for fire protection and poor relief, among other things.

WKVI News asked State Representative Nancy Dembowski (D-Knox) gives us her perspective on the possible elimination of township government.

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State Representative Nancy Dembowski Concerned about Governor’s Education Proposals, Job Creation

Posted on Author WKVI
State Representative Nancy Denbowski

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels gave his State of the State Address Tuesday night and State Representative Nancy Dembowski was concerned that the Governor did not talk about job creation.

“The Governor, in my view, failed to speak about the one most important issue that faces our State right now because we have an unemployment rate that is still hovering around ten percent and I don’t believe I heard the Governor talk a great deal about jobs, other than to say that we were an ‘isle of prosperity’. I challenge him to come to District 17 and see whether or not it is such an ‘island of prosperity’.”

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State Representative Nancy Dembowski to Present Time Zone Bill

Posted on Author WKVI
State Representative Nancy Denbowski

The Hoosier state going into one time zone! Well now that we have your attention, we might say the chances of that happening anytime soon are slim to none. Don’t think for a minute that Governor Mitch Daniels wants the legislature to spend any time on that issue again.

Because her District is split right down the middle, State Representative Nancy Dembowski (D-Knox) is going on a bill with Representative Hinkle of Indianapolis to bring up that proposal again.

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State Legislature to Focus on Prison Sentences in this Year’s Session

Posted on Author WKVI
State Representative Nancy Denbowski

Even though the State Legislature is overwhelmingly Republican, there still aren’t some issues that can by worked on in a bipartisan manner, according to 17th District State Representative Nancy Dembowski (D-Knox). One of those issues focuses on the state’s rapidly increasing prison population. Both Dembowski and State Senator Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso) have gone on record as saying this is an issue that needs attention.

Dembowski blamed the General Assembly for causing some of the problems.

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Koontz Lake Dam Construction Project Approved

Posted on Author WKVI

State Representative, Nancy Dembowski (D-Knox), said the State Budget Committee approved a $5.8 million project for the major reconstruction of the Koontz Lake Dam.

The committee gave its approval during a Tuesday meeting at the Statehouse. The project will correct water seepage problems as well as upgrade the spillway to meet current standards.

Dembowski said that state crews worked to stabilize the dam’s northwest embankment in 2008. They cleared trees and brush, then placed about 100 cubic yards of stone over a geo-textile fabric on the embankment.

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Starke County Development Foundation Holds 25th Anniversary Celebration

Posted on Author WKVI

Back Row: Charles Weaver, Bill Sonnemaker and Terry Kimmel. Front Row: Chris Madsen, Matt Swanson, Marvin Peters, Steve Spaw, and Jack Lynch. Picture by Jayme Goetz

Dignitaries from throughout the county and Northwest Indiana attended the 25th Anniversary celebration for the Starke County Development Foundation Friday afternoon at the Knox Community Center.

Emcee, Ted Hayes, brought a number of people to the microphone during the program. They included State Representative Nancy Dembowski, State Senator Ed Charbonneau, Northwest Indiana Forum President, Mark Maassel; Starke County Development Foundation President, Bill Sonnemaker; Foundation Director, Charles Weaver; and former Foundation Director, Terry Kimmel.

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